Livingston Manor, NY — A new, independent review of the New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) Project Scoping Report for the NYS Route 17 Mobility and Access Improvements Project concludes that the options that propose widening are based on outdated data, flawed methodology and traffic analysis. Transportation planning expert, Norm Marshall of Smart Mobility, Inc., also concludes that corridor-wide expansion of NY 17 would not be cost effective.

Click 'Read More' for the full release. To read the full NYS Route 17 Mobility and Access Improvements Project Review, please click here. For Catskill Mountainkeeper's one-pager detailing the analysis' highlights, please use this link.

Media advisory for: April 30 , 2026 Media Contacts: Taylor Jaffe, +1 646-841-2523, [email protected]

New Independent Analysis Shows Proposed $1.4 Billion Route 17 Widening is Unwarranted

Expert review finds traffic growth projections exaggerated, safety justifications unsupported by facts, and the project would directly undermine New York's air pollution reduction goals.

Livingston Manor, NY — A new, independent review of the New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) Project Scoping Report for the NYS Route 17 Mobility and Access Improvements Project concludes that the options that propose widening are based on outdated data, flawed methodology and traffic analysis. Transportation planning expert, Norm Marshall of Smart Mobility, Inc., also concludes that corridor-wide expansion of NY 17 would not be cost effective.

Key findings of the review include:

• NYSDOT’s traffic projections are likely significantly overstated. The Scoping Report relies on a regional travel demand model based on data dating back to 2010-2011. This model has been subsequently updated to match more recent traffic data, yet even using current updated data, these models chronically overstate demand. Additionally, Marshall documents national data showing that NYSDOT and similar agencies across the country chronically overestimate traffic growth. 

• The corridor does not have a widespread congestion problem; short segments which do exhibit some delays could be addressed at far lower cost. The traffic analysis using NYSDOT’s own data shows that under existing conditions, the only section of Route 17 operating below acceptable service standards during weekday peak hours is a short segment between Exits 130 and 130A. Focusing engineering alternatives on particular segments of the corridor rather than adding a third lane throughout the entire 20-mile span could meet the project objectives with a smaller and less expensive project.

• The Scoping Report overemphasizes summer weekend recreational travel. Average, year-round Sunday peak hour volumes are roughly half of average weekday peak hour volumes, yet the project design is oriented around accommodating peak summer recreational traffic, a tiny minority of hours in a 365 day year. This bias is cost-ineffective and overemphasizes summer weekend recreational travel.

• The Scoping Report fails to show that crash rates for the corridor as a whole exceed statewide averages. NYSDOT’s own statewide safety screening found no segment of Route 17 within the project area classified as a high crash location, meaning the corridor is performing at or below statewide crash averages.

• The speed and level of service graphics included in the Scoping Report are misleading. The report uses color-coded maps with orange and yellow shading, which are visually associated with poor conditions, to represent speeds of 50-59 mph at locations with Level of Service A and B. These graphics create a false impression of widespread problems where none exist.

• Decisionmakers need more information about the benefits and costs of the project alternatives to weigh these potential projects against others, especially in this era of constrained budgets. The current project alternatives cost $1.3 and $1.4 billion dollars, and these numbers are preliminary and likely underestimated. NYSDOT completed a similar I-86 conversion project in Broome and Tioga counties over a 32-mile stretch in 2024 for $76.7 million dollars. Given the difference in budgets, it strongly appears that the cost of the current proposal has far lower cost to benefit value relative to other projects. In general, NYSDOT has not made a compelling case why this project is the highest and best use of $1.4 billion in tax dollars. 
• Corridor-wide widening would undermine the State’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. New York State’s Climate Law sets greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2050, yet data from the Rocky Mountain Institute’s SHIFT Calculator indicate that adding one lane in each direction across the full corridor would induce up to 2.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in greenhouse gas emissions through 2050. Widening Route 17 is not only unwarranted, but is also misaligned with the state’s climate goals.

To learn more about the findings of this independent analysis, please join the ReThink Route 17 Alliance and expert Norm Marshall for a virtual town hall on May 13th at 6 pm. To register, please visit https://bit.ly/Rt17Analysis.

“Progressive state transportation departments across the nation are rethinking their forecasting techniques. It is clear from Norm Marshall’s insightful analysis that NYSDOT needs to rethink widening SR-17. Practical design and engineering would indicate that the DOT should consider localized improvements, if necessary, on SR-17 or redirect the funding to other local projects in the region that provide a higher return on investment for the safety of all people, no matter the mode, and local economic development,” said Lynn Peterson, former Secretary of Transportation, State of Washington and author of Roadways for People: Rethinking Transportation Planning and Engineering. B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"New York State ranks near the bottom of the country for highway pavement condition, yet its leaders have begun to steer funding away from repairing them, and toward expanding highways they already struggle to maintain. That means letting existing roads fall apart, while adding new costs taxpayers will ultimately have to cover. Our upcoming report, Repair Priorities, will show how New York State is sadly moving in the wrong direction." Beth Osborne, President and CEO, Smart Growth America

“People in Orange and Sullivan counties need real mobility options — reliable bus service, pot hole-free roads, connections to transit, safe biking and walking routes, and options for people who can’t or don’t want to drive,” said Gabrielle Hill, Orange County Legislator, District 6. “A billion dollars is a transformational amount of money for this region. Instead of widening Route 17 to shave 3 minutes and 6 seconds off of a summer Friday drive to the Catskills, we should be asking: what would $1.4 billion do for the families in Middletown, Newburgh and Monticello who depend on public transportation to get to work, medical appointments and community destinations? While we support our local unions and welcome employment opportunities, this project represents a profound misallocation of resources away from the communities that need investment most.”

"This independent analysis confirms what our communities have long known: widening Route 17 would provide very little value at an unnecessarily high cost. A billion dollars in public money should be building a healthier, more connected Catskills and Hudson Valley — cleaner air for the families already bearing the burden of highway pollution, reliable transit for people who have been left behind by car-dependent planning, and investments that actually reflect what residents in our region need to thrive. We urge NYSDOT to listen to this data, listen to our communities, and redirect these resources toward transportation solutions that are fiscally responsible, environmentally sound, and improve mobility access for all," said Taylor Jaffe, Program Manager of Catskill Mountainkeeper.

"This report raises serious questions as to the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the Route 17 expansion project. The NYSDOT should review the data presented, work to ensure their findings are accurate, and communicate everything with the public before they move forward with any plans for the project. We all want our tax dollars invested in the right way that will benefit the most people,” said Brandon Holdridge, Town of Chester Supervisor.

“New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) sets binding greenhouse gas reduction targets that require us to fundamentally change how we move people and goods and invest in communities that have historically been marginalized. This Route 17 expansion would generate nearly 3 million metric tons of additional carbon dioxide and co-pollutants in disadvantaged communities. The Governor needs to reconcile this project with the climate commitments New York has made by law, and finally do right by the black, brown, and low-income communities that are historically overburdened with highway pollution,” said Perri Haser, Associate Attorney with Earthjustice.

“Spending over a billion dollars to widen a highway that the state’s own safety data shows is not a high-crash corridor and whose congestion problems are confined to one short section is simply not a sound investment. That money could instead fund transit improvements across the region and throughout the Hudson Valley, repair local roads and bridges that are genuinely unsafe, and build the multimodal infrastructure that actually makes our communities stronger and more connected,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

"At a moment when our climate protections are under attack at the federal level and New York’s Governor is threatening to roll back our own climate law, the state should be leading by example — not advancing projects that move us in the wrong direction," says Caroline Chen of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. "The CLCPA requires reducing emissions and prioritizing disadvantaged communities, yet this proposal risks increasing both pollution and inequity. The state must reassess this project through a transparent process that reflects community input and fully accounts for its climate impacts."

“Hudson Valley residents deserve real, affordable transportation choices to get around, especially now that the cost of car ownership is rising. Committing over a billion dollars to a highway widening project that uses overstated growth projections, further locks in car dependence and benefits corporate interests is misaligned with community needs,” said Elizabeth Oh of New Yorkers for Transportation Equity.

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About the Expert Review 

Norm Marshall, President of Smart Mobility, Inc., is a nationally-respected expert on traffic modeling, project analysis and highway and multi-modal transportation planning. Mr. Marshall has completed projects in over thirty states, and his clients include State Departments of Transportation, local governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, regional Councils of Government, public transit agencies and civic organizations. He specializes in the interplay of travel behavior and influential factors like the built environment, land use and economics and is intimately familiar with the disciplines of modeling and forecasting. He has produced numerous peer-reviewed reports and presentations, and served as an expert witness in litigation cases. Mr. Marshall holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science in engineering from Dartmouth.

About the ReThink Route 17 Alliance

The ReThink Route 17 Alliance is a diverse group of local, state and national groups representing thousands of New Yorkers and working towards better regional transportation. We have a deep knowledge of the diverse communities and significant natural areas along the Route 17 corridor in the greater Catskill-Hudson Valley region. Our communities deserve transportation alternatives that bring us into a safe and just future, create freedom of mobility and economic opportunity, and decrease pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

About Catskill Mountainkeeper
Catskill Mountainkeeper protects the natural heritage of the Catskills and works to build a just, thriving region through environmental advocacy, sustainable agriculture, and community education.