(Message pending approval...)

Every thing does not have to have concrete, beauty is in nature.

Widening the trail will eliminate space for trees and plants, and destroy the natural beauty of the trail.

Can't find anything better to do with OUR money? Try using it fill in some potholes or pave our streets and leave what little bit of nature we still have in OUR city alone! Thank you

For crying out loud! Leave this beautiful trail as it is! Get real Parks Department! Is this your idea of making New York the greenest city in USA? PLEEEEASE!!!

Please preserve the trail!

Thanks for informing me by the note in my mailbox Your proposal makes sense

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The trail is an important recreational corridor.

There is just no place to walk safely - non-stressfully due to shared bicycle paths.
It's a special hazardous to those with disabilities or just not as steady of foot as they once were. Many elders no longer use the John Finley Walk since it became a shared walk depite protestes from every local elected official and civic group.

Save this trail!

Leave our beautiful nature trail alone. Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan should do her job repairing the roads in the Bronx which are worse than Baghdad instead of building bike lanes!

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I don't see the point of destroying one of the few nature trails in NYC to put in another paved road which can be found everywhere

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I love the putnam trail as is!

I'm in favor of saving any and all of our natural areas.

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It's a beautiful walking trail as it is. It also seems that it would be cheaper to leave it as it is. Please don't destroy this piece of living history.

Save the dirt trail!!!

Just walking on the remnants of the old track bed is a unique experience. Why destroy an existing piece of history right here in our backyard? Crossing into the Westchester section is very disappointing.

I have enjoyed the natural beauty of this area for quite some time. Please preserve the natural aspect of the Putnam Trail. It is vital to our community as well as to visitors of our community. More importantly, it is vital to nature itself. Let it be. It is perfect the way it is. Natural.

I love biking along the trail - it's perfect for walkers, joggers and bikers who want a respite from the concrete, a place where you can remember that NYC is GREEN, too.

Maintain the trail, don't change it!

Please revise the plan to reduce environmental impact: a narrower corridor with a crushed stone surface rather than asphalt.

Pave roads, not trails.

Please save the Putnam Trail for all Americans, not just New Yorkers. Don't pave it.

Grew up a few blocks from Van Cortlandt Park.
Please save the Trail!

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Please stop destroying our beautiful and natural park.

For crying out loud! Asphalt? Just what NYC needs more of. Get real, Parks Department. Leave this trail in the lovely state-of-nature it presently enjoys.

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I love VCP! Hopefully it stays the way it is and is preserved!

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The trail is paved in Westchester,which creates a speedway for cyclists.Let us have a walking path free of hazards.

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Personally I am in favor of leaving the trail exactly as is.
Given that that does not seem to be one of the options, as little as possible should be done.

What is the obsession with paving? There is no lack of pavement in NYC. Cyclists already use the trail quite happily and there is respect between those who walk, those who run and cyclists.
Paving will mean more reckless behavior, accidents, confrontations and litter.

Further, there should NOT be food concessions or commercialism or any sort.

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I like my trails unpaved.

Let the people who actually use the trail have a say in how they want their environment to be. We ask for no asphalt, because its better for our health now and in our future.

pls dont do this its a mistake

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It is extremely important to preserve this historic and beautiful trail. Please do not make a terrible mistake.

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Stop the paving!

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Keep it real - don't pave!!

Running on trails is a lot healthier in many ways that running on pavement. This park and trail is one of the best things that NYC has to offer. I have also enjoyed the Holiday Marathons that used to take place on this trail - this is the only Trail Marathon inside NYC and should be preserved. This even was free, open to all and promoted running and healthy way of living. We need more events like that, we do NOT need more pavement!

Please keep the trail natural (no asphalt) and find a better use for the funds. Thank you.

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Please do not pave this trail! Let's keep nature as natural as possible!

Beautiful dirt track, great for running especially for people who are unable to run on tarmac or paved routes.

It is important to preserve our historic trail.

why spoil this last nature walk in the park. There are plenty of places to ride your bike here; can't the walkers, birdwatchers, nature lovers have their place too? The park has areas available for tennis, cricket, swimming, baseball, horse back riding, track, picnics and bike riding. Why can't the people who just want to stop and enjoy an unpaved fragment of nature be permitted their little space too?

Removal of the Putnam Trail destroys a historically important region of Van Cortlandt Park.

I've been on the amazing trail I think. Saving the trail is a great idea it can save the earth. all day long i love earth with all my heart.you should too

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This a nice trail as is..

Please do not widen and add asphalt to the trail. Preserve it's original look.

the Putnam trail is a welcome respite from the world of concrete and macadam paths.There is no compelling need to destroy it in favor of a pavement that will hurt both walkers and runners alike.

I have enjoyed the trail for decades, as a former runner and nature lover. I have walked it for years. Please do not alter it - it is needed by those who enjoy the park as well as the animals who live there.

PLEASE don't pave over any running trails. They're much better as is.

I am signing this petition in the hopes that the Putnam trail will infact remain as a trail and not blacktop. We runners cherish those few places that we can still put our feet on real earth and run in environments as close to nature as we can get.

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Runners MUCH prefer nature trails to pavement. It's much healthier and cheaper. Don't use pavement please!

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I am opposed to paving over the Putnam trail.

I am opposed to paving over the Putnam Trail.

Much prefer trail unpaved! Please do not share email.

Why destroy nature. Use the funds elsewhere or not at all.

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Please do not destroy this trail I love it I hate it when asphalt is poured over trails.all the natural beauty is destroyed

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Please don't pave-over the nature trail in Van Cortlandt Park. The paving affects every runner in Metropolitan Area, who wants to retain soft surfaces in forests in urban settings.

Even though I am handicapped and can't use the trail, I think it should be saved as a natural habitat and not paved over.

I've hiked this trail and it's lovely. Leave it the way it is.

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leave nature the way you found it. Thanks

This trail should be preserved.

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no paving, please

Enough of New York City is paved over. The Putnam Trail is a respite from that, and should remain as it is.

Walkers,runners & bicyclists use this path. NYC & the Bronx need more natural spaces, not more concrete!

This is a travesty. How can this even be under consideration?

This is one of the many great wonders of our fine city and state. We have enough paved ways in the concrete jungle and not enough parks and green spaces. Preserve the trail as it is. Invest in more parks, park maintenace, nature trails, education, tourism to them. Don't waste tax payer dollars on paving what does not need to be paved.

Please leave the trail as is. Total waste of taxpayers' money to expand it and pave it over. We need more trails like this, not fewer.

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Please preserve nature.

We run and walk using the trail for years, nobody ever complained about it, this is a waist of money and torture to the echo-system, no need for it ! use the money for something better instead please.

The Putnam trail is a rare thing in NYC. Please leave it alone. It does not need to be paved.

I love that trail. Please save it!

No to paving..Keep things as they are and stop using taxpayer money where it isn't needed. There's enough asphalt to go around already.

As an avid runner and hiker, I urge you to not pave the Putnam Trail. There is plenty of asphalt in New York already. Thank you.

The Putnam Trail, as it now exists, is well used by walkers and cyclists both and seems to be a problem for neither group. The last thing VanCourtlandt Park needs is another strip of gravel or asphalt bisecting it! Please don't destroy the character and charm of the trail by paving it!

Please save the Putnam Trail. Thank you

I've been running at Van Cortland Park since 1972 and have enjoyed the escape from the concrete jungle the trails provide. The Putnam Trails are a historic part of Van Cortland Park. Paving the trails would not only ruin the natural beauty of the park but also remove a historic part of the City.

we need to keep our natural resourses lets NOT PAVE PARADISE AND PUT IN A PARKING LOT

Save the Putnam Trail.

As an avid runner, I mjust attest to the benefits of running on non-paved trails. Please save the money and DO NOT pave this trail!

Please Preserve the trail to keep it all natural and to hold its historic value. I have ran the trail many times and it is full of nature. There are many other things that funds can be used for and path does not have to be paved it holds no future for a highway

Best trail in NYC!

This trail needs to be preserved for everyone to enjoy.

DONT PAVE OVER THE TRAIL! KEEP IT NATURAL!

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I raced this trail in college....it should be preserved as it was when so many other collegiate athletes have competed here.

Spend the money on current park upkeep. For ex.:Paint the parking lot lines in Alley Pond Park. You can no longer see them. Also use some for a WOODEN boardwalk in Coney Island

Please preserve the historic Putnam Trails!

Please don't pave-over the nature trail in Van Cortlandt Park. The paving affects every runner in the city who wants to retain soft surfaces in forests in urban settings. (Not to mention hikers, birdwatchers, etc.)

Leave the trails natural. Who will repair black top or concrete as time and weather destroy it.I like the dirt.

Gem of nature.

Good ponits all around. Truly appreciated.

i support the effort to keep the trail more natural.

Nature deserves to live in NYC/Bronx!

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I've been running on these trails since HS and the memories I have are indescribable. Not to mention this is natural beauty in a city that is constantly on the cutting edge.

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Please preserve the natural trail.

Paving a natural trail ruins the natural beauty of the environment. Remember us natural trail users-we like them that way! We deserve a place to use just as much as those that might want paved trails. There are enough paved trails in the city, please consider our needs too.

Paving a natural trail ruins the natural beauty of the environment. Remember us natural trail users-we like them that way! We deserve a place to use just as much as those that might want paved trails. There are enough paved trails in the city, please consider our needs too.

Nyrrc member. Please don't pave it. My knees are bad enough without more pavement to deal with. And hiking on pavement is not very inspiring.

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Save the Putnam Trail. Please don't pave it.

Please save one of the last accessible urban trails in this region. Don't make people drive cars long distances to enjoy natural beauty.

Restore nature dont pave over it

I travel to the park from Brooklyn and run on the trail -- please leave it unpaved!

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Keep the trails...... Speaking words of wisdom Let it be.....let it be

Van Cortlandt as we know and love it wouldn't exist if paving various parts over the years were seen as "good solutions" to whatever problems existed at the time. Why mess with a good thing and change 321 yrs of greenness? Leave the park alone. Let the actual users use it the way it was meant to be used - as a nature trail, not a roadway.

Save any and all parkland for our children to enjoy in the future!

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I started running VCP while a freshman at MSV. I joined the track team that began my love for running. I've completed three marathons since running those trails. It was beautiful running each morning...it reminded me of home in NH and truly brought out my love of running. Please don't pave these beautiful trails, it would be a shame.

Please the park is perfec the way it is!

I ran Van Courtland in College.

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Keep it fresh and real

Preserve !!!

Please save your trails. They are important to us and our future young athletes.

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SAVE THE PUTNAM TRAIL

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This destruction of natural beauty is appalling! Paving trails? For what? Surely shoveling and constantly repairing concrete cannot be easier than letting people who already live in a concrete jungle have a place of beauty to retreat to!

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Why pave over the wonderful trails that hundreds of runners use for cross country meets? Why?

This trail is one our city's treasures. Please preserve it.

Please conserve the park!

Let it remain in its beautiful natural state, so that the trail may be enjoyed by present and future runners.

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Nature trails should remain as natural as possible and not turned into another concrete jungle. We have destroyed enough land through paving - SAVE THE PUTNAM TRAIL!!

Please save one of the last accessible urban trails in this region. Don't make people drive cars long distances to enjoy natural beauty.

Save the Putnam Trail! A trail is a trail, not a friggin' cart path.

We need to save the wonders of nature. We have plenty of paved areas. We need nature to continue to exist for generations.

SHAME ON YOU, IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS U ARE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE. GOING BACK TO NATURE IS PROGRESS WE HAVE ENOUGH SIDE WALKS. STOP PAVING OVER WHAT GOD GAVE US. BESIDES IT WILL REQUIRE LOTS OF UP KEEP AND IT COST MONEY TO KEEP DOING THAT.

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Why destroy something that was not ours to begin with. How can killing trees that are older than all of us even be a choice. Preserve, respect and love!

Please do not uproot trees and ruin the trails. Also, please allow Holiday Marathons to continue their great efforts in the community that encourage healthy lifestyles.

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All paving will do is create dangerous situations between runners/pedestrian and cyclists. Never mind paving over a creating polution in a beautiful area. Why does the city need to come to the parks?

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Please Parks Administration, preserving Putnam Trail does far more good than what your current plan to cut down more trees and pave more asphalt. New York needs this trail to maintain a healthy quality of life. It really is rare to have something this natural, green and lush in the area.

I lived in NYC for 14 years before moving to Northern New Jersey. I still run in Van Cortland park a few times a year and it's a treasure for both me and my family, which includes 3 children who also love the trails.

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save the trail

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Resources better suited to other things than paving over a completely useable trail

There are enough trees destroyed in this world. We don't have to better our quality of life at the expense of nature. Our well-being and health depends on the trees and plants. Please preserve the Putnam Trail!

Please preserve the original trail to keep the natural beauty of the area because paving can damage an already delicate ecosystem. You can use the money projected for paving for something of more importance such as beautification, exercise stations, bird watching points of interest, maintenance, and security. Thank you!

hello im looking for matt alopton is he still about
alf

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Please don't do this!

As a resident of Jersey City, I rely on parks and trails in the New York metro area for training in addition to Liberty State Park. The loss of this trail would mean one less green space to run in, in an area with precious little green space to begin with, and paving the trail would very likely damage the ecological system that has managed to survive along the trail.

Keep pavement out of Van Cortland's natural areas. We have enough of it in the Bronx.

I'm a runner

Keep up the good work/fight. Thanks to the Holiday Marathons, I realize what a rare treat that trail is.

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My stomping ground.

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Please do not pave this historic trail. Generations of runners have enjoyed running because of this trail and Van Cortlandt Park. Paving has a negative environmental impact which is not limited to decreasing impervious surfaces and increasing erosion through runoff. It also brings increased maintenance costs and creates injury hazards as it breaks down. Leave it natural.

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By signing this petition, I am asking the Parks Administration to preserve the Putnam Trail. It will be a real shame if this trail disappears.

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Please DO NOT pave the Putnam trail!

I love xc at van cortdland and it should remain!!

Please save and keep the trail! It is good to have some none pavement once in awhile!

It stinks! Save the bloody trails people.

please save the putnam trail

It would be a shame to lose one of the very few unpaved trails in the city.

Save the trail, we need it to preserve those special times we step onto something that make us reflect and appreciate its natural existence, and its history.

The Putnam Trail is one of the best places to run in New York. It's beautiful and makes anyone who is there feel like they're miles away from the city. The narrow dirt trail surrounded by trees is what makes this place so special. Please do not ruin it by paving it. It is perfect just the way it is. Please do not change it.

Please save the Trail. It offers a peaceful, safe escape from the day to day grind of life in the Bronx. Please rethink your proposal.

Please DO NOT pave the Putnam trail.
My friends and I drive an hour every Saturday to run on dirt.
There are practically no dirt trails anywhere in NYC. Why destroy this one?
Why destroy trees and pave a dirt trail?
Please Parks- use your budget to replace the many astroturf fields you laid down 10 years ago and can not afford to replace as they wear out! Please do not pave the dirt train in VC park!

We come all the way from Manhattan for the sole purpose of enjoying the nature trails in VC. Please keep them as they are!

There are very few soft ground trails left, they must be preserved as they are a healthy alternative to hard surfaces of which there are plenty. Please don't pave.

PLEASE don't pave the Putnam Trail. It is a beautiful natural trail that is hidden jewel in a city filled with asphalt.

Preserving the natural environment and keeping the trail unpaved is very important. The paving of the trail would negatively impact not only the outdoor enthusiasts who use the trail, but the wildlife who call the trail home.

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This is my XC home course for college (NJIT). PLEASE leave the paths and trails the way they currently are! This change will impact HUNDREDS of NCAA Div-1 XC runners!

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Save the trail!

Don't mess with a good thing

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To destroy more woods to widen a nature trail is simply ridiculous. Additionally, paving a trail means more costs each year to patch potholes. This doesn't make environmental or fiscal sense.

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Trails are trails because they are dirt. If you pave them, I might as well be on a road.

I raced Van Cortlandt numerous times during my college XC years and I could just not imagine the course being the same if it was paved. It would change years of history with XC racing that have occurred there.

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Very little green space in the city left. We need to preserve this area!

Our city government's behavior is absolutely deplorable. They, along with corporate business, destroy our urban communities, our economic and intellectual opportunities, and our natural surroundings. Save Putnam Trail and rid Margot Perron's office from causing further destruction.

Isn't there enough blacktop and concrete already in this City? The Putnam Trail has until now been a bucolic escape, and an important part of that escape has included the feel of dirt crunching under your shoes as you walk the trails. When it's paved it'll feel just like Times Square? What's next, I wonder, install a pedestrian plaza?
Finally, Ms. Margot Perron should not be occupying two posts of influence, as both Van Cortlandt Park Administrator and as President of the Board of Directors of the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy. This is a clear conflict of interest. Seemingly, she seems to think that being a public servant means she gets to be served by them. Hopefully, the City Coucil and the next Mayor will bring some sanity back to the running of this Jewel in the Bronx--something that her decisions regarding the Trail and the Marathons clear show she needs.

let it be. no need to ruin good trails. people need to walk on dirt, roots, rocks. The city has enough pavement.

Let's be more sustainable. It's good enough as is already!

I love these marathons and will support what they support.

Please don't destroy this gem of a trail.

It is ridiculous to pave trails! Runners need soft surfaces to preserve our knees and legs - we are not all road-pounding harriers. Trails require less maintenance than paved roads, and I'd hate to see my tax money go to making something look less natural, more man-made, and harmful to the health and aesthetics of the park.

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I am against the paving of the Putnam Trail.

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I ran at Van Cortlandt Park many times as a college athlete for cross country, and I am dismayed that such a proposal is being considered. There was a similar trail (flat and smooth dirt and gravel, easily walkable and runnable) near where I went to college, and a paving company got a contract to modify a section of it that needed no such work. It was a travesty that such a thing took place, and the same can be said of this project being proposed. For the benefit of all the users of this well-known and well-frequented park, most of whom I'm sure do not want to see such an unnecessary modification take place that will take away from the natural outdoor feel of the existing trail, please maintain it in its existing form. Paving it will accomplish nothing but add to the urbanization of an area where environments preserving a natural, arcadian-like escape are in unfortunately short supply. Thank you.

Haven't we done enough to destroy nature? Let's save this trail!

Please do not widen or pave the Putnam Trail. It is a beautiful natural trail that is hidden jewel in our city filled with asphalt.

i agree with leigh druckenmiller

I practically live on these trails and am greatly saddened to hear of possible demolition. Please let us gather together and save such a rich and lively ecosystem and recreational retreat.

Please don't destroy another beautiful escape.

Please preserve nature, Don't Pave the Putnam Trail!!!

I bought a mountain bike to adapt to the environment. There is no need to adapt the environment for a road bike. Leave it alone!

Does everything have to be paved?

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Maybe clear/impove the dirt, but do not pave it, as the park already has so many paved trails, and many uneven/windy dirt ones. This one is smooth and straight and perfect. It is great to travel south out of Westchester's paved sections, and enjoy the fine cinder-packed soil.

This trail should be left as is.

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Hey I don't think that there is enough green in the city as there is. It would be a major loss to take away from the little we have.

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We've run hikes thru here, and everyone loved the trail, just as it is! It looks like a natural trail. There's nothing natural about asphalt, and it would destroy the sense of walking thru real nature, far away from the city.

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Pllease save this haven of peace and beauty. It is so needed in our neighborhood.

Save the trail!!

Fix the path but don't destroy the environment!

save our school

Would be a shame to have future generation of runners thinking that there was no difference between I-95 and a x-country trail.

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Save tax payer's $$! Please save these trails which easily accommodates both cyclists & runners in its current state.

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One of the most wonderful places to run, ever....

As an avid runner (I run on the Putnam and Old Croton Aqueduct Trail for 1 - 2 hours per day, accompanied by my dogs), I was stunned to see recent machinery in action to prepare the trail for paving. The Bronx is filled with concrete and asphalt, and these trails offer a chance for feet to make contact with real earth, dirt, roots, and rocks. It offer a chance to feel like one is genuinely IN nature (all while being in the Bronx). From an ecological view, I am also confounded as to 'how' adding more impervious surfaces - to replace dirt - benefits the natural wooded habitat. I urge policy makers to stop this project. Please. M. Riordan, Ph.D.

As a regular user of the trail, I am dismayed at the proposed destruction of this gem which is one of the few remaining trails in the city. An unpaved trail provides a soft uncanted forgiving surface for runners and walkers, along with a habitat for small wildlife. Please reconsider your decision.

Leave the bloody trail alone and use the money to pay teachers and firemen.

A beautiful trail, turtles, squirrels, dogs, kids, cyclists, runners - everyone loves it exactly the way it is.

Leave the park alone

Save the trail!

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Please do not pave the trail it was not meant to be!!!!

I have been hiking on the putnam trail since I was a kid, and remember when there were still railroad ties to climb over. Please keep the trail as it is, it is a hidden treasure in van cortlandt park. It is important to preserve the trees along the trail, some of them are considered the oldest in the city. Leave the trail 8ft wide, and unpaved. It is important to have permeable surfaces so the ground can absorb rain water, and prevent erosion.

Thank you!

don't pave the trail with asphalt!

This seems like an easy decision for all concerned.

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Through my clubs

Don't destroy the ecosystem by brininging inheavy machinery and tearing up the land.

I run on the trail

Please do not pave over the Putnam Trail - natural is better for the environment, eco system surrounding the trail, and for all who make use of it. There are certainly other surface enhancements to consider that are more environmentally friendly and less costly before going to asphalt.

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Save this environmentally sensetive trail! Asphalt is not the answer.

Theres no reason to pave. Use my tax dollars elsewhere.

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Please preserve the Putnam Trail as it is a valuable asset to our state.

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Do not Pave.Save the trail!

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Preserve Putnam Trail!

Please leave the rest of the Trail run alone!!

Please embrace nature the way it was meant to be appreciated and leave the trail alone. Thank you.

We are always talking about reducing the obesity rate in our country. Holiday Marathons provide a free opportunity for the general public to partake in the most simpliest form of exercise- running on the beautiful, versatile Putnam Trail. Please dont take it away from us!

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I love nature and have enjoyed walking and running on the trails in Van Cortland Park and also Forest Park

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Do not pave.

Please protect one of the last wild places in the Bronx--an oasis of peace and calm.
No pavement necessary; stone dust will do just fine, cost less, and be safer for everyone.

Our forefathers never thought of paving the Putnam Trail when they occupied these lands so why should you? Leave the Putnam Trail and Van Cortlandt Park in peace and let us enjoy these areas as they were meant to be enjoyed.

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Save!!!!!

It would be a travesty to pave over this trail. The entire city is already paved. Pls don't do it!

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Please save the Putnam trial by not paving it - there is already ample bike routes close by i.e. the South Country trial.

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Have run on it for 20 years...it can be shared with bikers and runners by using a dust surface rather than paving it.

please save the trail.

Save the Putam Trail!

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I think there is enough of Van Cortlandt park that is paved already. I use this path regularly to run and it is so nice on my knees not to have to run on a concrete path.

Please let the path stay natural. My family goes to Van Cortlandt Park every day.

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Keep the Putnam trail a natural oasis away from the asphalt of the city. At most install a stone dust rail all users can enjoy. Park funds are scarce don't waste them on this environmentally destructive plan to pave the trail.

Please don't spend all this money on paving the trail. Paving damages runner's knees. Older long distance runners need softer surfaces. With only a 3 feet width of soft surface we have to run in single file and cannot pass runners going the other way without the risk of being hit from behind by a silent bike. Why give bikes 8 feet of our trail and us only 3? There are hundreds of runners here and only a few bikes. Where it is already paved, you don't see many bikes. Runners are the majority user and bikers are the minority. Compromise with stone dust right across and we should all be happy.

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Save the Putnam Trail!

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Why can't you give this stretch of land a historical landmark status and leave it alone. Pave right next to it if you need to but don't disturb this long running piece of history.

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Please leave the trail the way it es.

My son and I traverse this serene trail as often as possible. Please, please, please do not harm this trail!

The Putnam Trail is an amazing part of Van Cortlandt Park. Don't take it away.

Keep the Putnam trail ALIVE - NO PAVEMENT!!!!!

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Save the Traillllll

Save the Trail!

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Please preserve the Putnam Trail!!!

Please do not pave the trail.

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Nothing could be more important for Van Cortlandt than saving a running trail in a park so famous for and steeped in history of running. It remains such an important part of competitive cross country running while also inviting people to enjoy all types of activities. Please don't broaden and pave!

Keep the Putnam Trail a trail. Paving the trail is a WASTE of money, money that the city does NOT have. It would ruin the traditional, historical aspects of the park.

Dear Mayor Bloomberg and associated government agencies please leave our trails alone!! We live in an area surrounded by concrete and asphalt. There are very few areas in the five boroughs for runners and hikers alike to experience natural trails. You and your administration are threatening to boycott runner's and running organizations from using a trail so that you can pave it!! That is ludacris. Let us enjoy nature the way it was intended.

Listen to the people Commissioner Benepe. Don't asphalt the Putnam Trail. What's next - destroying Coney Island's boardwalk?

Please keep as many trails and hiking routes as possible, we need the outdoors, particularly for kids.

save trails everywhere! we need them like we need oxygen!

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I love riding my bike on the dirt trail

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grew up with the Bronx Parks as my playground!!! please allow our children have them to enjoy as I did!!!

If we don't preserve our parks and trails then our knees will be shot.

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save the putnam trail!!!

I strongly support this effort. There is no reason why the Putnam Trail should be paved. And the Parks Dept. does too much paving as it is, rather than protecting.

Please do not pave the trail. There is already little nature in the area and we need to keep what we have. Walkers, runners and even bikers will like it. It is so much healthier on the joins to walk/run on soft ground and the animals will thank us, too!

Please keep as many trail as is possible.

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It is quite ridiculous to think that this land should be used for anything other than the beautiful trail which is there currently.

If these changes are being considered for something as artificial and fleeting as profits, I urge you to think again, lest your conscience give you trouble sleeping.

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Please Save the the Trail!!!

Putnam Trail is one of the few natural escapes we have in this otherwise concrete world. Please don't denature it. I'd prefer you didn't even cover it with stone dust.

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Don't pave. Save money and nature.

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Laps on the flats always made me feel better!!

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Save the trail!!

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Save the trail! Save Van Cortlandt Park. There is so little greenery in NYC. We need everything we have.. Also Van Cortlandt Park is an important asset to us all. People love running there, and it brings lots of joy and it brings people together in so many ways. ( Let us be heard )

I am an avid athlete and I would like to keep our trails open for runners like myself. New York provides a perfect mix of city and wildlife. Don't screw it up.

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It makes no sense. I posted something here: http://runwestchester.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/at-least-its-not-for-a-parking-lot/

Save the trail!

having tripped over - and injured myself on - many poorly maintained sidewalks and paved paths while running to the Putnam trail, I am disheartened by the irony of someone thinking paving it is a good idea.

One of the few amazing places in the city to run on soft surface. While in highschool, it was this trail that made me appreciate running at its most pure. Truly a distance runner's dream.

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Keep NY fit and active! Please!

Please save the trail!

Please do not damage the Putnam trail at all, preserve the little amounts of trails that the NY State area has..don't want everyone finding an excuse to not be out and about.

Please leave the Trail in its natural state. Please don't pave the Trail!

Van Cortlandt is the one place I can go to feel like I've gotten "away" from the city and in to real nature. I love being on the trails, in the middle of the woods, and feel like I am alone and with nature. Paving a trail would probably bring lots of new traffic to the trails. Personally, I consider this unwanted traffic...rollerbladers, strollers, etc. With more traffic could also bring more trash along the trail.

Please do not destroy the putnam trail. This is one of the few natural paths we nyc residence have to enjoy.

I lived in NYC for 10 years, and now I live in Montclair NJ and work in the City. I am a runner and I love these city parks. Please don't pave the Putnam Trail! Sadly, these beautiful unpaved trails have become few and far between.

I love the Putnam Trail! It's the best trail for a run and is absolutely beautiful. I think spending money to pave rather than upkeep is a mismanagement of our money! This trail is a historical part of the Bronx and should be kept for all to enjoy as well as future generations.

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There is no need to pave what is already a perfectly good surface for all users.

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i work in NY, pay taxes to NY, and really don't want the Putman trail altered in anay way. I want to continue running the trail as is.

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I have spent many hours walking the Putnam Trail. Even though my kids won't need their stroller by the time the trail is redone, I love the idea of a bike/foot/stroller-friendly, well-drained surface that preserves the intimate, tree-shaded feeling of the current trail.

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save the trail!

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PLEASEEEEE SAVE THE TRAIL ! :( :'-(

What are you people NUTS there is no reason to pave any part of these trails. This is a decision being made by people that have no idea what they are doing,nor do they really have any idea what it means, Nature Trail.

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I will vote against all of you if you pave the Putnam Trail. Why destroy this great land so you can invent a job for a contractor. You are being fiscally irresponsible during a recession, going ahead with a project that no one in the community supports, & destroying nature. No one who knows this area would do this. John Q Voter

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Please don't pave the trail. There is enough pavement throughout the city. The dirt trail gives the legs a nice break

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Keeping the trail the way it is now is better for people, animals, and foliage.

Keep this wonderful activity available to all new yorkers!!!!

Please don't pave the trail.

Please don't pave the trail.

this must be a joke!

Please save

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I was visiting family in NYC, when I had the pleasure of running on the beautiful trails in the park for a Holiday Race on Christmas day 2011.
Please keep the park! We were surprised to find such a beautiful spacious park in NYC!

The Putnam Trail has a direct impact on the quality of life in NYC. As important as Central Park is, the dispersion of parks throught NYC is critical to maintaining a healthy balance between commercial and residential uses and the open space to serve those uses.

Putnam Trail is fine the way it is.

All parts of VCP are a historical part of the Bronx and New York City. I grew up running the trails here, and to take this away from every future runner/walker/out door enthusiast is a shame.

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Don't pave the trail. It is not necessary.

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While I appreciate the need to protect environmentally sensitive areas, it is feasible for runners, hikers and others to co-exist with nature without paving the Putnam trail. Instead of paving the trail, please improve the trail with a stone dust surface, keeping its current 8ft width.

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Don't ruin one of the best running surfaces in NYC. It one of the few things that has brought me to the Bronx!

Paving the Putnam Trail would destroy the natural habitat of that stretch. Also it would make it very dangerous for runners as bikers would use it as a speedway.

Relatively speaking, there aren't too many non-paved trails in the NY Metro area left for us longer distance runners. Please leave nature to nature. We enjoy it as-is!!!!

Save the trail! Save Van Cortlandt Park. There is so little greenery in NYC. We need everything we have (and more)

Please do not pave the Putnam Trail!! VCP is special and unique amongst city parks precisely because it remains in its natural state... it's more like being in a rural state park than one in the middle of the city. There are plenty of paved trails in other city parks (CP, for one). Not to mention that asphalt is environmentally WRONG in so many ways, and it does not belong in a beautiful wooded park!

I'm on the xc/track teams at Columbia, and we frequently utilize the trail in question. It provides a much needed escape from the boundless pavement of NYC- its seclusion and uniqueness would certainly be missed.

Please save our trail.

Say no to paving!!!

Save the trails!!!

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LEAVE THE TRAIL AS IT IS!!!

As an avid outdoor enthusiastic I suggest you maintain the trail as dirt with a slight upgrade to a stone dust surface, NO PAVEMENT!

Please do not pave the Putnam Trail!!

Paving and widening the trail will cause irreparable damage to the environment and community of Van Cortland Park.

It is also one of the extremely rare, true trails to run on for those who live in and around NYC.

Please save our trail!

Thank you,

-Pat

This is one of my favorite trails in NYC and the best place to experience nature! New York already has a runoff problem of rainwater overflowing the sewers and more pavement will compound the problem. In addition, widening the trail will involve cutting out plants and creating a greater boundary for wildlife to cross. Please also consider the trail runners and bikers that come here specifically because it is not paved, a unique trait in New York City which has so many paved recreation areas already.

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The trail should remain as it is, natural, beautiful and accessible.

Please do not pave the trail. It is fiscally irresponsible to spend such a large amount of money on something most people don't want. The majority of users of the trail would prefer it stay unpaved. It is one of the few only places easily accessible from Manhattan where I can go to feel like I've escaped into the woods. I love running there. It is environmentally irresponsible to tarnish such a beautiful place.

The trail should be left natural. We have enough pavement in NYC.

It would be a shame to pave the trail and probably create more problems in the long run.
If maintenance is an issue recruit groups such as the runners hikers and bicyclist to donate their time to keep the trails safe with clean up efforts.
Post a few run at your own risk signs if can't clear the trails in the snow due to slightly uneven surfaces and plowing problems.
Can't anything remain kind of like it was a hundred or two hundred yrs ago?

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Please save the trail

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Please don't pave the Putnam Trail! We need more dirt, not pavement.

Please leave the trail as natural as possible.

I live in SW Yonkers, close to the Putnam Trail which I use regularly for walking and birding. The trail should remain as it is.

Paving over this land will destroy the natural beauty of it. There are already too few natural places in boroughs that we can escape to. Paving and widening paths does not beautify a park. Please preserve the area's natural character.

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Please don't pave the trail.

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Roads shouldn't be in a park. Who thought this was a good idea??

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NYC, please use common sense. Thank you!

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We need this park!

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I prefer to experience nature as it is...natural.

Save the Putnam Trail

Save the trail!

Whoever decided to pave this trail has it all backwards. Bronx officials should champion the effort to save this little green space and promote its natural beauty. What brings 100s and 1000s to the Bronx and Van Courtland Park is this natural trail. Come'on Bronx... lead the cause in saving one of NYC's last natural resources and parks. This crown jewel is a haven from all the overpopulated and over-paved trails in the five boroughs. Rethink the problem and develop alternatives to capitalize on its value that all Bronx (and NYC) residents will be proud of.

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Leave the trail alone please.

Van Cortlandt Park is already carved up mercilessly by the thruway and parkways. Please preserve the rustic nature of the Putnam Trail. Paving it may be nice for cyclists who will whiz through the park in just a few minutes, but it serves no one else and harms the natural environment. The park is not just for one group and it's not just about users. It's about protecting what little remains of a natural environment in New York City. PLEASE DO NOT DO SOMETHING IRREVERSIBLE AND DEAD WRONG! It is simply not worth it on any level! Thank you.

Please preserve the natural beauty of the Putnam Trail. NYC doens't have much of these as is and would be a shame to lose.

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Is it really necessary to pave over everything? i prefer it as it is, but a stone dust surface at the current 8 ft width in keeping with the 5k course in Van Cortlandt Park seems fair enough.

Is there anything sacred in this world anymore.If its not broken,dont fix it.Leave well enough alone.NO BLACKTOP[CHEMICALS]IN THE WOODS!!!

Please do not pave the Putnam Trail. Stone dust is the preferred surface for walking, running, even biking and is environmentally friendly.

please preserve the trail! A jewel!

Save the putnam trail. I loved the run, brought me up to the bronx

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Paving the Putnum trail is an incredibly bad idea. Not only is it insensitive to nature, but defeats the purpose of being authentically in nature and out of traffic and congestion that is the daily assault on most of our senses. As a runner, I count on the softer surfaces to buffer my ride, but I mostly head there (at least 3 days a week) to run in nature and experience that which cannot be experienced in most places in the 5 boroughs -- out of my classroom, off the streets, off the pavement...period.

Keep it natural we have so few "dirt paths" in NYC

What a wonderful asset this trail is to our community. Please leave it natural - it's one of the few escapes from the rest of the paved city streets, sidewalks, and paths.

No asphalt on the Putnam trail, please. I ride a bike with my family every year on Wabash Trace Trail in Iowa; it has a crushed stone surface. Part of the trail near Malvern IA was paved with asphalt- and had already started falling apart by the time I rode it again the next year. We ride with fat tires, skinny tires, and even one recumbant bike, and the crushed stone trail surface works for all of us. I'd love to ride Putnam Trail and hear the hypnotic sound of crushed stone under my wheels.

Please preserve the natural beauty of the Putnam Trail. It is a valuable place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This trail means a lot to the New York running community.

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why would you pave the Putnam trail if it is environmentally sensitive? is there a kickback?

Keep the Putnam Trail or I will ensure to vote you out of office

Please perserve the natural state of this trail. NYC doens't have much of these as is and would be a shame to lose Putnam Trail

do not pave the trail!!!!

do not pave the trail!!!!

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Please do not shut down this trail!

Please keep the trail in its natural state of beauty.

It would be a shame to cover the beautiful trail. This is a place where we can have a nice trail run/walk and enjoy nature. It's an escape from the crazy city life sometimes. We need to invest the money to help improve the trail not ruin it.

Don't ruin the Putnam trail!

DON'T PAVE THE PUTNAM TRAIL!!! THERE IS PLENTY OF PAVEMENT IN NYC ALREADY!

Use the paving money for ecological education programs for youth, reforestation efforts and maintenance.

I run the Putnam trail every morning, along with a number of East African athletes who are among the greatest runners in the world. We recognize that this route is unique in New York City as a place to run and walk on a natural surface. It is better for the environment, better for the health of those who use it, and it invites users who respect and value the park. Who needs another mile of street? God knows this city has enough of that!

Don't take away from the beautiful environment. Cherish what we have left of it don't destroy it

It's a beautiful place to run. Don't take it away

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Please, preserve Van Cortlandt Park natural state. Paving the Putman Trail runs counter to what a natural trail is.

NY Parks should not be allowed to move forward with this project. The money could be used to fix things already broken within the park

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Please keep the Putnam trail as true to its natural state as possible. Many local residents walk, jog, and bike along this trail and enjoy its harmonious fit into the natural character of the surrounding parkland. By paving over the Putnum Trail we would lose a great public amenity.

Please save the Putnam Trail. It's a wonderful trail to run on & we don't need it paved!

This is a great trail that should be preserved as is

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There's no reason to pave it. It works fine as it is, and it's a shame that an argument for NOT paving over more of NYC even needs to be mounted.

Save the trail! It's a wonderful place to run as it stands!

Please keep this open to us runners!! we love trail runs once in awhile and get away from the city.

Please do not pave the Putnam Trail. It is really a gem and should be protected.

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I love this trail and truly hope you do all you can to preserve it!

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please do not pave our trail1

Save the Putnam trail. It is one of our few nature refuges to enjoy in NYC!

It is unconscionable to say that the trail will be closed for environmental protection and then paved. Don't do it!!!

Please keep one of the last unpaved trail of NYC, we don't need more pavement!

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Please keep our trail as nature has it.

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Please do not pave over this trail. It is part of the park's charm and would create unnecessary construction of pavement in A PARK. It is a trail and should be kept that way. A stone dust surface, as this petition supports, would be an excellent alternative instead.

Please do not pave! Nature trails are needed!

Please preserve this trail! It is a beautiful, semi-natural trail that is one of the only place in the city to experience a true walk in the woods without getting in your car.

The city has enough paved paths. It feels like this decision is being made by people who have never bothered to use the trail as it is. use the money where it is really needed and leave good enough alone!

thanks!

Roads shouldn't be in a park. Who thought this was a good idea??

It's not broke don't fix it, it's a natural environment let it be, I'm sure the park could use the money in a better way, asphalt and concrete do not add a natural beauty to this place

one of the best trails in the city - keep it natural!

New York doesn't need more pavement; keep a beautiful woodland path as is!

Don't loose sight of what is important, even if it is not the most efficient or economical way!

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Roads shouldn't be in a park. Who thought this was a good idea??

With so few real parks and un-disturbed places in NYC you NEED to save the Putnam Trail, for all of NYC and the people who visit it frequently!

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Paving over this land will the destroy the natural beauty of it. There are already too few natural places in boroughs that we can escape to. Paving and widening paths does not beautify a park. Man's presence is overly abundant in NYC. Please leave this be.

Please leave the Putnam trail alone!!!

It's my favorite place to run, especially in the holiday marathons

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It doesn't make sense to widen the trail, or to pave it. Keep it natural, keep it beautiful.

The only reason I go to this park is to run on the unpaved trails...if that goes away it will be one less place I can go in the city...and one less reason to live here.

The trails in Van Cortlandt Park bring a rare and vital opportunity to enjoy nature in the midst of New York City. Paving the trail would be a shame. I'm certain the moneys allocated to pave the Putnam Trail could be better utilized elsewhere.

Please don't waste money on ruining a natural beauty in NYC. I can't really understand the justification for this project.

Please save it!

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Please do not destroy a rare and beautiful piece of nature in this concrete jungle of ours.

Please leave the trail as is.

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The precious places of nature are becoming too few.

Do not destroy unnecessary trees and habitat. You know that is wrong.

leave a patch of green in the city of concrete

I would like to see the trails as natural as they can be while also allowing enjoyable use by the public. Asphalt paving is very damaging. Thank you

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The trail does not need paving

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I've enjoyed running on the trail several times.

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Please don't pave our trail and instead let us enjoy the natural beauty of it!!

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Pls keep this trail! It means a lot to our community!

Please improve the trail without paving it.

Paving the Putnam Trail would ruin the beauty of nature.

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To ruin the history and beauty of Van Cortlandt Park could send a bad message to other parks in the city. By paving the Putnam Trail, you take away the park's unique charm. Doing this would cause irreparable damage to the park.

The Putnam Trail offers a natural sanctuary like nowhere else in the city. I had one of the best running experiences of my life participating in a half-marathon on it this fall. Paving it over would completely alter its attraction and beauty.

Save the Trail. Dont ruin the park.

Please do not pave over a trail we love just the way it is.

No need for drastic change.

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The Putnam Trail is a beautiful oasis of nature in NYC. There are plenty of paved trails in Van Cortlandt and other city parks. Leave the Putnam Trail as-is and let people get a break from the pavement.

Please keep the Putnam trail as is. Having run my first half marathon on the trail I can say it is truly one of a kind in NYC and shouldn't be paved over and widened. Thanks for considering our opinions!

please keep this world class trail runner's delight as it currently is.

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The Holiday Marathons are a wonderful way to promote health and community on a regular basis throughout the year! I hope that the wonderful natural setting for the venue is maintained and that the races can continue well into the future.

Save the trail!! Yeeehaaa
Seriously trail = dirt and nature.
Keep the asphalt and concrete out of there: more paved area = more ranoff and more damages to the communities around the trails. Also, why should you pave it? So you can drive a car through it? Please..move your butt from the couch or if you are too lazy to do it, let people who want to do it alone

save the trail