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Business owners in this small town in the Hudson Valley make the case for investments in walkability and public transit
Business owners in this small town in the Hudson Valley make the case for investments in walkability and public transit
The City of Newburgh, NY, in the heart of the Hudson Valley, is situated about 60 miles north of New York City. Newburgh is known for its diverse population of about 29,000 people, roughly 50% Latino, 25% Black, and 25% Caucasian. The community has a median income of about $56,960.
Newburgh is home to George Washington Headquarters, Mount Saint Mary College, Montefiore St. Luke’s Hospital, and SUNY Orange Community College. The Downtown Newburgh business district is a walkable, historic area near the upscale waterfront, centered on Broadway and Liberty Street. It features a blend of artisanal cafés, international restaurants, high-end boutiques, galleries, bodegas, liquor stores, laundromats, and barbershops. Newburgh has a diverse mix of new and long-standing local businesses.
Known as the “Crossroads of the Northeast”, the City of Newburgh is also a bit of a commuter hub with access to New York City via the commuter rail line, Metro North across the river in Beacon, the New Jersey Transit, Salisbury/Cornwall Station just 8 miles to the south, and the intercity Coach bus lines running directly to the Port Authority in NYC. It also sits at the crossroads of 2 major highways - I84 that runs east across the Hudson River to Connecticut and west of Pennsylvania, and I87 that runs from New Jersey to Albany and upstate New York.
Locally, the city is served by infrequent service of Orange Transit buses and paratransit service, the Leprechaun Lines, the ferry replacement bus service to the Metro North Station in Beacon, and the Ulster County bus service (UCAT), which connects students to the State University, SUNY New Paltz, in Ulster County.
Recently, activists have developed a plan to connect biking and walking trails in the region and celebrated the opening of the first Bike Garden in Orange County at the Horizons on the Hudson Elementary School.
“Walking around Newburgh's Historic Downtown District of Broadway and Liberty streets isn’t just moving through a city; it’s moving through history in motion, shaped by a diverse community and vibrant businesses all within easy walking distance.”
– Erica Forneret, Business Owner Cafe Little Treasure and Co-Chair of the Downtown District Alliance
Surveying Small Business Owners
Surveying Small Business Owners
From delis and coffee shops to barber shops and hardware stores, we took to the streets of Newburgh to hear directly from small business owners about the impacts of pedestrian infrastructure and transit service on their businesses and their community. Full survey results can be found in the appendix of the PDF below.
Survey Results - Takeaways
Survey Results - Takeaways
Walkability
Walkability
Small business owners strongly support walkability, believing that walkable infrastructure supports the success of their businesses.
All small business owners surveyed strongly agreed that walkability supports a thriving local business economy.
86.2% of small business owners surveyed believe that people walking past their shop or restaurant are more likely to stop in than those driving past, with 6.9% who were neutral and 6.9% who disagreed.
When asked to rate the existing walkability of the business district from 1 to 10, there were a wide range of opinions averaging about 5.07 out of 10. Notably, however, all small business owners surveyed supported investments in walkability both within the business district and throughout the community as a whole.
Survey responses to the statement: "People walking past my storefront are more likely to stop in than people driving past my storefront."
Survey responses to the statement: "A robust public transit system would make it easier for people to visit my shop/restaurant. "
Public Transit
Public Transit
All but one of the small business owners surveyed strongly agreed or agreed that a robust public transit system would make it easier for people to visit their business. The one exception was neutral on the issue.
When specifically asked about disabled customers, 89.7% agreed that a robust public transit system would better support customers who are aging or have disabilities to access local businesses, community, and services, while the remaining 10.3% were neutral on the issue.
86.2% of the small businesses surveyed strongly agreed or agreed that a robust transit system would make it easier to recruit and retain employees, whereas 13.8% were neutral or unsure about the transportation needs of their employees.
When asked to rate the existing public transit system on a scale from 1-10, there was once again a wide range of opinions averaging out to about 4.7 out of 10.
Despite this range of experiences, all small business owners who were surveyed supported investments in public transit both within the business district and throughout the community.
“Walkability and access to transit are very important. It would be great if the bus up and down Broadway was as frequent as the shuttles I took when I was in college.”
– André Robinson, Business Owner, An Artistic Taste
Conclusion
Conclusion
Every small business owner surveyed supported investments in walkability and public transit in their business district and in the city as a whole. Even though opinions on the existing state of walkability and transit service varied—with some suggesting that a lot of improvement was needed in both areas, and others who found very little to improve—all agreed that investments were needed.
Smaller cities and communities like Newburgh benefit from transit service and walkability just as much as larger metropolitan areas and rural communities. Newburgh business owners recognize the importance of walkability and transit in fostering a thriving local business economy, while supporting both their customers and their employees.
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