Rethink Rt 17

The New York State Department of Transportation along with Governor Hochul's administration and the Federal Government are proposing a $1 billion expansion project that could widen 30 miles of Route 17 in Sullivan and Orange County. Instead of a highway expansion, Catskill Mountainkeeper and our allies urge New York to develop an alternate vision for the Route 17 corridor’s transportation and economic needs aligned with State and Federal climate laws.

The New York State Department of Transportation along with Governor Hochul's administration and the Federal Government are proposing a $1 billion expansion project that could widen 30 miles of Route 17 in Sullivan and Orange County. Instead of a highway expansion, Catskill Mountainkeeper and our allies urge New York to develop an alternate vision for the Route 17 corridor’s transportation and economic needs aligned with State and Federal climate laws.

Tell DOT to Rethink Rt 17

Submit your comments today to show the New York State Department of Transportation that we have strength in numbers! Our communities and communities along the Route 17 corridor would all benefit from a comprehensive transportation vision for Route 17 that centers our needs for better local transportation, job creation and economic growth, and environmental protection and climate mitigation.

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Dear Route 17 Project Team,

Thank you for this opportunity to submit the following comments regarding the NYS Route 17 Mobility and Access Improvements Project. I submit the following comments with the intention of protecting the Catskill Park’s resources and communities, and also to suggest that New York State Department of Transportation officials rethink 17. I urge you to work with stakeholders and community members to develop a comprehensive transportation alternative for the Route 17 corridor that centers our communities’ needs for better local transportation, job creation and economic growth, and environmental protection and climate mitigation.

••Rethink Route 17 & reinvest funding in our communities. We have the opportunity to redirect funding to create better, fluid local transportation that supports climate mitigation and brings local jobs and economic development to residents of the region by investing in transit to jobs, schools, health care facilities, and our Main Streets and job centers. In general, investing $1 billion in public transportation supports and creates approximately 50,000 jobs.

••Pause the process! Stop the environmental review process. Among other legal problems, there is currently no Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) guidance available for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), including CLCPA Section 7 analysis and compliance related to GHG emissions, co-pollutants, and disadvantaged communities.

We need local and regional transit options that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not wider highways. Highway expansions lead to induced demand, which increases traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in the long run. Reconsider bus rapid transit and other accessible transportation models to fit the region’s needs so we don’t have to depend on highways & driving alone.

••Protect nationally and regionally significant natural areas along the corridor. The proposed expansion of Route 17 threatens significant natural areas including the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area, the Shawangunk Mountains, and the Neversink River Basin.

••Highway expansion does not align with Justice 40 initiatives or CLCPA mandates. Instead, let’s invest funding and resources into an alternative vision for the Route 17 corridor that better meets community needs, aligns with state and federal climate goals, and supports smart economic development in our region.

••We must rethink land-use patterns and promote sustainable development. New growth along the corridor could be an opportunity to strengthen town centers and encourage infill development, creating an opportunity for alternative transportation modes to connect people to jobs and amenities in a sustainable way.

Thank you for considering my comments, and I look forward to staying connected as this project progresses.

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