ReThink Route 17

Our communities deserve accessible, affordable and reliable transportation choices, not a wider highway. The NYS Department of Transportation is pushing an unnecessary, $1.4 billion highway expansion on our region that will worsen congestion over time, increase air pollution, and burden taxpayers.

Join Catskill Mountainkeeper and the ReThink Route 17 Alliance in calling on our elected officials to stop the Route 17 expansion and instead invest in a vibrant, sustainable future for our communities. The Hudson Valley/Catskills needs to invest in its current infrastructure and work to provide residents with increased transportation choices, including more frequent bus service, safer ...

Our communities deserve accessible, affordable and reliable transportation choices, not a wider highway. The NYS Department of Transportation is pushing an unnecessary, $1.4 billion highway expansion on our region that will worsen congestion over time, increase air pollution, and burden taxpayers.

Join Catskill Mountainkeeper and the ReThink Route 17 Alliance in calling on our elected officials to stop the Route 17 expansion and instead invest in a vibrant, sustainable future for our communities. The Hudson Valley/Catskills needs to invest in its current infrastructure and work to provide residents with increased transportation choices, including more frequent bus service, safer sidewalks, and walking and biking paths. There are better ways to spend $1.4 billion in our region and a wider Route 17 is not the way to go.

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Tell Decision Makers: Stop the Expansion and Invest in Affordable Transportation Solutions

A new independent analysis confirms what our communities have long known: widening Route 17 would provide very little value at an unnecessarily high cost. Instead of widening the highway, $1.4 billion could go a long way towards targeted interventions on the corridor; fixing existing roads and bridges; and investing in a wider range of alternatives to expand the transportation choices available to Hudson Valley/Catskills residents.

Together we can build a healthier, more connected Catskills and Hudson Valley — use this action tool to email NYSDOT Commissioner Dominguez and Governor Hochul today!

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Dear Commissioner Dominguez and Governor Hochul,

I am reaching out with the ReThink Route 17 Alliance to urge NYSDOT not to add a third lane or any additional highway capacity to Route 17, and to instead pursue alternatives that invest public dollars in more sustainable transportation choices.

An independent analysis of NYSDOT’s proposed Route 17 highway widening plan has revealed that the project is a poor use of taxpayer dollars. The corridor does not have widespread congestion, and even if it did, adding a third lane only further entrenches our reliance on personal vehicles. This car-centric approach locks New Yorkers into an expensive means of getting around when gas prices have hit an all-time high, and neglects those who can’t afford a car at all or can’t drive. Widening the highway will also create a greater tax burden on the region when we should focus on maintaining the roads we already have. Given our state’s current budget constraints and residents’ concerns with affordability, we should pursue more cost-effective transportation solutions. Any initiative to bring Route 17 up to interstate and current safety standards should be done without adding lanes or significantly widening the highway’s footprint.

Instead of widening Route 17, I want to see investments that benefit our communities, support affordable mobility choices, and build a more sustainable future. This includes: ongoing maintenance for existing roads and bridges that are in poor condition; public transportation to support the interconnected regional economy; trails, sidewalks, and other biking and walking infrastructure to create more affordable transportation solutions that align with the state’s climate goals.

I was heartened to hear that NYSDOT has launched a study of transit needs and opportunities west of the Hudson. I urge you to incorporate the findings from that study into the plans for transportation investment in the Catskills and Hudson Valley region. Instead of spending $1.4 billion needlessly expanding Route 17, I urge you to invest public dollars in public transit, sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and other sustainable transportation solutions that will support our communities.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing more about NYSDOT’s plans to incorporate community feedback into the Route 17 project plan.

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