What the study will examine

This North Country Transportation Study is examining the full range of transportation options for improving access to, from, and within the region, including air, highway, rail, bus and others. It is looking at the technical and economic feasibility of various improvements in different areas of the region. Environmental impacts of each option are also being considered.

Consultants are meeting with key stakeholders in the region to identify critical transportation issues, problems, and needs of the region. These stakeholders identified the ways in which each transportation problem limits economic development in the region. 

Issues being covered include:

• Road access issues, which include poor access to markets and suppliers, congestion in town centers, and poor intermodal connections;

• International trade issues, including congestion of the Thousand Islands Bridge at I-81, the need for seamless border clearance, and better coordination between   Canada and the U.S.;

• Poor transportation that impedes economic development and growth of jobs, population, tourism, and college enrollments;

• Modal issues, including poor inter-city bus service for students and the poor, inadequate airline service, threatened rail freight service, and lack of fiber optic and broad band telecom infrastructure that impedes the area’s ability to attract new businesses.

Based on these identified needs and problems, the study’s goals are to look at ways to improve access to and from the region; improve travel within the region; and promote economic development—all while retaining the environmental integrity of the region.

The study will engage the public in dialogue through meetings and workshops that will solicit public input on how to improve transportation throughout the region.

New York’s North Country is one of the most beautiful regions in the U.S., with its breathtaking views, green valleys, vast wetlands, and abundant wild life.

Significant Access Problems

The Andirondack Park and Canadian border constrain access to the North Country Region. Though served by I-87 and I-81, some areas are nearly 100 miles from the nearest interstate. Most areas are served only by two-lane roads shared with heavy commercial and slow-moving farm vehicles. Limited mass transit — both air and ground — compound road access problems in a region that struggles to serve the universities, the military, and the area’s rural population.

Concern that economic development is constrained

Community leaders and development professionals throughtout the region have expressed concern that economic development is being stifled by inadequate transportation access. Trucks have difficulty getting raw materials to factories and goods to market on time. Rural residents have long commutes to widely dispersed jobs. University and college administrators believe their institutions might attract and retain more students if their campuses were more accessible to major cities and resources.

Previous transportation initiatives

Over the past fifty years, a variety of major transportation improvements have been proposed, including plans for new north-south and east-west limited-access highway corridors as well as plans for improved air service.

Last year, the Northern New York Border Crossing Study further identified the need for additional bridge capacity connecting the region with Canada. Better bridge connections were sought to help stimulate international trade and relieve traffic congestion.

Current needs

There is consensus that some form of transportation improvements are needed to improve access to and mobility within the region. The North Country Transportation Study was created to examine ways to make travel throughout the region more convenient and efficient, and to sustain and support economic development. At the same time, the North Country must protect the environmental integrity of the region’s greatest asset—its bountiful green landscape—if it is to compete successfully in today’s global marketplace.

The North Country Transportation Study will screen all relevant modes of transportation and evaluate both capital and non-capital options for improving access. If the outcome of this study is to identify  long-term capital improvements, these will be recommended for phasing into the State Transportation Improvements Program (STIP). The STIP is New York State’s  list of potential transportation improvements which the State intends to implement. It is updated each year to reflect needs in the state.

As part of the process, the study’s consultants will keep the public informed about the progress of the study and when and where public meetings will be held. Information will be distributed via mailers and information packets the project web site.