The New York State Department of Transportation along with the Hochul administration are proposing a $1.4 billion expansion project to widen 20 miles of Route 17 in Sullivan and Orange County. Catskill Mountainkeeper is anchoring a campaign opposing the proposed expansion. Instead of a highway expansion, Catskill Mountainkeeper and the ReThink Route 17 Alliance 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.
Stay up to date with the ReThink Route 17 Alliance's work at this link.
About the Misguided Proposal
In 2021, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) released a Final Route 17 Transportation Corridor Planning and Environment Linkages Study (Route 17 PEL Report). The study evaluates the engineering feasibility of adding a third lane to Route 17 between Exit 131 (Harriman) and Exit 113 (Wurtsboro) in both directions along 30 miles. After conversations with the NYSDOT raising our concerns of widening the highway for such a long distance and into the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area, the total area proposed for expansion has been reduced to 20 miles, ending at Exit 120 in Middletown (2024 Project Scoping Report).
Why We’re Concerned
Catskill Mountainkeeper is concerned about the environmental impacts and necessity of this expansion proposal. Congestion on Route 17 is mostly limited to Friday and Sunday (discretionary/recreational travel), which can be better and more environmentally addressed by Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures, such as ride-sharing and public transportation. A third lane running in each direction would lead to increased traffic, increased congestion, create urban sprawl, cause millions of tons of additional CO2 emissions, and result in a six-lane highway running straight into the Catskill Mountains. As the watchdog for the Catskills and its communities, our goal is to prevent this expansion and its negative outcomes, advocating instead for a better vision.
What We’re Doing
Consequent to these concerns, Catskill Mountainkeeper and allies in the region are advocating instead for an alternative vision for the Route 17 corridor. In addition to providing safe and reliable transportation, this vision can: connect our communities, support smart, sustainable growth, meet climate mandates under the Climate Leadership and Communities Protection Act (CLCPA) and Justice 40 initiatives, and encourage economic growth in the region.
To support this call for an alternate vision, we have released our new report, Invest in Our Communities, Not a Wider Highway, detailing a non-exhaustive list of potential projects that would improve safety, health and mobility outcomes across the region.
Come back to this page for the most up-to-date information and reach out to Taylor Jaffe at [email protected] for more information or to get involved.
