GOSHEN – Two groups remain at odds over the need to build a third lane in each direction on State Route 17 in Woodbury to Sullivan County. The ad hoc group 17Forward86 maintains the additional lane is needed with anticipated growth in the region.
But, Rethink Route 17, led by the Catskill Mountainkeeper group, says it is not needed.
Taylor Jasse, the program manager of Rethink Route 17, addressed the issue on Monday to the Orange County Legislature’s Transportation Task Force Committee.
“We know that we do not need a third lane to achieve interstate designation,” she said. “When we are talking about traffic, looking at NYSDOT’s own projections, drivers can only expect to save only three minutes and six seconds after we spend $1.4 billion on this project. So, it is really not traffic time saving either, and 95.8 percent of the time, their own projection on Route 17.”
Jasse also noted the proposed additional lane would extend west only to Wurtsboro; it was originally proposed to extend to the Monticello area.
She said the state is expected to have a draft environmental impact study completed in October.
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