HIGH SPEED RAIL HEARINGS

From the New York State Department of Transportation

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald announced this week that six public hearings will be held in March regarding plans for improving passenger and freight rail service on the Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls. The sessions, which will provide opportunities for the public to comment, will focus on the High Speed Rail Empire Corridor Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which has been approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

“Extending high speed passenger rail service to the Empire Corridor west of Albany will be good for all of New York State, bringing with it jobs, tourism, economic development and a cleaner environment,” Commissioner McDonald said.

The sessions in Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, Utica and Poughkeepsie will feature informational open houses from 4 – 8 p.m. They will focus on the DEIS and provide updates about ongoing passenger rail projects. Project managers and technical experts will be available to discuss the DEIS and answer questions throughout each session.

Public hearings, during which the public can submit formal comments about the DEIS, will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. Each hearing will begin with an informational presentation about the DEIS. The meetings are sponsored by NYSDOT and the FRA, which are conducting the environmental review. The DEIS examines the feasibility of higher speed passenger rail service alternatives along the 463-mile Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls, looking at how five potential alternatives would impact mobility, the environment and economic growth across New York State. The public can review the DEIS at https://www.dot.ny.gov/empire-corridor.

The closest public meeting to Rockland County is 70 minutes away, March 12 at the Poughkeepsie Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, 12 Vassar Street, Poughkeepsie.