09/20/2024 | Press release | Archived content
STATEMENT: Catskill Mountainkeeper urges state and federal officials to omit Route 17 project alternatives that expand peak capacity and are misaligned with community needs and solutions
Taylor Jaffe, +1 646-841-2523, [email protected]
Ramsay Adams, +1 212-203-1960, [email protected]
On September 19, 2024, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released the Route 17 Project Scoping Report, documenting the evaluation of preliminary concepts for further study. Upon first review, Catskill Mountainkeeper is appreciative that the Department of Transportation has begun to hear the concerns of our communities, and we share the state's desire to improve safety conditions and create new economic opportunities along Route 17. However, we remain concerned that state officials are still considering a massive highway widening that would bring more traffic, increase air pollution and waste taxpayer monies. This alternative is environmentally and fiscally irresponsible and does not address community needs.
Catskill Mountainkeeper and our allies differ with the state's approach to address safety and economic opportunities by increasing roadway capacity. We believe this approach is contradictory to our shared goals for the following reasons:
"Catskill Mountainkeeper shares the state's concern for safety as well as recognizes the opportunity to drive economic opportunities and increase mobility for residents along the Route 17 corridor with needed upgrades and strategic planning. However, adding nearly 40 miles of expanded highway lanes will only increase traffic, spike pollution and waste taxpayer monies," said Catskill Mountainkeeper's Environmental Justice Coordinator, Taylor Jaffe. "We're in a climate crisis and our communities deserve solutions that meet our needs, align with the Climate Law, and promote the health and vibrancy of this region."
"We appreciate NYSDOT and USDOT's commitments in the Scoping Report to heed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act's stringent greenhouse gas emission reduction and environmental justice mandates. At this early stage in the environmental review process, we once more emphasize that compliance with the Act is not a mere box-checking or paperwork-generating exercise. To fulfill its legal obligations, NYSDOT will need to substantially alter its policies, in general, and its vision for the Route 17 Project, in particular," said Michael Youhana, Senior Associate Attorney of Earthjustice.
"A hallmark of good planning is a robust community engagement process that generously incorporates stakeholder feedback," said Dr. Rachel Weinberger, Director of Research Strategy and Peter Herman Chair of Transportation at Regional Plan Association (RPA). "While we greatly appreciate the Scoping Report's call to meet the state's climate obligations, highway expansions do just the opposite due to what's known as "induced demand" - as new roads are constructed, or existing ones widened, new lanes encourage more driving. We hope NYSDOT and FWHA will take that knowledge into consideration as they refine their plans for Route 17. There are many ways to address safety without encouraging more traffic."
Orange Environment President Emeritus Dr. Michael Edelsteinstressed the conflict inherent in promoting through traffic on a rebranded I-86 given the reliance upon Route 17 by Orange and Sullivan County residents as a main street of their communities. "Inducing more and longer distance traffic through the Route 17 corridor will only further inconvenience residents of the region. Alternatively, an important opportunity exists to use these funds and additional monies they might leverage to improve total mobility within the region, promoting sustainable and climate resilient transportation options while also enhancing highway safety."
Catskill Mountainkeeper and our allies in the Rethink Route 17 Alliance look forward to ongoing collaboration with the Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration to ensure that this project considers a broader range of alternatives to meet our shared goals.
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