For over a century, Regional Plan Association (RPA) has been working to improve economic opportunity, environmental resilience, mobility, and quality of life for the tri-state region. We are a non-profit civic organization that is guided by our values of health, equity, sustainability, and prosperity in all our research, planning, and advocacy efforts.

As a long-term planning institution, we engage in programs, policies, and projects that have or will lead to statewide and regional impacts, and we are especially supportive of increased transportation and infrastructure investments as fundamental to the equitable growth and development of the region. However, we have significant concerns about the potential direction for the Route 17 corridor. In addition to signing on to the Rethink 17 Alliance comments, we are writing to share our concerns and highlight some of the goals we hope you will consider to ensure we use this opportunity to invest in sound and sustainable transit infrastructure instead of a destructive highway widening project.

Investing in safety and modernizing the corridor are important. Some of the stated goals of the NYS Route 17 Mobility and Access Improvements Project are to increase car capacity, reduce accidents due to congestion, and improve economic growth in the area, among others. We agree that all these issues need to be addressed, however, history, data, and experiences from across the United States show us that highway expansion is not the best way to meet these goals. In fact, a highway widening is likely to be the worst way to realize the desired improvements.

The concept of induced demand helps to explain the drawbacks of highway expansion as a solution for congestion - since it ends up creating more congestion. As numerous studies and experiences have shown, it does this for a number of reasons.

By widening a congested road, travel times are initially reduced. Thus, the choice to use that road at that time is made more attractive. People who had traveled at other times (non-peak), who had used other modes (transit), or gone to other places or by other routes now use the newly widened road. They quickly use up the newly created space. Moreover there are two forces of induced demand:

• Short term (latent) demand is the portion of traffic that would use the road today if the roads were faster. The increase in ​“supply” of road capacity allows for more users at once.

• Long-term induced demand is the portion of traffic that is drawn to the area. The increase in ​“supply” of road capacity drives down the time cost of trips, bringing new users into the market.

Inducing demand feeds the vicious cycle of creating more car dependence, which feeds demand for more auto infrastructure, which ultimately results in more auto dependence. Thus, while investments in expansion may offer up some short-term relief, the cycle of congestion as a result of induced demand has proven itself time and again, as further illustrated below. The immediate increased usage (i.e. more traffic), makes widening a particularly poor solution for already congested highways.

Induced demand also results in other detriments. to the surrounding communities and environment. For example, it has been proven that a 10% increase in capacity leads to a 10% increase in vehicle usage - subjecting more people to congestion and worsening environmental outcomes, without any actual traffic relief. Researchers have also found that highways help further suburban sprawl and that induced demand ends up creating more traffic on local streets where traffic is ultimately destined.

One of the most critical changes in NYS is the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This new law sets specific requirements for addressing climate and emissions throughout the state and, most relevant for this project, directs all state agencies to develop guidance to help the state meet its ambitious climate goals. While NYSDOT has been pursuing several climate-friendly initiatives across the state, including the Inner Loop North Transformation Project in Rochester and the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse, the agency has yet to adopt official guidance for how it will make policy and project decisions to meet the goals of the climate law. And a highway expansion project along the Route 17 corridor would undermine the state’s environmental goals.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the expansion of the approximately 90 miles of additional lanes will result in an estimated two million tons of additional GHG emissions by 2050. The addition of a new lane could result in an increase of around 200 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is equivalent to 20,000 cars. These findings contradict the estimations made by NYSDOT, which argue that the reduction in congestion will lead to benefits in terms of emissions. Moreover, environmental advocates have expressed concerns about the potential negative impact of this expansion on the surrounding green space and open areas along the proposed route.

That is why we do not support concepts in the NOI that would add additional lanes thus expanding the highway and inducing demand. The Rethink 17 Alliance comments reflect the questions and goals we have for consideration of additional options or clarification of Concept 1.

It is not feasible to eliminate congestion entirely. Furthermore, traffic projections assume a continuation of the existing development pattern. A failure to consider alternate development patterns would be an oversight in the planning process. A robust mobility and accessibility study, such as is being done in the Route 17 corridor, demands a creative look at coordinating transportation and land use, as that is the best way to ensure accessibility concerns are met.

As development along the Route 17 corridor continues and the area attracts new residents, there is an opportunity to plan for the future more strategically and sustainably. This might be a land use strategy that fosters an alternative development pattern to shift travel into strong town centers like Middletown, Goshen, Liberty, and Monticello. This could in turn allow for concentrated job and retail opportunities and create opportunities for active transport and corridor-level transit meeting both discretionary (e.g. entertainment) and non-discretionary (e.g. groceries) needs.

Stronger centers coupled with smart infill development reduce land loss and environmental concerns by encouraging more compact development. This would allow for opportunities to use a wider range of travel modes. For short trips, people can walk, bike, and use other micro-mobility options like electric bikes and scooters. For longer trips, new transit solutions (e.g. shuttle or bus service) would become more viable to serve movement among town centers.

The Route 17 widening project is being planned to address current land use patterns, locking the area into continued car dependency, drawing more traffic and ultimately ruining the beauty and unique character of Sullivan and Orange counties.

We all know the pitfalls of auto dependence. To achieve the State’s climate goals, to promote choices across the state, and to ensure a healthy future, we must say no to any highway widening, including along Route 17. Investments in safety, transit, bicycle, and walking infrastructure where appropriate, and commitments to alternative land use patterns are essential. This is the surest path to a future that is more sustainable.

RPA stands ready to serve as a resource and support for the agency as it considers alternative investment options to create a more sustainable future for the communities that rely on the Route 17 corridor.

You can read more detail about why highway expansions are problematic in our post - Evaluating the Route 17 Highway Widening Project.