“The Route 17 corridor used to be served by rail and I think we can use rail to move people regionally and locally because we need mobility without depending on cars. “Let’s see how much of this money can be spent on getting cars and maybe even trucks off the road,” Edelstein said. Instead, Edelstein envisions using the $1 billion in state funds allocated for the project on an “all-encompassing approach” that includes reducing the number of cars on the road by installing local and regional rail and upgrading Route 17M and other roads to serve as alternatives to Route 17 for local traffic.

“The third lane solution that has been proposed is more of an outdated, post-World War II solution.”

“Improving mobility along the corridor is a very positive goal and members of our coalition - which includes Catskill Mountain Keeper, Natural Resources Defense Council, independent consults and others - just want it done the right way,” said Mike Edelstein of Orange Environment, a group that has been involved in many of the environmental issues in the county since its founding in 1982. As the process of studying the potential environmental impacts of converting Route 17 into Interstate 86 by adding a third lane, upgrading interchanges and reorganizing selected exits unfolds, a coalition of environmental groups is asking the state to consider alternative ways to improve transportation along the corridor.

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