NEWS
BREAKING NEWS
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
APRIL 2019
NPGA Southeastern Convention & International Expo April 13-15 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta , Ga . Web : www . npgaexpo . org
MAY 2019
Vermont Fuel Conference May 6-7 Jackson Gore Okemo Mountain Resort , Ludlow , Vt . Phone : 802-223-7750 Web : vermontfuel . com / okemo
Eastern Energy Expo 2019 May 19-22 Hershey Lodge & Convention Center , Hershey , Pa . Web : www . EasternEnergyExpo . com
JUNE 2019
Northern New England Energy Conference June 23-25 Cliff House Cape Neddick , ME Web : www . nnenergyconference . com
17-Forward-86 , a group of business , industry , trade and tourism interests , seeks $ 500 million from New York State to add a third lane each way on the heavily traveled corridor between Harriman and Exit 103 in Monticello .
Coalition members say there is a critical need to ease congestion , improve safety , protect the environment , accommodate growth and enhance the effort to upgrade Route 17 to enable future designation as Interstate 86 in the region .
“ Expanding Route 17 is vital to quality of life and the economic wellbeing of the Hudson Valley and Sullivan Catskills ,” Maureen Halahan , president and CEO of the Orange County Partnership , said in a news conference . “ It will strengthen the region ’ s economy by improving access for tourists and businesses , while enhancing commuter safety and reducing environmental damage from vehicular emissions caused by idling motorists .”
New York State Senate and Assembly members present on March 7 to voice support for the expansion project included :
Mayor Joseph DeStefano , Middletown
Supervisor Douglas Bloomfield , Goshen
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther , 100th District
Assemblyman Karl Brabenec , 98th District
Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson , 104th District
Assemblyman Colin Schmitt ,
99th District Senator Jen Metzger , 42nd District Senator James Skoufis , 39th District Senator George Amedore Jr .,
46th District Representative for Assemblyman
Brian Miller , 101st District
The coalition ’ s campaign to raise awareness of safety and travel concerns , and solve these problems , comes at a pivotal time for the region . The volume of traffic on Route 17 is expected to increase sharply and the inability to meet driver demand negatively affects everything from economic development and tourism , to public safety and population growth .
“ Once complete , this project , by a very conservative estimate , will have an economic impact of $ 1.5 billion on the region ,” said Marc Baez , president and CEO , Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development . “ With the Resorts World Casino and other investments in Sullivan County , this project is critical to our ability to thrive .”
To achieve its goal , 17-Forward-86 is seeing inclusion in the state Department of Transportation ’ s Capital Plan for a five-year term at $ 100 million a year beginning in March 2020 . The state has already invested $ 150 million in reconfiguring Route 17 ’ s Exit 131 and expanding the roadway ’ s capacity is an important next step for the region . This spring , the DOT is scheduled to conduct a $ 5 million Planning and Environmental Linkage study ( PEL ), which includes identifying priority locations and conducting environmental assessments and preliminary engineering .
The 2013 Route 17 Transportation Corridor Study noted that the existing congestion and delays on Route 17 will worsen over the near- and long-term , and that the volume of development along the corridor necessitates an additional lane / added capacity .
Projections by the Cornell Program of Applied Demographics indicate that , by 2020 , Sullivan County ’ s population will grow to more than 79,000 and Orange County ’ s to more than 400,000 , further increasing traffic along the corridor .
The continued growth of tourism is also steadily increasing traffic . Sullivan County receives four million visitors annually , which is expected to increase to eight million in 2020 . Currently , the population climbs to over 350,000 during the summer months and to an additional 50,000 on any given weekend .
17-Forward-86 was established in August 2018 by a dedicated group of advocates who support the expansion of Route 17 . The coalition comprises more than 100 members of economic development groups , construction trades , tourism groups and energy companies who share a common vision for expanding the capacity of Route 17 to strengthen the economic well-being of the Hudson Valley and Sullivan Catskills . To learn more , visit www . 17Forward86 . org . l FON
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4 APRIL 2019 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com