West of Hudson Transit Study Launches

Governor Kathy Hochul and Representative Pat Ryan today announced the launch of a comprehensive study to improve regional transit coordination and limited cross-county connections in the Hudson Valley for commuters living west of the Hudson River. Led by the State Department of Transportation, the West of Hudson Transit Study will address significant transit issues and enhance rider experiences in underserved communities, focusing on bus service improvements and connections to existing rail lines and ferries. The study will also aim to increase the number of one-seat rides to the New York City metropolitan area while further reducing travel times by identifying locations where roadway infrastructure improvements can prioritize transit to bypass congestion. ICF International has been engaged to support the study.

“For many years, Hudson Valley residents living west of the Hudson River have asked for better transit connections to New York City and throughout the region, and the West of Hudson Transit Study will give us the roadmap to deliver just that,” Governor Hochul said. “The Hudson Valley’s landscape is multi-faceted — urban, suburban and rural — and we know there are gaps in the region’s transportation infrastructure. With this study, we will do a forensic analysis of where these gaps are, the best methods to fix them, and provide a clear plan on how to deliver improved transit for Hudson Valley residents on both sides of the river.”

Representative Pat Ryan said, “For far too long, residents west of the Hudson have been stuck with exhausting commutes into New York City, unreliable transit options, and a transportation system that simply hasn’t kept up with the needs of our growing communities. I’ve been pushing relentlessly to change that, and I’m proud to help deliver the West of Hudson Transit Study as a direct result of that fight. We’ve waited long enough. This is about taking action to ensure our region finally gets the attention and investment it deserves — and I’m proud to work with Governor Hochul to deliver.”

The West of Hudson Transit Study will center on service improvements to bus networks, including local routes, regional commuter bus service, and microtransit. It will also review ferry services and transit bus enhancements to existing rail corridors. The study’s focus area includes Orange County, Rockland County, Sullivan County and Ulster County as well as the connections from those counties to DutchessCounty, Putnam County, Westchester County, and New York City.  

State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “The demographics are changing in the Hudson Valley, and with an increased population the transportation needs of residents, commuters, weekend visitors and rural access need to be studied as there are opportunities for improvement in getting residents where they safely need to go, especially to places like New York City that they should be able to get to quickly and efficiently. The West of Hudson Transit Study will explore the many different ways that regional transportation options can be improved to meet the diverse needs of such a large commuter population.”

The initial phase of the West of Hudson Transit Study will analyze existing conditions faced by all transit services operating in the Mid and Lower Hudson Valley and confirm relative demand levels throughout the study area. To solicit strong engagement, a public outreach plan will be created to gather feedback from riders, transit operators, community organizations, and the general public. The ideas generated in this public outreach process will be critical in shaping the final outcomes of this study. Representative Ryan will also chair a stakeholder advisory committee with a diverse group of community leaders from the study area to provide strategic guidance and input on a regular basis over the course of the study.

The West of Hudson Transit Study builds off the success of ongoing State efforts to improve transit service in the Hudson Valley. On January 2, Governor Hochul and NYSDOT launched a major bus service expansion with the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Shuttle, more than doubling existing weekday connections with MTA Metro-North Railroad trains to and from New York City and providing improved connections to other regional destinations. Despite a major snowstorm and unseasonably cold winter, year-to-date total bus ridership on this crossing is up more than 75 percent. Other initiatives include identifying future enhancements to Hudson Link, a rapid bus service traveling across the Mario Cuomo Bridge between Rockland and Westchester Counties that connects key destinations and commuter rail services.

Items of improvement identified by the West of Hudson Transit Study will be implemented on an ongoing basis throughout its duration. The Department of Transportation has already begun conducting rider surveys of existing commuter bus service in Ulster and Orange Counties in order to develop an updated service plan to provide better one-seat ride connectivity to New York City, with further updates expected in the coming months.

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