Alta led area-wide neighborhood brownfield plan in the Lawrence Street area of Yonkers, NY, in 2014. A rail trail emerged from the plan as a priority project, and Alta was hired to design the trail and bring it to construction.
Beginning at an entrance to New York City’s Van Cortlandt Park at Caryl Avenue and ending at McLean Avenue in Yonkers, the proposed trail spans about 0.6 miles and negotiates the dense urban environment of the Lawrence Street neighborhood. The trail takes the route provided by the brownfield parcels that make up the abandoned right-of-way of the former Getty Square Branch of NYC’s Putnam rail line, which provided commuter service between Manhattan and downtown Yonkers from the late 19th century to the 1940’s. In subsequent phases, this rail trail will emulate the historic Getty Square Branch by connecting to downtown Yonkers.
In addition to designing the trail, Alta is working to ensure that this new amenity complements the Lawrence Street area’s unique social and physical characteristics while serving the needs expressed by residents throughout the planning process.
