The $1.4 billion dollar proposal to widen Route 17 from two to three lanes in both directions between exit 131 (Harriman) and exit 113 (Wurtsboro) that has the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Department of Transportation, will create more traffic congestion, worsen air quality and burden taxpayers. Moreover, the proposal is contrary to New York State's responsibilities under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 (CLCPA).

The Sierra Club, with the unanimous votes of three separate Sierra Groups in the Hudson Valley region impacted by Route 17 opposes this unnecessary highway expansion and has joined other area environmental groups including Catskill Mountainkeeper, Scenic Hudson and others, in support of an alternative plan to Re-Think Route 17.

The Re-Think Route 17 coalition supports better use of these federal and state taxpayer dollars to increase public transportation options for the Hudson Valley region to provide residents with safe and environmentally friendly means to access work, schools, and shopping centers in a more reliable and affordable way.

A feasibility study, known as the Route 17 PEL Report, was issued in 2021 by NYSDOT. This study does not adequately consider public transportation planning that would achieve needed transportation goals without burdening disadvantaged communities or harming sensitive ecological areas. The Route 17 PEL Report erroneously includes that adding a third lane in each direction will reduce GHG emissions, while it excludes bus rapid transit and accessible public transportation options. Mid-Hudson Sierra, along with our Sierra Group neighbors in Lower Hudson and the Susquehanna Groups, and in concert with partner environmental organizations such as Catskill Mountainkeeper and Scenic Hudson, are concerned about the environmental impacts and the necessity to fund this proposed $1.4 billion dollar project. A third lane will increase traffic and congestion and cause millions of tons of additional CO2 emissions with a now six-lane highway. This is neither smart nor sustainable economic growth.

The Mid-Hudson Sierra Group will work to promote wiser use of $1.4 billion dollars of taxpayer funds for the transportation needs of the Hudson Valley. Lane expansion of Route 17 is not necessary. The current proposal must undergo a full and complete environmental impact study (EIS) along with an opportunity for public comment. This process will extend into calendar year 2026.

The proposed expansion of Route 17 is one of the worst ways to spend $1.4 billion dollars of public funds. It will cause economic and health related harm to residents, and to our beautiful and priceless natural heritage in New York. Please join the Mid-Hudson Group of the Sierra Club and our environmental partners in working to Re-Think Route 17 and move from unnecessary highway expansion to a much needed increase in public transportation that is both safe and affordable for all residents of New York State.

Update: Hochul Hits Pause on Hudson Valley Highway (Route 17) Expansion!

Statement from New York State Department of Transportation Region 8 Acting Director, Jim Rusak 

"The proposed project to enhance safety, reduce crashes and convert a critical 30-mile stretch of State Route 17 to Interstate 86 in Orange and Sullivan Counties is vital to the connectivity and growth of the Hudson Valley. Over the past several months, the State Department of Transportation has been evaluating the project alternatives while engaging with stakeholders and the public.  As a result, it's become clear that more time is needed to re-assess the project alternatives in consideration of feedback received and ensure compliance with the new federal requirements and guidelines. 

What does this mean for the project and its future? 

The State Department of Transportation remains fully committed to progressing this important safety project.   We very much appreciate the public’s engagement and comments to date and look forward to further engagement in the coming weeks and months as we work toward releasing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement next year, leading toward a Record of Decision in the second half of 2026.  Reporting from New York Focus last year found that the project would save drivers six minutes max, at a cost of $1.3 billion."

This statement does not tell the entire story, however, an article by New York Focus expands on this announcement in terms of what it means.

Invest in Our Communities, Not a Wider Highway

Catskill Mountainkeeper and the ReThink Route 17 Alliance launch an alternate vision report for transportation possibilities in the Hudson Valley and Catskills region

Livingston Manor, NY –  The ReThink Route 17 Alliance, anchored by Catskill Mountainkeeper, is launching an alternative vision report in response to the state government’s proposal to widen State Route 17, “Invest in Our Communities, Not a Wider Highway”. While highway expansions simply attract more traffic, increase air and noise pollution, increase residents’ tax burdens, and worsen congestion over time, community-led investments in transportation infrastructure and multi-modal transit could positively transform health, economic and transportation outcomes across the Hudson Valley and Catskills region.

Register for the ReThink Route 17 Alliance’s Virtual Town Hall launching their alternate vision report on September 9th at 6:00 pm.

With $1.4 billion on the table and 60% of roads in the Hudson Valley in poor condition, the ReThink Route 17 Alliance (the Alliance) is calling on Governor Hochul and the NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to stop all plans for highway expansion and instead invest in many regional projects to benefit instead of burden residents. NYSDOT’s expansion proposal is misaligned with community goals for the region because it would waste critical resources creating unnecessary new lanes when there is a backlog of maintenance needed on existing roads and bridges. The Alliance offers a more practical way to invest   the $1.4 billion into saving lives by making the most dangerous roads and intersections safer, fixing potholes across the region, and increasing multi-modal transportation opportunities to make our towns and cities more walkable and easier to access with or without a car, while supporting local business and employment.

The state government has the option to transfer funding from this unnecessary, wasteful expansion project to local control by towns, cities, villages and counties, which are closer to the people and could invest the money far more cost-effectively than NYSDOT can, to fund a wide range of local projects. The Alliance’s new report details examples of beneficial projects that could be funded at a fraction of the cost of NYSDOT’s proposal:

• For $100 million, we could fix and re-pave Route 17 and significantly repair roads in the region in poor condition.
• For $10 million, we could purchase and install about 250 bus shelters in Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan counties, so transit users could be protected from the rain and snow while waiting. 
• For $600,000, we could save lives by  funding the Orange County Roadway Safety Action Plan, which would fund critical safety measures to prevent fatalities on Orange County roadways. 
• For $5 million we could double the number of bus routes in Sullivan County (providing hundreds of thousands of rides each year) and double the number of rides offered for veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities to get to medical appointments. 
• For $45 million, we could provide sidewalks and intersection crossing improvements in 20 villages and hamlets in Orange and Sullivan Counties, making it easier to get to local schools, businesses, and places of worship. 

The list presented in the Alliance’s new report is not exhaustive but illustrates how much good could be accomplished for residents across the entire region, in contrast with NYSDOT’s $1.4 billion proposal that widens 20 miles of highway, harming our resident while benefiting only a small handful of motorists and more trucks driving through our region on their way to somewhere else.

To launch this new report, the Alliance is hosting a virtual town hall on September 9th at 6:00 pm for community members, elected officials, and the press to learn more about this alternate vision. Please register here. The Alliance is also launching a petition calling on our elected officials to halt all plans for widening Route 17 and instead support locally-led transportation solutions for the people of our region. To sign the petition, please click here. To learn more about the Alliance and the campaign to ReThink Route 17, please visit  www.rethinkroute17.org.

UPDATES

September 2025

As reported in August, there is a robust alliance of twenty-four NY environmental organizations working together to promote better transportation alternatives than spending $1.4 Billion dollars of taxpayer money on the unwise widening of 20 miles of Route 17 in Orange County. The Sierra Club strongly supports our environmental colleagues in this effort lead by Catskill Mountain Keeper.

A Virtual Town Hall was held on September 9, 2025 to discuss positive community choices for transportation alternatives. Here's a link to the video of the Virtual Town Hall. The video link provides complete details and suggests wiser alternatives in a run time just short of one hour. 

The NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) as required by federal law began a NEPA Review process in the Spring of 2024. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be released in the Winter of 2025/2026 by NYSDOT for public review and comments. The Final Report and Record of Decision will be issued in the Spring of 2026. 

Now is the time to make our voices heard to prioritize safer roadways, to improve public transportation, to support small businesses bypassed by an unnecessary expanded highway, and to provide employment for local union workers instead of outside, larger development companies.

We need to provide our local, regional and state elected officials with the information they need to oppose the wasteful and unnecessary widening of Route 17 and to support community friendly and urgently needed transportation alternatives for spending $1.4 Billion dollars.

Here's a link containing contact information for elected officials in Orange and Sullivan County.

We urge you to write and / or call your elected local and state officials to support far better use of your tax dollars for truly needed transportation improvements in your community. 

If you don't have time to view the Virtual Town Hall, here's a link to the Re-Think Route 17 brochure titled "Invest in Our Communities Not a Wider Highway".

We will keep you informed as the EIS process moves along. Please take the time to help educate your elected representatives about far better alternatives to the widening of 20 miles of Route 17.

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.