By Joseph Morales

Interstate 86 and Route 17 are major highways that connect the Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier and Western New York regions of New York State. Despite being continuous, the roadway has different designations in different areas. The entire roadway is designated as Route 17 with the exception for the western portion in Pennslyvania, which is entirely Interstate 86. However, in New York, Interstate 86 runs with Route 17 for most of the highway between Pennsylvania and Binghamton, with the exception being a roughly 40-mile segment between Waverly, NY, and Interstate 81 in Binghamton. East of Interstate 81, Route 17 runs alone and connects the Southern Tier to the Mid-Hudson region, which includes Sullivan, Orange, and Rockland Counties. Route 17 also serves as the main connection to NYC for parts of the Mid-Hudson Region and Northern New Jersey. Combined, they provide connections to major highways such as Interstate 81, Interstate 84, and Interstate 87(NYS Thruway), allowing for trips across the Northeast and the United States. 

               As it is one continuous highway, knowing whether you are on I-86 or Route 17 can be confusing. Some GPS software has some areas listed as I-86 rather than Route 17 and vice versa. This can lead some motorists to believe they are on the wrong highway when, in reality, that is not the case. On parts of Route 17 in Orange and Sullivan Counties, there are many signs that say Future I-86, signaling that it will be part of I-86 in the future. There are even signs that you can tell will eventually inform the public that I-86/RT-17 are running together on certain segments of the highway. 

                The difference in signage is due to plans to convert Route 17 to Interstate 86 between Exit 103-Rapp Road in Monticello(Sullivan County) and I-87(New York State Thruway) in Woodbury(Orange County). This would be done by upgrading the highway to Interstate highway standards. These standards are set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials(AASHTO) and adopted by the Federal Highway Administration(FHWA). The standards of interstate highways include numerous aspects of the highway, such as a suitable number of lanes, full-grade separation, and more. Additionally, there are required widths for all lanes, shoulders, and medians that must be met. There are also guidelines for how interchanges must be designed for a highway to meet interstate standards. 

               Now, the New York State Department of Transportation and Gov. Kathy Hochul are taking numerous steps to convert most of RT-17 in Sullivan and Orange Counties to interstate highway standards. Upgrading the highway to interstate standards will bring major benefits such as reduced travel times, greater economic activity, and safer trips. It will also be easier for the road to be used during emergencies and for National Security. The national security part is especially important for the NY-17 corridor, given there are multiple military facilities on or near the future interstate route such as West Point, Camp Smith, and the 698th Quartermaster Company-Army Reserve. In addition, reducing congestion on the corridor is paramount, given that Orange County has grown more than 9% in the last 13 years and Sullivan County is the fastest-growing county in the state. Tourism in Sullivan County is also booming, with the number of tourists traveling to the county expected to double from 4 million to 8 million yearly. As for the economy, the route will definitely benefit the number of recreational destinations along the route, such as LEGOLAND New York Resort, the Catskills and the Woodbury Outlets. 

                Since every highway is unique, states have to take unique actions in order to convert any particular highway to interstate standards. Depending on the highway and the existing conditions, the cost and benefits of an interstate conversion can vary from highway to highway. In the case of the I-86 conversion, there already have been several construction projects at various stages aimed at ultimately having NY-17 meet interstate standards. 

                 As it stands, the NYSDOT has already reconstructed Exit 125(LEGOLAND) and Exit 131(RT-32 Woodbury Outlets, I-87 NY Thruway) to meet interstate standards. They also plan to reconstruct Exit 122A(Fletcher St-Goshen). The improvements that have been made/proposed include wider ramps, safer merges, and other changes that better suit the needs and capacity of current highway users. As part of the full interstate conversion, every exit ramp on the conversion corridor will have to be reconfigured if it has not been adjusted already. 

                  The most significant project as part of the expansion is undoubtedly the addition of a proposed third lane where the interstate conversion is occurring between Exit 103-Rapp Road in Monticello and I-87 in Woodbury. While all interstates require a minimum of two lanes, standards state that the number of lanes should ultimately be what is necessary for the highway to accommodate its absolute peak-level traffic. In addition, it states that highways converted to interstates should have enough lanes to “operate as well or better” than they did prior to the conversion. The third lane is supposed to help reduce travel times by providing more space for vehicles. In addition, it should reduce delays caused by circumstances such as accidents and construction due to there being more space for vehicles to pass closed lanes. 

               The project has been a long time coming for motorists in Orange and Sullivan Counties. In October 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the start of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement(DEIS) and the allocation of $1 billion in state funding for the I-86 conversion. This was met with widespread support from a bipartisan group of federal, state, and local elected officials. Elected officials who expressed support in the Governor’s press release include U.S Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Rep. Pat Ryan, and Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus(R). The coalition 17-Forward-86, which has lobbied for the conversion of RT-17 to I-86 since 2018, says that the conversion is “vital to the quality of life and the economic well-being of the Hudson Valley and Sullivan Catskills.” They have made this argument based on population growth data and a study from 2013 that stated that congestion on NY-17 would worsen and that a new lane on the highway was neccesary. It is also worth noting that the study was done prior to the construction of LEGOLAND New York, a major theme park that should draw many visitors from throughout the Northeast and beyond. A final Environmental Impact Statement is expected by 2025.

                Despite the potential benefits of the conversion, not everyone is on board with the plan. A coalition of environmental groups from Orange and Sullivan Counties, including Catskill Mountain Keeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council, vehemently oppose the project. The Regional Plan Association(RPA) is also against the interstate conversion. Both the coalition and RPA claim that it will have a significantly adverse impact on the environment and have called on the state to consider alternatives. The coalition argued that the state is violating its climate law, prohibiting the state from investing in projects that will lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The RPA stated that the project is contradictory to some of the state’s climate plans including the recent Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019. They say the law would be broken due to the potential for induced demand after the highway widens. Induced demand is the concept that congestion will decline, then increase after a period of time following a highway expansion as more people use the highway who would not have otherwise. 

                  Mike Edelstein, a member of Orange Environment and former Professor Director for Environmental Studies at Ramapo College, argues that instead of the highway expansion, the state should spend the $1 billion it has allocated on an “all-encompassing approach” that includes plans to reduce the number of cars on RT-17. This includes upgrading smaller local roads like RT-17M and adding local and regional rail to the corridor. He even proposed a rail line running from Monticello to the LEGOLAND New York Resort in Goshen, which covers roughly 35 miles and a 35-minute trip by car, assuming no traffic.

                   To evaluate other options to improve travel, the NYSDOT conducted a Planning and Environmental Linkage Study(PELS). In the PELS, the agency concluded that light rail or bus rapid transit will not work for the NY-17 corridor due to extremely low population densities. This makes sense as frequent public transit is almost non-existent in many areas, like the NY-17 corridor in the U.S., let alone rapid transit modes such as LRT or BRT. In addition, the NYSDOT claimed that the I-86 conversion would actually benefit Environmental Justice communities along the corridor by reducing congestion and, hence, greenhouse emissions. They also argued that other enhancements, such as more electric vehicle use along with park and rides that encourage transit use and carpooling, will contribute to fewer greenhouse gas-emitting cars on the road. 

                   As the I-86 conversion rolls on, there will likely be some more discourse over the pros and cons of the project. Given the population density and its car dependency, it is practical why the NYS wants to complete the interstate conversion to increase travel capacity. However, it does make sense why many want a change from the status quo by getting cars off the road, given the adverse impact cars have on the environment. Only time will tell how the project will effect Orange and Sullivan County given their constant population growth and ever-changing travel patterns. Hopefully, transportation solutions can work to reduce congestion and ensure that people can make trips seamlessly so that the Mid-Hudson Region can continue to grow and thrive to the fullest extent possible.

Works Cited

17-Forward-86, https://17forward86.org/. Accessed 1 June 2024.

“About Us – 17-Forward-86.” 17-Forward-86, https://17forward86.org/about/. Accessed 28 May 2024.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “A Policy on Design Standards-Interstate System.” Alabama Department of Transportation, May 2016, https://www.dot.state.al.us/publications/Design/pdf/DesignStandardsInterstateSystem.pdf. Accessed 28 May 2024.

“Fast Facts-Press Kit.” Missouri Department of Transportation, https://www.modot.org/sites/default/files/documents/Fast%20Facts%20-%20Press%20Kit.pdf. Accessed 28 May 2024.

Fumagalli, Bryan. “’Not so fast’ says environmental coalition regarding Route 17 conversion to Interstate 86.” The Chronicle, 9 August 2023, https://www.chroniclenewspaper.com/news/local-news/not-so-fast-says-environmental-coalition-regarding-route-17-conversion-to-interstate-86-YC2664405. Accessed 1 June 2024.

“Governor Hochul Announces Major Milestone on Transformative Conversion of State Route 17 into Interstate 86.” Governor Kathy Hochul, 5 October 2022, https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-major-milestone-transformative-conversion-state-route-17-interstate. Accessed 28 May 2024.

“Interstate System – Design – Federal Highway Administration.” Federal Highway Administration, 2023, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.cfm. Accessed 28 May 2024.

Jordan, John. “NYSDOT Updates Public on Progress On Rte. 17-I-86 Conversion/Exit 122 Job.” Real Estate In Depth, 18 January 2024, https://realestateindepth.com/nysdot-updates-public-on-progress-on-rte-17-i-86-conversion-exit-122-job/. Accessed 1 June 2024.

“NY 17/Interstate 86 Conversion.” New York State Roads, 25 February 2024, https://nysroads.com/i86-ny17.php. Accessed 28 May 2024.

RCBJ-Connect. “Plans To Convert Route 17 To Interstate 86 Advance; Support Is Strong, But So Is Opposition.” Rockland County Business Journal, 24 January 2024, https://rcbizjournal.com/2024/01/24/plans-to-convert-route-17-to-interstate-86-advance-support-is-strong-but-so-is-opposition/. Accessed 28 May 2024.

“Route 17 Transportation Scoping/Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) Study.” NYSDOT, 3 October 2021, https://www.dot.ny.gov/portal/page/portal/content/delivery/region8/projects/806509-Home/806509-Repository/8065.09_PEL%20Report%20Final.pdf. Accessed 1 June 2024.

Weinberger, Rachel, et al. “RPA | Evaluating the Route 17 Highway Widening Project.” Regional Plan Association, 18 January 2024, https://rpa.org/latest/lab/evaluating-the-route-17-highway-widening-project. Accessed 1 June 2024.