Letter: Make Wurts Street Bridge into pedestrian walkway

I’m hoping to call attention to my petition to turn the Wurts Street Bridge into a pedestrian walkway.

The bridge, which connects downtown Kingston to Connelly and Port Ewen, is the only safe pedestrian or bike route over the Rondout. Since its closure in late September, I’ve seen too many people risking a walk or bike ride on the shoulder of 9W, which has no pedestrian infrastructure and a speed limit of 55.

According to the city of Kingston, the state has deemed the bridge too expensive to restore to full use as a road.

It’s certainly a venerable old bridge and perhaps it can no longer support automotive traffic. If that is truly the case, I’d love to see it turned into a beautiful, functional walkway – a safe route for walkers and bikers, an attraction for visitors to the area, and a way to preserve a piece of architectural history.

It would be a fantastic addition to the recent expansion of Kingston’s Greenline trail system.

The bridge was one of my favorite features of life in Connelly; I used to jog or walk my dogs over it daily, and ride my bike over it to visit friends in Kingston.

So far my petition has received nearly 150 signatures, and counting! I’m hoping to gain support for this idea and submit it to the city for consideration.

Thank you!
MK Burnell

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