Schumer’s highway to the Catskills angers environmentalists

Hochul has dedicated up to $1 billion to “accelerate the conversion of the Route 17 corridor in Orange and Sullivan counties to Interstate 86, fueling transformative levels of economic growth in the region and improving quality of life by alleviating congestion,” according to her budget. The state is working on an environmental review of the proposal, which it plans to publish in 2025. The project has significant support from business leaders in the Hudson Valley, a swing area where Republicans recently picked up a House seat in the midterms.

Schumer called for the highway widening in 2006 amid a push by then-Gov. George Pataki to build five Las Vegas-style casinos in the area, which didn’t come to fruition. Proponents of the project today say the two-lane corridor has long failed to support population growth in the area and new economic development, including the recent opening of LEGOLAND in Orange County. It has the backing of the 17-Forward-86, a coalition of more than 200 local businesses and trade groups.

“They [the state] recognize these corridors where the safety is at risk, tourism is growing, people want to come and hike the mountains, get out of the city,” said Maureen Halahan, the co-founder of 17-Forward-86 and the president and CEO of the Orange County Partnership, a business development group. “Covid emptied the city for a while and a lot of people could work from everywhere — even without that, we were backed up for a long time.”

In 2021, Schumer said he personally met with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and called on him to prioritize federal resources toward the Route 17 expansion — warning the traffic “is bad enough now” and will worsen with time.

While expansion plans like Route 17 are often pitched as a way to relieve chronic congestion, different studies have shown that, over time, the traffic eventually returns — a concept known as “induced demand.”

Environmental advocates contend the project doesn’t align with the state’s own climate goals, with transportation accounting for the largest share of statewide carbon dioxide emissions. The state’s climate action plan, which outlines steps to achieve its emission-reduction mandate, calls for policies that encourage the electrification of vehicles, enhancements in public transportation and mobility-oriented development.

The state will assess the project’s consistency with New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act as part of its environmental review, a spokesperson for Hochul said. They added the project would allow the road to meet interstate standards and includes improvements to interchanges, bridge replacements and upgrades to park-n-ride facilities, such as new charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams is facing strong pushback from Brooklyn lawmakers over his plan for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which would increase open space around it, but could also add one more lane of traffic.