Public input is being sought on a new long-term transportation plan that will guide the development of transportation infrastructures and services in Orange County for years.
“The more input we get, the better and more responsive the plan will be to the needs of the community,” Alan Sorensen, who heads the Orange County Transportation Council, said.
Per regulations, the council is tasked with developing a new countywide transportation plan every four years as a condition for receiving federal funding.
According to Mr. Sorensen, the development of hiking and biking trails has been a major part of discussions so far and will very likely get a more prominent spot in the final plan.
“We are looking to create a cohesive active transportation system throughout the county where bicyclists and pedestrians can travel without having to go on a highway,” Mr. Sorensen told The Epoch Times.
Active transportation refers to human-powered means of getting around.
Currently, two federally funded projects are in planning to expand the Heritage Trail network in the county: a downtown Middletown trail extending to the Ingrassia Road in the Town of Wallkill and a 10-mile Schunnemunk Trail reaching as far as the Salisbury Mills train station.
The starting point of the latter trail is Camp LaGuardia, a former New York City homeless shelter in the town of Chester planned to be turned into a county park.
Residents are welcome to share their thoughts on trails via the survey, which covers topics such as separate bike and pedestrian pathways, protected bikeways, and e-bike charging and storage programs.
Among federally funded transportation projects in Orange County, roads, highways, and bridges take up the largest chunk, according to Mr. Sorensen.
A major highway project is the improvement of Exit 122 on Route 17 in the Town of Wallkill, which costs an estimated $80 million and is expected to be finished by 2025.
The interstate bridge over the Delaware River connecting Port Jervis and Matamoras will be rehabilitated next year, which carries a price tag between $15 and $25 million.
Most federal transportation funding comes from two agencies, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, which ask for 20 percent local matches; sometimes the New York State Department of Transportation also chips in, Mr. Sorensen said.
As of the beginning of August, there were more than 150 federally funded transportation projects within Orange County out of nearly 1,000 in the Hudson Valley region, according to a tally by the New York State Department of Transportation.
The new long-range transportation plan is expected to be finalized in November.
