New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

CHAPTER II: PROJECT IDENTIFICATION, EVOLUTION, CONDITIONS, NEEDS, AND OBJECTIVES

A. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

1. PROJECT TYPE

The NYS Route 17 (State Highway #41-3) at Exit 122 project consists of major interchange reconstruction and realignment, including new and widened bridges. In addition, the project includes local transportation system improvements needed to support the new interchange and future traffic volumes, as described in Section III.C.1. Enhancement opportunities are also being considered as part of this project, such as a canoe launch and Wallkill River access area, as identified in Section II.C.1.y.

2. PROJECT LOCATION / DESCRIPTION

This project is located within the Town of Wallkill, Orange County, New York, as shown in Figure II-2 and Figure II-3. The project includes 2.02 km (1.26 mi) of NYS Route 17 beginning 200 m (656 ft) east of Exit 121 (I-84) at Reference Marker 17- 8310-1086 and extends easterly on NYS Route 17 through Exit 122 (Crystal Run Road) to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) east of the Wallkill River bridge at Reference Marker 17- 8310-1099.

The project area also includes 0.6 km (0.4 mi) of East Main Street (County Road 67) to the west of the Exit 122 interchange and 1.3 km (0.8 mi) of Crystal Run Road to the east of the Exit 122 interchange. These limits include both state funded and locally funded portions of the project. Refer to Section III.C.1 for figures showing the limits of state and local funding.

The following streets intersect the project area and may be modified by the proposed alternatives: Midway Road, Crystal Run Crossing, Sullivan Lane and Ballard Road.

The following bridges are within the project area:

Table II-1 EXISTING BRIDGE INVENTORY Bridge Bridge Identification Number East Main Street over NYS Route 17 BIN 1013970 NYS Route 17 over the Wallkill River BIN 1013980 (under construction) (Replaces existing BIN 1013981 and BIN1013982) NYS Route 17 over the Wallkill River overflow BIN 1013990 (existing box culvert is being replaced with smaller box (Being eliminated) culvert that is not considered a bridge)

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East Main Street over Phillipsburg Creek BIN 3345140

For the purpose of this report the vehicle travel directions noted in the report are oriented so that NYS Route 17 is heading in the east and west directions. The following is a brief description and a project orientation map (Figure II-1), which provides the vehicle travel directions for each roadway in the project area:

• NYS Route 17 - oriented in the east and west directions (westerly direction is heading toward Middletown, easterly direction is heading toward Goshen) • Interstate 84 – oriented in the east and west directions (westerly toward Port Jervis, easterly toward Newburgh) • East Main Street and Crystal Run Road – oriented in the east and west directions • Ballard Road – oriented in the north and south directions • Crystal Run Crossing – oriented in the north and south directions • Midway Road – oriented in the north and south directions

Figure II-1

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-2

New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

NYS Route 17 is one of the primary east-west highways across southern New York State. NYS Route 17 is being converted in stages to Interstate 86. As of January 2004, the western 297 kilometers (185 miles) of this 613 kilometer (381 mile) facility are already designated as I-86. The project area for this project has not yet received this designation, but is considered “Future I-86.” NYS Route 17 is State Highway (SH) #41-3 within the project area. NYS Route 17 is part of the National Highway System (NHS) and is eligible for Federal Aid.

This project will provide operational, safety and capacity improvements to the Exit 122 interchange at Crystal Run Road and East Main Street. Incidental improvements will also take place along Crystal Run Road and East Main Street.

The official project designation is:

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Town of Wallkill, Orange County Project Identification Number (PIN) 8006.72

B. PROJECT EVOLUTION

The Exit 122 interchange was designed in 1942 and constructed in the early 1950’s in accordance with the design standards in place at that time. In 1994, the Town of Wallkill completed a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the reconstruction of the interchange to meet current design standards in order to improve safety and operation. The Town’s 1994 preferred alternative consisted of a new road (“East Main Street Extension”) with a new bridge over NYS Route 17 that extended northeasterly from the East Main Street curve near Midway Road to the intersection of an extended Ballard Road. Existing East Main Street/Crystal Run Road remained as a two-way through street intersecting with East Main Street Extension at Ballard Road. A plan showing the Town’s 1994 preferred alternative is included in Appendix A of this report.

The NYSDOT Initial Project Proposal (IPP) for the study of the NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 project was approved in December 1996. This project was initiated because several non-standard roadway features created operational, capacity and significant traffic safety problems. In addition, the section of NYS Route 17 in the vicinity of Exit 122 has been designated as a Priority Investigation Location (PIL), which indicates significant accidents.

In addition, extensive development is planned within the project area by the design year, including an estimated 1,430,000 square feet of business development and 1,100 units of residential development. Land use development includes the addition and expansion of businesses that generate significant volumes of heavy vehicles, such as distribution centers, that will utilize Exit 122. Orange Regional Medical Center is

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proposing a new 600,000 to 700,000 square foot hospital with 1,650 parking spaces, located on the north side of East Main Street just west of the Midway Road intersection.

Since the inception of this project’s planning process, a Community Task Force was created and has been involved in data collection, analyses and review, goal setting, prioritization of project objectives, and evaluating alternatives. The Task Force membership is broad-based, including residents, business owners, developers, public officials, environmental groups and other organizations that have an interest in this project. Their combined input has provided a balance of viewpoints and ideas. Seven meetings were held at key decision points in the process. The dates and general discussion topics are as follows:

Meeting 1 12/13/99 Planning Process, Project Scope and Schedule, Issues and Concerns Discussion

Meeting 2 3/21/00 Existing Conditions Analysis Results, Future Traffic Volume Projections

Meeting 3 7/13/00 Data Collection Update, Review of Project Goals/Objectives, Discuss Draft Alternatives

Meeting 4 3/9/01 Evaluation of alternatives, feasible alternatives being progressed

Meeting 5 2/11/02 Present results of Final EPP and obtain input for scoping process

Meeting 6 10/8/03 Present refined alternatives and traffic analysis

Meeting 7 11/14/06 Present updated alternatives including 2C modified

In addition to meetings with the Community Task Force, the public at large received information about this project through mass mailings and provided input through public information meetings and through one-on-one interviews. A formal NEPA scoping meeting was held at the Wallkill Town Hall on February 11, 2002. Summaries of the Community Task Force meetings and public meetings are included in Chapter VI.

An additional consideration when preparing this project was the designation of NYS Route 17 as Future Interstate 86 as part of the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) legislation. In the fall of 1998, the NYSDOT initiated a study of NYS Route 17 from the New York/Pennsylvania state line in the west to I-87 in Orange County in the east. The study provided the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with information to assist with the interstate designation. The study

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documented the existing physical features of NYS Route 17 mainline and ramps, as summarized in the report titled “NYS Route 17 Roadway Feature Evaluation Report”. FHWA’s review acknowledged numerous non-standard and non-conforming highway features of NYS Route 17 in Orange County that would need to be addressed prior to its designation as I-86.

Subsequently, the NYSDOT initiated a study to address interchange spacing and interchange geometrics needed to meet Interstate standards on NYS Route 17 from Exit 84 in Delaware County, through Sullivan County, and up to and including Exit 131 (interchange with I-87) in Orange County. The results of the study were published in the April 2001, report titled “Route 17 (Future I-86) Interchange Spacing and Geometrics Study”. The study identified non-standard interchange spacing between Exits 121 and 122, along with traffic capacity and safety deficiencies at Exits 121 and 122. Improvements to NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 are a prerequisite for FHWA to designate this section of NYS Route 17 as I-86.

The NYSDOT prepared an Expanded Project Proposal (EPP) for the study of the NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 project, which was approved in January 2002. This study recommended that two alternatives, Alternatives 2C and 2E, be carried forward for further study in this Design Report. Alternative 2C consists of a new East Main Street Extension to carry interchange traffic, provides semi-cloverleaf ramps for eastbound and westbound NYS Route 17 traffic, auxiliary ramps between Exit 121 and 122, and the relocation of Crystal Run Road. This is similar in concept to the alternative from the 1994 Town FEIS. Alternative 2E retains and improves Crystal Run Road near its present location with diamond ramps for NYS Route 17 eastbound traffic and semi- cloverleaf ramps for westbound traffic. The EPP plans for Alternatives 2C and 2E are included in Appendix A of this report.

Significant structural deficiencies were identified during the NYSDOT Biennial bridge inspection of the two bridges (BINs 1013981 and 1013982) that carry NYS Route 17 across the Wallkill River, which needed to be addressed quickly. Consequently NYSDOT progressed the replacement of these two bridges, as well as a large box culvert (BIN 1013990) under NYS Route 17 just east of the Wallkill River, under a separate project. The bridges over the river are being replaced with a single bridge (BIN 1013980) and the box culvert is being replaced with a smaller culvert that is not considered a bridge. Construction of the new bridge, culvert and associated highway improvements is anticipated to be complete in 2007.

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C. CONDITIONS AND NEEDS

1. TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS, DEFICIENCIES AND ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS

a. Functional Classification and National Highway System (NHS)

NYS Route 17 is currently classified as a rural principal arterial other. However, in order for NYS Route 17 to be designated as Interstate 86, NYS Route 17 will be designed to meet urban principal arterial interstate standards. I-84 is classified as an urban principal arterial interstate from the westerly project limits to 0.08 km (0.05 mi) east of the NYS Route 17/I-84 interchange. There, I-84 transitions to a rural principal arterial interstate that continues easterly. East Main Street and Crystal Run Road are classified as urban minor arterials per the August 17, 2004 meeting of the Orange County Transportation Council. Ballard Road is classified as an urban collector through out the project limits. Sullivan Lane, Crystal Run Crossing and Midway Road are all classified as local roads.

NYS Route 17 is part of the National Highway System and is a Qualifying Highway on the National Network of Truck Access Highways. NYS Route 17 (Future I-86) will be part of the Interstate System therefore this roadway will be required to meet the 4.9 m (16 ft) minimum vertical clearance for bridges over the interstate.

b. Ownership and Maintenance Jurisdiction

The NYSDOT has ownership and maintenance jurisdiction of NYS Route 17 including: pavement, shoulders, storm drainage system, median area, culverts, and landscaping as well as the interchange ramps and bridges. Interstate 84 and the associated interchange ramps are owned and maintained by the NYS Thruway Authority, but capital improvements are the responsibility of the NYSDOT. NYSDOT will take over maintenance of I-84 on October 1, 2007.

Orange County owns and maintains East Main Street County Route (CR) 67. The Town of Wallkill owns and maintains Crystal Run Road, Crystal Run Crossing, Ballard Road, Midway Road and Sullivan Lane.

c. Culture, Terrain, and Climatic Conditions

The general terrain of the project area is rolling hills with the Wallkill River in the eastern portion of the project area. Around the river are treed areas, with agricultural lands to the east of the River and mostly open fields, and heavy commercial development west of the river.

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Figure II-4 shows the current land use for the surrounding project area. The land use in the project area varies from rural residential and open space east of the Wallkill River to industrial, trucking and extensive retail in the middle portion and residential and manufacturing uses to the west of the Wallkill River. The majority of the land west of Interstate 84 is developed, taking advantage of the easy access to NYS Route 17 and Interstate 84. The Galleria Mall is located adjacent to the NYS Route 17 and I- 84 interchange, with its primary access via NYS Route 17 at Exit 120 to NYS Route 211. The Mall can also be accessed from Exit 122 to Ballard Road, which also serves the warehousing and manufacturing facilities on that corridor. Crystal Run Road and East Main Street has a mix of office buildings, hotels restaurants and gas stations.

The zoning is mostly Planned Interchange Development (PID) and Manufacturing Industrial (MI) due to the proximity of the two major expressways, as shown in Figure II-5. Zoning is PID along both sides of NYS Route 17. Small pockets of residential dwellings are located along Crystal Run Road and East Main Street and an area zoned rural agricultural is located on the east side of the Wallkill River.

The general climate of this region is typical of southern New York State. According to Orange County Partnership, in 2000, Orange County received 121.92 cm (48 in) of rain and 96.5 cm (38 in) of snow. The average temperature was 11.0° C (51.8° F). There are no unusual micro-climatological occurrences known within the study corridor that would affect project design and construction.

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New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

d. Control of Access

The sections of NYS Route 17 and I-84 in the project area are under full access control. There are no access points other than at interchanges with entrance and exit ramps, and intersecting roads are grade separated. All other project area roadways have at-grade intersections and driveways.

Not all driveways in the project study area are in full conformance with the NYSDOT Policy and Standards for the Design of Entrances to State Highways, November 24, 2003.

e. Existing Highway Sections

The following is a general overview of the features of the highway sections of project area roadways.1

Table II-2 APPROXIMATE RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW) WIDTHS

Route ROW Width Range Typical ROW NYS Route 17 40 – 60 m 45 m (148 ft) (131 – 197 ft) I- 84 100 - 140 m 100 m (328 ft) (328 – 459 ft) Ballard Road 10 - 70 m 18 m (59 ft) (33 – 230 ft) East Main Street 15 - 70 m 30 m (98 ft) (CR 67) (49 – 230 ft) Crystal Run Road 10 - 45 m 15 m (49 ft) (33 – 148 ft) Crystal Run Crossing 15 – 20 m 15 m (49 ft) (49 - 66 ft) Midway Road 21 – 30 m 21 m (70 ft) (70 – 100 ft) Sullivan Lane 10 m (33 ft) 10 m (33 ft)

1 This Section summarizes a detailed report, the Roadway Facility Inventory Report prepared for this project in March 2000. It has also been supplemented with data from additional field observations.

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Table II-3 TRAVEL LANE INFORMATION

Route Number of Lanes Lane Width Type Shoulder Width NYS Route 17 4 3.6 m (12 ft) Through Left 1.2 m (4 ft), (Note 1) (2 in each Right 3 m (10 ft) direction) min. NYS Route 17 1 3.6 m to 4.7 Through Left 0.3 m to 6 m Ramps m (12 ft to (1 ft to 20 ft), 15.5 ft) Right 1 m to 2.4 m (3.5 ft to 8 ft) I-84 4 3.6 m (12 ft) Through 3 m (10 ft) min. (Note 1) (2 in each both sides direction) I-84 Ramps 1 4.7 m (15.5 ft) Through Left 1 m (3.5 ft) Right 2.9 m (9.5 ft) Ballard Road 4 3.6 m (12 ft) Through Curbed = 0, (2 in each Uncurbed = 1 m direction) to 3 m (3.5 ft to 10 ft) East Main 2 3 m (10 ft), up Through 0 to 2 m (6.5 ft) Street (CR 67) (turn lanes at to 4.5 m (15 (turn lanes at some locations) ft) at EB ramps some locations) Crystal Run Varies from 2 to 3 m to 3.6 m Through 0 to 1 m (3.5 ft) Road 4 (turn lanes at (10 ft to 12 ft) (turn lanes at some locations) some locations) Crystal Run 4 to 5 3.6 m (12 ft) Dead End 0 to 1 m (3.5 ft) Crossing (2 each way plus Roadway turn lanes) Midway Road 2 (1 each way) 3.6 m (12 ft) Through 0 to 1 m (3.5 ft) Sullivan Lane 2 (1 each way) 3.3 m (11 ft) Dead End 0 to 0.5 m (1.5 ft) next to Crystal where 2 lanes, Roadway Run Rd., then 3 m to 4 m narrows to 1 lane (10 ft to 13 ft) where 1 lane Note 1: Acceleration and deceleration lanes are provided at interchange ramps.

All the roadways within the project area are uncurbed with the exception of Crystal Run Crossing, which has 150 mm (6 inch) high concrete curbs on both sides.

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Table II-4 ROADWAY MEDIAN SUMMARY INFORMATION

Route Type of Median Width of Median Grass, some segments of 12 m to 14 m (39 ft to 45 NYS Route 17 barrier ft) I- 84 Grass with barrier 36 m (118 ft) Striped median, concrete Ballard Road 1.2 m (4 ft) barrier at I-84 overpass East Main Street None N/A Striped median from NYS Rte. Crystal Run Road 17 to WB ramps, none Width varies elsewhere Crystal Run Crossing Grass and curbed west of 8 m (26 ft), width varies existing ramps Midway Road None N/A Sullivan Lane None N/A

The following at-grade intersections exist within the project area:

• East Main Street/Midway Road – Unsignalized “T” intersection with no dedicated turn lanes. One thru lane in each direction, stop sign controlled on Midway Road only. • East Main Street/NYS Route 17 Eastbound Ramps – Signalized “T” intersection with one thru lane in each direction and a dedicated westbound left-turn lane on East Main Street. The NYS Route 17 eastbound off-ramp consists of one dedicated left-turn lane and one dedicated right-turn lane. • Crystal Run Road/Crystal Run Crossing – Signalized 90 degree “T” intersection. The Crystal Run Road eastbound approach is three lanes wide with one thru lane in each direction and one dedicated left-turn lane. The Crystal Run Road westbound approach is four lanes wide with two eastbound thru lanes, one westbound thru lane and one westbound dedicated right-turn lane. Crystal Run Crossing is six lanes wide with two southbound dedicated left-turn lanes, two southbound right-turn lanes, and two northbound lanes. • NYS Route 17 Westbound Ramps/Crystal Run Crossing – Signalized 90 degree “T” intersection. The NYS Route 17 westbound off-ramp has one dedicated left-turn lane and one dedicated right-turn lane. The NYS Route 17 westbound on-ramp has two thru lanes. The Crystal Run Crossing south approach is five lanes wide with two northbound dedicated left-turn lanes, one northbound thru lane, and two southbound through lanes. The Crystal Run Crossing north approach has one northbound thru lane, two southbound thru lanes, and one southbound dedicated right-turn lane.

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• Crystal Run Road/Ballard Road – Signalized 60 degree “T” intersection. The Crystal Run Road west approach is four lanes wide with one eastbound thru lane, one eastbound dedicated left-turn lane and two westbound thru lanes. The Crystal Run Road east approach is three lanes wide with one thru lane in each direction and one westbound thru/right-turn lane. Ballard Road is four lanes wide with two northbound thru lanes, one southbound shared left- turn/right-turn lane and one southbound dedicated right-turn lane. • Crystal Run Road/Sullivan Lane – Unsignalized 90 degree “T” intersection with stop sign control on Sullivan Lane only. Sullivan Lane has one thru lane in each direction and Crystal Run Road has two lanes in each direction.

On-street parking is not permitted along any of the roadways within the project area. Parking is provided off-street.

There are no provisions for protected bicycle traffic on any of the roads in the project study area, including bicycle lanes, paths, shared roadways, or wide curb lanes. There are a few road segments that include a paved shoulder which may be wide enough for bicycle traffic, however these routes do not provide the required width for an extended length between two destination points.

There are no sidewalk provisions for pedestrian travel on any of the roads in the project area, with one exception. Sidewalks only exist along the north side of Crystal Run Crossing.

There are no formal bus stops, bus pull-offs or shelters within the project limits. As discussed in Section II.C.1.x of this report, the Main Line Trolley Bus service picks up and drops off at the Horton Medical Center building on Crystal Run Road.

The existing highway features of the roadways within the project limits are summarized in Table II-5. These features were reviewed to determine if they are in conformance with the current NYSDOT design criteria. The features that do not meet the current design criteria are summarized in Table II-16 and Table II-17.

TABLE II-5 EXISTING HIGHWAY FEATURES

Route Highway Feature Description NYS Horizontal Curvature 575 m (1,886 ft) Route 17 Superelevation 3.4% to 6.5% Sight Distance 150 m (492 ft) Minimum Grade 0.13% Maximum Grade 4.95%

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Route Highway Feature Description Vertical Clearance at Crystal Run Rd./ East 4.47 m (14.66 ft) Main St. Bridge Right Side = 8 m+ (26 ft+); Median = 12 m to 15 Clear Zone m (39 ft to 49 ft) The interchange spacing between Exit 121 and Exit Interchange Spacing 122 is approximately 750 m (2,461 ft). Horizontal Curvature 25 m to 40 m (82 ft to 131 ft) Superelevation 2.5% to 8.5% Sight Distance 33 m (108 ft) min. Minimum Grade 1.00% Maximum Grade 8.33% Left side = 0.3 m (1 ft) min. along concrete barrier; Clear Zone Right side = 3 m (10 ft) min.

Ramp Terminal Spacing The existing on-ramp and off-ramp separations in NYS Between Exit 122 the eastbound and westbound directions are Route 17 Ramps approximately 25 m to 35 m (82 ft to 115 ft). Ramps Ramp Terminal The ramp terminal spacing between the Exit 121 Spacing/Weaving eastbound NYS Route 17 on-ramp (from I-84) and Distance Between Exit the eastbound off-ramp at Exit 122 is approximately 121 and Exit 122 500 m (1,640 ft). (Eastbound) Ramp Terminal The ramp terminal spacing between the Exit 122 Spacing/Weaving westbound NYS Route 17 on-ramp and the Distance Between Exit westbound off-ramp at Exit 121 (I-84) is 122 and Exit 121 approximately 300 m (984 ft). (Westbound) Horizontal Curvature 125 m to 200 m (410 ft to 656 ft) Superelevation 6.3% to 6.5% Sight Distance 120 m (394 ft) min. I- 84 Minimum Grade 0.59% Ramps Maximum Grade 1.25% Clear Zone 7 m (23 ft) min. Ramp Terminal Spacing See NYS Route 17 Ramps discussion Weaving Distance See NYS Route 17 Ramps discussion Ballard Horizontal Curvature 320 m (1,050 ft) Road Superelevation 6.2% max. Sight Distance 177 m (581 ft) Minimum Grade 0.16% Maximum Grade 2.64%

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Route Highway Feature Description Clear Zone 2 m to 4 m+ (6.5 ft to 13 ft+) One major commercial driveway with a median and recessed entrance lane. It is not in conformance with the NYSDOT “Policy and Standards for the Driveways Design of Entrances to State Highways”, November 24, 2003.

60 m (197 ft) at the sharp curve near the Horizontal Curvature intersection with the NYS Route 17 EB ramps. Superelevation 6.9% max. 65 m (213 ft) at the sharp curve near the intersection with the NYS Route 17 EB ramps. Sight Distance Approx. 80 m (262 ft) near the NYS Route 17 East Main overpass and the EB ramps intersection. Street (CR 67) Minimum Grade 0.86% Approx. 11.1% between the NYS Route 17 overpass Maximum Grade and the Rte 17 EB ramps intersection. Clear Zone 1 m to 4 m+ (3.5 ft to 13 ft+) Several residential and commercial driveways. They are not in conformance with the NYSDOT “Policy Driveways and Standards for the Design of Entrances to State Highways”, November 24, 2003. Horizontal Curvature 151 m (495 ft) min. Sight Distance 180 m (591 ft) Minimum Grade 0.10% Maximum Grade 2.27% Crystal Run Road Clear Zone 0.6 m to 2 m (2 ft to 6.5 ft) One residential and several commercial driveways. They are not in conformance with the NYSDOT Driveways “Policy and Standards for the Design of Entrances to State Highways”, November 24, 2003. Horizontal Curvature 249 m (817 ft) min. Sight Distance Exceeds 85 m (279 ft) required for design Crystal Minimum Grade 0.41% Run Maximum Grade 0.84% Crossing Clear Zone 0.5 m to 4 m (1.5 ft to 13 ft) Driveways No driveways within project limits. Midway Horizontal Curvature None Road Sight Distance Exceeds 85 m (279 ft) required for design Minimum Grade 0.30% Maximum Grade 1.17%

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Route Highway Feature Description Clear Zone 0 to 4 m (13 ft) Driveways No driveways within project limits. Horizontal Curvature 35 m (115 ft) min. Sight Distance 35 m (115 ft) Minimum Grade 0.50% Maximum Grade 17.39% Sullivan Lane Clear Zone 0 to 4 m (13 ft) Several residential and commercial driveways. They are not in conformance with the NYSDOT “Policy Driveways and Standards for the Design of Entrances to State Highways”, November 24, 2003.

f. Abutting Highway Segments and Future Plans for Abutting Highway Segments

The following projects are planned in the vicinity of the NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 project:

• Replacement of NYS Route 17 bridges over the Wallkill River, Town of Wallkill, PIN 8006.48. Construction is currently in progress and will be complete in 2007. • Future designation of NYS Route 17 as I-86. • The Ballard Road bridge over I-84 (BIN 1052562) is planned for 2011 replacement under a separate project (PIN 8062.11). • Projects to repave I-84 were planned to begin in 2012. • Orange County is developing plans to improve East Main Street from Exit 122 to the west, including widening and reconstruction. No final plans have been made or construction period set. • NYS Route 17 highway safety improvements to upgrade to Interstate 86, Town of Wallkill, Orange County (PIN 8086.01). Modifying I-84 westbound exit ramp to NYS Route 17 westbound and providing a continuous acceleration/deceleration lane on NYS Route 17 westbound between Exit 121 and Exit 120. • Linking the Galleria at Crystal Run with Orange Plaza by a tunnel under or bridge over NYS Route 17 west of Exit 121 is being studied under a separate project. g. Speeds and Delay

The posted regulatory speed limit on NYS Route 17 throughout the project area is 105 km/h (65 mph). Interstate 84 has a posted speed limit of 105 km/h (65 mph). Crystal Run Road, East Main Street and Ballard Road have a 60 km/h (40 mph) posted speed

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limit within the project limits.

Determining the operating speed on NYS Route 17 was not necessary because the design speed (110 km/h) is consistent with Interstate Design Standards, based on the NYS Highway Design Manual.

A travel time and delay study was performed on NYS Route 17 and I-84 on Tuesday October 26, 1999, during the morning peak hour of traffic (7 to 8 AM), off-peak free- flow conditions (10 to 11 AM and 2 to 3 PM), and the evening peak hour of traffic (5 to 6 PM). The Saturday information was gathered on October 30, 1999, from 12:30 to 3:30 PM. Each route was traveled using the “average speed” technique. Travel speed, distance and times were noted at each control point along the route. Table II- 6 presents the results of these speed studies and the actual speed study data is included in Appendix B.

A travel time and delay study was also performed on East Main Street and Crystal Run Road during the morning and evening peak hour traffic periods. The evening peak information was collected on Tuesday, November 5, 2002. The morning peak information was collected on Wednesday, November 6, 2002. Table II-6 presents the results and speed study data is provided in Appendix B.

TABLE II-6 AVERAGE TRAVEL TIME AND SPEED, BY ROUTE AND DIRECTION

AM Peak AM Non-Peak PM Non-peak PM Peak Saturday Peak Route/ Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel Travel Direction Time Speed Time Speed Time min. Speed Time min. Speed Time Speed min. kmh min. kmh kmh kmh min. kmh (mph) (mph) (mph) (mph) (mph) NYS Route 17 3:15 104 3:18 103 3:20 102 3:19 102 3:17 103 Eastbound (65) (64) (63) (63) (64) NYS Route 17 3:16 103 3:16 103 3:21 102 3:23 100 3:23 102 Westbound (64) (64) (63) (62) (63) Interstate 84 2:39 109 2:39 109 2:35 113 2:33 114 2:40 108 Eastbound (68) (68) (70) (71) (67) Interstate 84 2:36 111 2:40 109 2:40 109 2:36 111 2:43 106 Westbound (69) (68) (68) (69) (66) East Main St./ 3:43 44 ------3:59 42 -- -- Crystal Run Rd. (28) (26) Eastbound East Main St./ 3:19 50 ------4:03 41 -- -- Crystal Run Rd. (31) (26) Westbound Note: Travel times are shown for driving the designated route within the project limits.

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There were no significant delays along NYS Route 17 or I-84 during any of the study time periods. The average speeds were higher than the posted speed limit in all time periods for both facilities. Travel delays are known to occur on occasion during incidents and poor weather conditions at interchanges. Section II.C.1.i. of this Chapter outlines the current levels of service at project study area intersections.

A spot speed study was completed on August 7, 2003 along Crystal Run Road and the 85th percentile speed was found to be 69 km/h (43 mph), which is 5 km/h (3 mph) over the posted speed limit of 64 km/h (40 mph). The average speed was 63 km/h (39 mph).

Detailed data for the travel time and delay study and local road speed studies are provided in Appendix B – Travel Time and Delay Studies.

h. Traffic Volumes

Existing Traffic Volumes

Existing traffic volumes during 2002 were examined within the project limits. Existing traffic conditions were obtained by conducting manual intersection turning movement counts, continuous automatic machine counts and manual traffic counts between NYS Route 17 Exit 121 and Exit 122 interchanges. Manual intersection turning movement counts were conducted at five (5) intersections within the project study area during the weekday morning and evening peak traffic periods. The intersections where counts were conducted are listed below.

Project Study Area Intersections

Intersection No. Name 1. Crystal Run Road / Ballard Road 2. Blue Cross Blue Shield/ Crystal Run Road 3. Crystal Run Road / Crystal Run Crossing 4. Crystal Run Crossing / NYS Route 17 WB Ramps 5. East Main St. (Crystal Run Rd.) / NYS Route 17 EB Ramps 6. East Main Street / Midway Road

Intersection turning movement counts were conducted for weekdays October 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 of year 2002. Counts were conducted 6:00 to 9:00 am and 4:00 to 7:00 pm. The peak hours were determined to be generally 8:00 to 9:00 am and 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Counts were not taken on the same day; therefore some minor balancing was performed to develop consistency from one intersection along Crystal Run Road between Intersections 2 and 5.

During the Expanded Project Proposal (EPP) phase, counts were conducted during

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weekday AM and PM peak hours and Saturday mid-day peak period from 1997 through 1999. A comparison of these counts showed that the peak hour of traffic in most study area locations was the weekday PM peak hour. There, the weekday PM peak hour volume was identified as the critical analysis period and consequently, the design hour volume (DHV). The selection of this period for future traffic projections was also supported by the fact that the Orange County Transportation Council (OCTC) regional model used in this study is a PM peak hour model.

Vehicle counts were also conducted to record traffic flow (weaving) maneuvers between selected interchanges of NYS Route 17. The counts were conducted for the following sections of NYS Route 17: • Westbound between Exit 122 and Exit 121 • Eastbound between Exit 121 and Exit 122

These counts were recorded during a 5 day period of November 19th - 22nd, and 26th, 2002 during AM and PM peak hours of traffic on NYS Route 17. The AM and PM peak hours were determined to be 7:45 to 8:45 am and 4:00 to 5:00 pm. The Regional Transportation System Operations Group concurs that this traffic data is still representative of current conditions (see letter in CH VI !).

A summary of the aforementioned existing peak hour turning movement volumes are shown in Figure II-6. Peak hour volumes for expressway segments of NYS Route 17 are also shown. The expressway volumes were determined from automatic machine counts conducted by New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-17

New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Examination of the existing (2002) AM and PM peak hour volumes reveals the following directional flow characteristics:

Table II-7 NYS ROUTE 17 PEAK PERIOD VOLUMES – DIRECTIONAL SPLITS

East of Exit 122 West of Exit 122 AM 59% EB / 41% WB AM 65% EB / 35% WB PM 40% EB / 60% WB PM 37% EB / 63% WB

Heavy vehicle (mainly semi-trailers and buses) counts were conducted during the intersection manual counts and automatic traffic recording (ATR) vehicle classification counts. Heavy vehicle composition of traffic on Crystal Run Road/East Main Street and NYS Route 17 varied by direction of travel and peak hour. The percentage of heavy vehicles during peak hours along Crystal Run Road/East Main Street and segments of NYS Route 17 are shown in Table II-8:

Table II-8 PEAK HOUR HEAVY VEHICLE COMPOSITION (%)

DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC FLOW ROAD PEAK HOUR EASTBOUND WESTBOUND CRYSTAL RUN ROAD/ EAST AM 4% 5% MAIN STREET PM 3% 1% Ballard Rd. to Midway Rd. NYS ROUTE 17 – AM 11% 5% East of Exit 122 PM 5% 6% NYS ROUTE 17 – Between AM 6% 12% Exits 122 & 121 PM 7% 5%

Continuous machine counts were conducted at selected locations on NYS Route 17, Interstate 84 and NYS Route 17 Exit ramps. A summary of the estimated year 2002 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), Design Hour Volume (DHV) 2-way and Directional (one-way) Design Hour Volume (DDHV) for representative segments of NYS Route 17 and I-84 corridors is provided in Table II-9. The volumes in Table II-9 are actual counts; no adjustments have been made to achieve balanced traffic flow.

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Table II-9 ESTIMATED 2002 ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC and DIRECTIONAL DESIGN HOUR VOLUME

DIRECTION OF DHV ROAD LOCATION AADT DDHV TRAVEL (2-way) Eastbound – 1-way 25,061 N/A 1,872 East of Exit 122 Westbound – 1-way 25,530 N/A 2,596 Total EB and WB 50,591 4,468 N/A WB Exit Ramp 5,468 N/A 546 WB Entrance Ramp 4,649 N/A 534 Exit 122 EB Exit Ramp 4,476 N/A 522 EB entrance Ramp 6,967 N/A 436 Eastbound – 1-way 22,357 N/A 1,860 Between Exits Westbound – 1-way 20,018 N/A 1,950 122 and 121 NYS Total EB and WB 42,375 3,810 N/A ROUTE WB exit to EB I-84 3,536 N/A 339 WB entrance from EB 17 3,470 N/A 262 I-84 WB exit to WB I-84 2,674 N/A 312 WB entrance from WB 6,259 N/A 567 I-84 Exit 121 EB exit to WB I-84 3,695 N/A 324 EB entrance from WB 3,148 N/A 346 I-84 EB exit to EB I-84 6,285 N/A 514 EB entrance from EB I- 2,667 N/A 321 84 Eastbound – 1-way 18,719 N/A 1,366 North of Exit I-84 Westbound -1-way 19,695 N/A 1,608 121 Total EB and WB 38,414 2,974 N/A Local Street – Sullivan Two-way N/A N/A N/A dead end South of E. Midway Two-way 1,688 154 84 Main Street Between Crystal Run Rd and Ballard East Galleria Two-way 14,671 1,338 726 Road Dr.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-19 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

DIRECTION OF DHV ROAD LOCATION AADT DDHV TRAVEL (2-way) Between I-84 Two-way 21,288 1,941 1,053 and Midway E. Main Between Street Midway and Two-way 20,544 1,874 1,017 Rte 17 EB Ramps Between Rte 17 EB and WB Two-way 24,832 2,265 1,229 Ramps – Exit 122 Between Rte 17 Crystal WB Ramps and Two-way 27,392 2,498 1,356 Run BCBS Driveway Road Between BCBS Driveway and Two-way 19,432 1,772 961 Ballard Rd Between Ballard Rd and Two-way 10,304 940 510 Crotty Rd N/A = Not Applicable * = not available

Future Traffic Volumes

Traffic volume forecasts for the project area were developed using the regional travel demand forecast model maintained by the Orange County Transportation Council (OCTC). The forecast model uses TModel2 software. The model was developed for this project to produce both AM and PM peak hour travel forecasts. The OCTC standard forecast model contains PM peak hour forecasts only. An AM peak hour forecast model was created to assist in the analyses of the morning commuter traffic on NYS Route 17 corridor through the project study area.

The project design year is the Estimated Time of Completion (ETC) of the Project, which is year 2010, plus 20 years, which is year 2030. Year ETC + 10 (2020) travel forecasts were examined for air quality conditions.

The OCTC model estimates conditions in the year 2020. Base year 2002 (existing) traffic volumes and forecasted model 2020 travel forecasts were used to develop intermediate year 2010 by interpolation between year 2002 and 2020. Target year 2030 forecasts were determined by applying a constant ½ percent annual compound growth rate from the year 2020 travel forecast model volumes. Supporting

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-20 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

description of the methodology is provided in Appendix C.

All known significant roadway and intersection improvements planned for in the current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and capital improvement programs of local governments were accounted for by adding capacity as necessary in the TModel2 network to characterize the No-Action highway system. The model was updated to better reflect existing and future travel behavior in the project area. Changes included updating the existing and future land uses to reflect the most current outlook on development within the project area. This ensures that data consistent with that used in the long range planning process is the basis of project traffic forecasts.

The future volumes obtained from TModel2 were then processed to adjust the future forecasts by the degree of “over- or under-prediction” in the base year model. The adjusted volumes were balanced to produce a continuous flow pattern along the NYS Route 17 corridor. The result is a set of future volumes used for traffic operations analysis. Appendix C presents a detailed discussion of the travel demand forecasting process and assumptions made.

The Estimated Time of Completion of the project (ETC) is the year 2010. ETC + 20 (2030) traffic forecasts are used for designing roadway segments, ramps, and intersections.

A summary of the existing (2002) and forecasted ETC (2010) and ETC + 20 (2030) peak hour volumes (DDHV) for selected segments of NYS Route 17 and I-84 is contained in Table II-10. Annual compounded growth rates for highway sections are provided for each peak hour, AM and PM, for the time period between 2002 and 2030. The growth rates are reasonable and comparable with those contained in the 2002 Expanded Project Proposal (EPP) document.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-21 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Table II-10 EXISTING AND ESTIMATED FUTURE AM AND PM PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES (DDHV)

Annual ETC + Annual ETC + Existing ETC Existing ETC Growth 20 Growth 20 (2002) (2010) (2002) (2010) (%) Location (2030) (%) 2002- (2030) AM PK AM PK PM PK PM PK 2002- AM PK 2030AM PM PK HR HR HR HR 2030 PM HR PK HR HR PK HR NYS Rte 17 Eastbound, east of Exit 1763 1968 2350 1.1 1642 2119 3011 2.2 122 NYS Rte 17 Westbound, east of Exit 1232 1555 2145 2.0 2450 2860 3412 1.2 122 NYS Rte 17 Eastbound, between Exits 2010 2271 2773 1.1 1415 1821 2437 2.0 121 & 122 NYS Rte 17 Westbound, between Exits 1084 1325 1640 1.5 2432 2977 3717 1.5 121 & 122 I-84 Eastbound, east of Exit 1153 1420 1882 1.8 1337 1605 2027 1.5 121 I-84 Westbound, east of Exit 1140 1378 1848 1.7 1577 1831 2321 1.4 121 I-84 Eastbound, west of Exit 973 1205 1656 1.9 930 1113 1459 1.6 121 I-84 Westbound, west of Exit 681 834 1134 1.8 1499 1790 2350 1.6 121

Estimated annual average daily traffic (AADT) for the No-Action highway system for segments of NYS Route 17 and I-84 are presented in Table II-11. AADT values are also shown for the estimated time of completion (ETC) of the project (2010), and ETC + 20 (2030). A summary of the methodology utilized to estimate future AADT is contained in Appendix C.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-22 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Table II-11 EXISTING AND ESTIMATED NO-ACTION FUTURE ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES (AADT)

Existing ETC (2010) ETC + 20 Location (2002) AADT (2030) AADT AADT NYS Rte 17 eastbound east of Exit 122 25,100 29,600 38,800 NYS Rte 17 westbound east of Exit 122 25,500 30,700 38,600 NYS Rte 17 eastbound between Exit 121 & 22,400 29,000 37,000 122 NYS Rte 17 westbound between Exit 121 & 20,000 29,800 37,200 122 I-84 eastbound, east of Exit 121 18,700 23,600 30,500 I-84 westbound, east of Exit 121 19,700 23,900 31,100 I-84 eastbound, west of Exit 121 15,000 18,900 25,400 I-84 westbound, west of Exit 121 16,700 21,200 28,200

Future “No Action” turning movement counts for the ETC (2010), ETC + 10 (2020), ETC + 20 (2030) have been developed and are shown in Figure II-7, Figure II-8 and Figure II-9 respectively.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-23

New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

i. Level of Service

A traffic operations analysis was conducted to evaluate the existing (2002), ETC (2010), design year (2030), and interim target year (ETC + 10, 2020) no action (NULL) operating conditions within the project area. The analysis is summarized by providing estimates of “levels of service”, an industry standard method measure describing various factors influencing the degree of traffic congestion (i.e. travel time, speed, maneuverability, safety, and delay).

The level of service (LOS) analysis methodology is documented in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) (Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C., 2000). Levels of service range from A to F. LOS A represents the best operation conditions (typically free-flow operations at average travel speeds with little or no delay) and LOS F represents the worst (typically stop and go progression, low speeds, high congestion, and substantial delays). LOS D or better is generally considered acceptable for peak hours of traffic in urban areas on streets and at intersections, although LOS C is desirable.

LOS criteria for expressways are stated in terms of the average density of vehicles for an analysis period. Density is a measure of the number of vehicles per mile per lane. See Appendix C for additional information concerning acceptable level of service for basic expressway sections.

The Highway Capacity Software (HCS) was used to determine levels of service. LOS analysis was conducted for 6 study area intersections, the 10 ramp junctions at the two interchanges with NYS Route 17, three weaving sections along NYS Route 17 and I-84, and the mainline expressway segments of NYS Route 17 and adjacent sections of I-84. The traffic volumes presented in Section II C.1.h. were used in the analysis. Existing signal timings and lane geometry were obtained from NYSDOT and verified in the field. Appendix C includes tables summarizing the LOS analysis results in detail and includes all detailed HCS computer printouts.

Expressway Operations

An HCS analysis was completed for the Route 17 expressway within the project limits and the results are shown in Table II-12. Route 17 westbound between Exit 121 and 122 is considered and analyzed as a weave section of the expressway due to the short distance between the Exit 122 westbound on ramp to Route 17 and the Route 17 Exit 121 off ramp to I-84 eastbound. The results of the Route 17 westbound weave analysis are shown in Table II-13. All expressway sections currently operate at LOS C or better during both the morning and evening peak periods. These results agree with field observations made during the peak hours.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-24 Table II-12 NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Expressway Levels of Service Existing (2002) NULL 2010 NULL 2020 Null 2030 Freeway Section ID # AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln Route 17 EB East of Exit 122 17-1 B 17.2 B 14.9 C 18.8 C 18.9 C 21.1 C 23.8 C 22.4 D 26.9 Route 17 WB East of Exit 122 17-2 B 11.3 C 22.5 B 13.9 C 25.8 B 17.2 D 29.3 C 19.2 D 31.7 Route 17 EB between Exit 121 & 17-3 C 19.1 B 12.5 C 21.1 B 15.9 C 24.0 C 19.3 C 25.8 C 21.3 Exit 122 I-84 WB West of Exit 121 84-1 A 7.2 B 15.1 A 8.7 B 17.5 A 10.6 C 20.9 B 11.8 C 23.0 I-84 EB West of Exit 121 84-2 A 10.3 A 9.1 B 12.5 A 10.7 B 15.5 B 12.7 B 17.2 B 14.0 I-84 WB East of Exit 121 84-3 B 12.1 B 15.9 B 14.2 C 18.0 B 17.2 C 21.1 C 19.0 C 22.9 I-84 EB East of Exit 121 84-4 B 12.3 B 13.1 B 14.6 B 15.4 B 17.6 B 17.9 C 19.3 C 19.4 LOS = Level of Service pc/mi/ln = passenger cars per mile per lane WB = westbound EB = eastbound Note: Route 17 westbound between Exit 121 and Exit 122 is a weave section and is included under the weave analysis.

Page II-25 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

By the design year (2030), most sections of NYS Route 17 are projected to continue to experience LOS C or better however, the eastbound and westbound NYS Route 17 sections east of Exit 122 are projected to drop from LOS C to LOS D beginning in 2020 and will continue to degrade under the existing evening peak into 2030. Sections of I-84 are projected to operate at LOS C or better through year 2030.

Table II-13 presents the LOS analysis for the weaving segments of NYS Route 17. As shown, the weaving sections currently operate at acceptable levels of service. However, the Route 17 westbound segment between Exit 122 and Exit 121 is projected to operate at LOS D during the evening peak hour design year conditions by the year 2010 and LOS F by the year 2030. NYS Route 17 eastbound at Exit 121 between two loop ramps from and to I-84 are expected to operate at LOS D by year 2030. NYS Route 17 westbound at Exit 121 between the two loop ramps from and to I-84 is projected to operate at LOS D by the year 2030.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-26 Table II-13 NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Weaving Section Levels of Service Existing (2002) Null 2010 Null 2020 Null 2030 ID Weave Location AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour # LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln Route 17 westbound between Exit 122 and W1 A 7.7 C 25.3 A 9.5 D 31.7 B 11.3 E 38.7 B 12.3 F 43.3 121 Route 17 eastbound at Exit 121 between the two W2 B 19.9 B 16.2 C 23.3 B 19.7 C 27.4 C 23.7 D 30.0 C 26.2 loop ramps from and to I-84 I-84 westbound at Exit 121 between the two W3 A 7.7 B 12.2 A 9.8 B 15.7 B 12.5 C 20.3 B 14.3 C 23.2 loop ramps from and to Route 17 Route 17 westbound at Exit 121 between the two W4 A 7.9 B 19.3 A 9.5 C 23.2 B 11.2 C 27.8 B 12.2 D 30.6 loop ramps from and to I-84 I-84 eastbound at Exit 121 between the two W5 B 11.2 B 12.2 B 13.7 B 13.7 B 16.9 B 15.8 B 18.8 B 17.1 loop ramps from and to Route 17 LOS = Level of Service pc/mi/ln = passenger cars per mile per lane

Page II-27 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

All of the 10 expressway ramps in the project area (see Table II-14) are currently operating at acceptable levels of service during both weekday peak periods. Of these 10 ramp junctions, the following six (6) ramps are projected to operate at poor levels of service during design year 2030:

• Exit 122 East Main Street on ramp to NYS Route 17 Eastbound, PM peak hour. • Exit 122 NYS Route 17 Eastbound off ramp to East Main Street, AM peak hour. • Exit 122 NYS Route 17 westbound off ramp to Crystal Run Road, PM peak hour. • Exit 121 NYS Route 17 eastbound off ramp to I-84 westbound, both the AM and PM peak hours. • Exit 121 NYS Route 17 westbound on ramp from I-84 westbound, PM peak hour. • Exit 121 I-84 westbound off ramp to NYS Route 17 westbound, PM peak hour.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-28

Table II-14 NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Ramp Levels of Service Existing (2002) Null 2010 Null 2020 Null 2030 ID Ramp Type Ramp Location AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour # LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln LOS pc/mi/ln Exit 122 E Main St on ramp to Rt. Merge B 19.7 B 17.6 C 21.6 C 21.7 C 23.8 C 26.4 C 25.1 D 29.2 RJ-1 17 EB Exit 122 Rt. 17 EB off ramp to E Diverge C 22.5 B 15.1 C 25.3 B 19.0 D 28.5 C 22.7 D 30.5 C 24.9 RJ-2 Main St Diverge Exit 122 Rt. 17 WB off ramp to B 15.3 C 27.3 B 18.6 D 31.4 C 22.3 D 34.8 C 24.5 E 36.9 RJ-3 Crystal Run Exit Exit 121 Rt. 17 EB on ramp from I- Merge B 18.1 B 11.7 C 20.5 B 15.2 C 23.4 B 18.5 C 25.2 C 20.5 RJ-4 84 EB Diverge Exit 121 Rt. 17 EB off ramp to I-84 C 24.5 C 22.6 C 26.7 C 26.2 D 29.3 D 30.1 D 30.8 D 32.3 RJ-5 WB

Merge Exit 121 Rt. 17 WB on ramp from B 12.2 C 22.7 B 14.3 C 26.0 B 16.2 D 29.1 B 17.4 D 31.0 RJ-6 I-84 WB Diverge Exit 121 I-84 EB off ramp to Rt. 17 B 15.4 B 14.3 B 18.3 B 16.4 C 21.8 B 19.0 C 23.9 C 20.5 RJ-7 EB Merge Exit 121 I-84 EB on ramp from Rt. B 12.6 B 13.8 B 15.4 B 16.3 B 18.4 B 18.9 C 20.2 C 20.4 RJ-8 17 WB Diverge Exit 121 I-84 WB off ramp to Rt. B 17.5 C 21.9 C 20.5 C 24.9 C 24.1 D 28.5 C 26.3 D 30.7 RJ-9 17 WB RJ- Merge Exit 121 I-84 WB on ramp from Rt. A 4.3 B 12.2 A 5.9 B 15.2 A 7.8 B 18.8 A 9.0 C 20.9 10 17 EB LOS = Level of Service pc/mi/ln = passenger cars per mile per lane EB = eastbound WB = westbound

Page II-29 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Intersection Operations

Detailed level of service analysis results for six (6) intersections in the project area for the years 2002, ETC (2010), ETC + 10 (2020), ETC + 20 (2030) are presented in Table II-15. An overall intersection level of service of LOS D or better is acceptable, however, individual lane movements may be LOS E or F and still provide an acceptable overall level of service. All of the signalized intersections are currently operating at acceptable overall intersection levels of service during both the morning and evening peak hours. The unsignalized intersection of East Main Street and Midway Road has operating difficulties. The stop controlled approach to the unsignalized intersection is operating a LOS F during the PM peak hour.

For the 2030 “no build” condition, all of the intersections provide an acceptable overall intersection level of service of D or better with the exception of Exit 122 EB NYS Route 17 on and off ramps/East Main Street and the East Main Street/Midway Road intersections. However, individual lane movements at some intersections may be LOS E or F while the overall LOS is D or better. The following three intersections are projected to operate with one or more individual lane movements operating at LOS E or F and two of them will operate with an overall LOS F for the design year 2030:

• Crystal Run Road and Crystal Run Crossing (Signalized) During year 2030 four (4) of the legs of this intersection will provide an unacceptable level of service of LOS E. However, the overall level of service LOS D for the intersection is acceptable. • Exit 122 EB NYS Route 17 On and Off Ramps and East Main Street (Signalized) Beginning in year 2010 several of the legs of this intersection will provide unacceptable levels of service. By year 2020 the PM peak hour overall level of service will provide an unacceptable LOS F and will continue to degrade through the year 2030. • East Main Street and Midway Road (Unsignalized) The stop controlled approach of this unsignalized intersection provides unacceptable LOS F beginning in 2002 and continues to provide unacceptable LOS F through 2030.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-30 Table II-15 NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Intersection Levels of Service - Existing and No Action Alternative (NULL)

Intersection No. Approach Existing (2002) Null 2010 Null 2020 Null 2030 AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour LOS ControlLOS Control LOS Control LOS Control LOS Control LOS Control LOS Control LOS Control Delay Delay Delay Delay Delay Delay Delay Delay (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec/veh) (sec/veh) Crystal Run Rd and Ballard 1 Ballard Eastbound Left C 28 C 28 C 28 C 29 C 28 C 30 C 28 C 35 Rd. Ballard Eastbound Right B 13 A 5 B 14 A 7 B 15 A 8 B 16 A 9 CRR Northbound Left A 4 A 9 A 4 B 14 A 5 C 26 A 6 C 34 Signalized CRR Northbound Thru A 4 A 4 A 4 A 4 A 4 A 4 A 4 A 4 CRR Southbound TR B 14 C 25 B 15 C 27 B 16 C 30 B 17 D 35 Overall B 10 B 12 B 10 B 14 B 11 B 19 B 12 C 23 Crystal Run Crossing and 2 CRC Eastbound Left D 42 D 42 C 34 D 45 D 40 D 47 D 46 E65 Crystal Run Rd. CRC Eastbound Right C 27 D 40 C 22 D 44 C 24 D 51 C 26 E76 CRR Northbound Left A 5 A 8 A 9 B 17 A 9 D 51 A 9 E79 Signalized CRR Northbound Thru A 6 A 4 B 13 A 4 B 15 A 5 B 18 A 4 CRR Southbound Thru B 11 B 18 B 17 C 25 B 17 D 49 B 18 E57 CRR Southbound Right A 2 A 2 A 2 A 2 A 2 A 3 A 2 A 3 Overall B 14 B 18 B 17 C 21 B 20 C 32 C 23 D 42 Exit 122 3 CRC Eastbound Thru D 43 C 34 D 43 C 34 D 43 C 34 D 44 C 34 Crystal Run Crossing and CRC Eastbound Right B 14 B 14 B 14 B 14 B 14 B 14 B 14 B 14 WB NYS Route 17 CRC Westbound Left B 18 C 23 B 19 C 25 B 19 C 27 B 19 C 30 On and off ramps CRC Westbound Thru B 10 A 7 B 10 A 7 B 10 A 7 B 10 A 7 WB Ramps Northbound Left C 21 C 29 C 21 C 29 C 21 C 30 C 21 C 30 Signalized WB Ramps Northbound Right A 2 A 5 A 2 A 5 A 2 A 6 A 2 A 6 Overall A 9 B 15 A 10 B 17 A 10 B 18 A 9 C 20 Exit 122 4 E. Main Eastbound TR B 17 C 23 B 18 E55C20F 134 C22F 180 East Main Street and E. Main Westbound Left C 21 B 18 C 26 E 56 E 61 F 144 F 99 F 213 EB NYS Route 17 E. Main Westbound Thru B 16 B 10 B 17 B 10 B 20 B 10 C 22 B 10 On and off ramps EB Ramps Northbound Left C 22 D 37 C 22 D 41 C 22 D 48 C 22 D 54 EB Ramps Northbound Right C 30 D 37 D 37 D 54 E 67 F 115 F 99 F 173 Signalized Overall C 20 B 18 C 23 D 38 D 36 F 88 D49F 123 East Main St. and Midway Rd. 5 E. Main Westbound LT A 9 A 10 A 9 A 10 A 9 B 11 A 9 B 11 Unsignalized Midway Northbound LR C 22 F 87 D34F 218 F 73 F * F 134 F * Crystal Run Rd and 6 BC/BS Eastbound LTR B 18 D 43 B 18 F92B18F 271 B18F 360 Blue Cross / Blue Shield BC/BS Westbound LTR B 18 F 257 B18F 432 B18F 656 B18F 741 Driveway CRR Northbound LTR C 27 B 15 F93B16F 236 B17F 364 B18 CRR Southbound LTR B 11 B 15 B 13 B 17 C 20 B 18 D 45 C 20 Signalized Overall C 21 E 61 E 58 F 101 F 140 F 190 F 221 F 233 TR: Shared Through and Right LT: Shared Left and Through LR: Shared Left and Right LTR: Shared Left, Through, and Right * = Delay >999 sec/veh CRR: Crystal Run Road; CRC: Crystal Run Crossing; E. Main: East Main Street; WB Ramps: WB NYS Route 17 Ramps; EB Ramps: EB NYS Route 17 Ramps; BC/BS: Blue Cross/Blue Shield;

Note: 1. For the intersection analysis Crystal Run Road through traffic is considered a north-south movement and East Main Street is considered and east-west movement. 2. Highlighted areas indicate turning movements which provide unacceptable Levels of Service ( LOS E or F )

Page II-31 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

j. Non-Standard Features and Non-Conforming Features

Existing non-standard features and other non-conforming features relating to the project area roadways are summarized in Tables II-16 and II-17. Also refer to Section II.C.1.e and Table II-5 of this report for additional information.

Non-standard features are geometric design features of the project that do not meet the minimum requirements for the critical design elements defined in Chapter 2 of the NYSDOT Highway Design Manual and listed in Section III.A.2 of this report.

Non-conforming features are geometric design features of the project (other than the critical design elements) that do not conform to normally accepted practice, such as inadequate acceleration and deceleration lane lengths.

TABLE II-16 NON-STANDARD HIGHWAY FEATURES

Route Location Highway Feature Existing Standard NYS NYS Route Design Speed 95 km/h (60 mph) 110 km/h (70 mph) Route 17 17 EB and based on radius WB and superelevation Maximum Grade 4.95% 4%

Superelevation 6.5% max. 6% Stopping Sight 150 m (492 ft) 220 m (722 ft) Distance Vertical Clearance 4.47 m (14.66 ft) 4.9 m (16 ft) min. Level of Service F (Rte 17 WB C between Exit 121 and 122) Exit 121 Design Speed 61 km/h (38 mph) 80 km/h (50 mph) Direct based on radius Connection and superelevation Ramps Horizontal Approx. 125 m to 252 m (827 ft) radius (Interstate 84) Curvature 200 m (410 ft to 656 ft) Superelevation 6.5% max. 6% Stopping Sight 120 m (394 ft) 130 m (427 ft) Distance Level of Service F (Rte 17 WB C between Exit 121 and 122)

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-32 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Route Location Highway Feature Existing Standard Exit 122 Design Speed Approx. 20 km/h 60 km/h (40 mph) for Ramps (12 mph) based on diagonal ramps, (East Main radius and 40 km/h (25 mph) for Street/ Crystal superelevation loop ramps. Run Road) Lane Width 3.6 m to 4.7 m 5.3 m (18 ft) for (12 ft to 15.5 ft) diagonal ramps, 6.5 m (21 ft) for loop ramps. Shoulder Width Right = 1 m to 2.4 Right = 2.0 m (6.5 ft) m (3.5 ft to 8 ft), Left = 1.0 m (3.5 ft) Left = 0.3 m to 6 m (1 ft to 20 ft) Horizontal Approx. 25 m to 123 m (404 ft) radius Curvature 40 m (82 ft to 131 for diagonal ramps, ft) 43 m (141 ft) radius for loop ramps.

Superelevation 8.5% max. 6% Stopping Sight 33 m (108 ft) min. 85 m (279 ft) for Distance diagonal ramps, 50 m (164 ft) for loop ramps Horizontal Left side = 0.3 m Left side = 1 m (3.5 ft) Clearance (1 ft) min. along EB min. and WB ramp concrete barrier Level of Service E (Each ramp from C and to Rte 17 EB and WB) East From NYS Design Speed Approx. 45 km/h 60 km/h (40 mph) Main Route 17 (28 mph) based on Street Overpass to radius and (CR 67) Western superelevation Project Limit Lane Width 3 m (10 ft) to 4.5 3.3 m (11 ft); Turning m (15 ft) Lane = 3.3 m (11 ft) min., 3.6 m (12 ft) desirable Shoulder Width 0 to 2 m (3.5 ft to 2.4 m (8 ft) uncurbed 6.5 ft)

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-33 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Route Location Highway Feature Existing Standard Bridge Roadway 8.8 m (29 ft) for Full approach Width bridge over roadway width Phillipsburg Creek; 9.4 m (31 ft) for bridge over NYS Route 17 Maximum Grade Approx. 11.1% 8% between the NYS Route 17 overpass and the EB ramps intersection Horizontal 60 m (197 ft) west 135 m (443 ft) @ e = Curvature of the NYS Route 4.0% 17 EB ramps intersection Superelevation 6.9% max. 6% Stopping Sight 80 m (262 ft) 85 m (279 ft) Distance between the NYS Route 17 overpass and EB ramps intersection

65 m (213 ft) at 85 m (279 ft) curve west of the NYS Route 17 EB ramps intersection Horizontal 1 m (3.5 ft) min. to 3 m (10 ft) for Clearance utility and light uncurbed1, without poles barrier Crystal From NYS Lane Width 3 m to 3.6 m (10 ft 3.3 m (11 ft); Turning Run Route 17 to 12 ft) Lane = 3.3 m (11 ft) Road Overpass to min., 3.6 m (12 ft) Eastern desirable Project Limit Shoulder Width 0 to 1 m (3.5 ft) 2.4 m (8 ft) uncurbed Horizontal 0.5 m (1.5 ft) min. 3 m (10 ft) for Clearance to utility poles uncurbed1, without barrier Ballard Between Shoulder Width 1 m to 3 m (3.5 ft 2.4 m (8 ft) uncurbed Road Crystal Run to 10 ft) where Road and I- uncurbed 84 Overpass Superelevation 6.2% max. 6%

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-34 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Route Location Highway Feature Existing Standard Midway Between East Shoulder Width 0 to 1 m (3.5 ft) 1.5 m (5 ft) for ADT Road Main Street 400-1500 and Wallkill Horizontal 0 to 2 m (6.5 ft) Larger of 1.2 m (4 ft) River Bridge Clearance or actual shoulder width

Sullivan South of Design Speed 30 km/h (20 mph) 60 km/h (40 mph) Lane Crystal Run based on stopping Road sight distance Lane Width 3.3 m (11 ft) next 3 m (10 ft) for ADT to Crystal Run Rd; 400-1500; Turning narrows to 1-lane Lane = 3 m (10 ft) road with 3 m to 4 min. m (10 ft to 13 ft) width Shoulder Width 0 to 0.5 m (1.5 ft) 1.5 m (5 ft) for ADT 400-1500 Maximum Grade 17.39% 10% Horizontal 35 m (115 ft) min. 123 m (404 ft) @ e = Curvature 6.0% Stopping Sight 35 m (115 ft) 85 m (279 ft) Distance Horizontal 0 to 3 m (10 ft) Larger of 1.2 m (4 ft) Clearance or actual shoulder width Pavement Cross None (Level) 1.5% to 2% Slope 1. For urban arterials the NYSDOT HDM Section 2.7.2.2.I lists horizontal clearance criteria for curbed roadways only. Given that the existing roadway is uncurbed, the uncurbed criteria were taken from Section 2.7.2.1.I for rural arterials.

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TABLE II-17 NON-CONFORMING HIGHWAY FEATURES

Route Location Highway Feature Existing Standard NYS Exit 121 to Interchange Interchange Desired spacing is Route Exit 122 Spacing spacing is 1,610 m (5,280 ft) for 17 approximately 750 urban conditions. 1 m (2,461 ft). Between Exit Ramp Terminal Off-ramp to on- 150 m (492 ft) 122 Ramps Spacing ramp spacing recommended for the ranges from Exit-Entrance condition, approx. 25 m to Full Freeway. 2 35 m (82 ft to 115 ft) in both eastbound and westbound directions. Eastbound Ramp Terminal Spacing is 600 m (1,969 ft) Direction, Spacing (Weaving) approximately 500 recommended for the Between Exit m (1,640 ft). Entrance-Exit (Weaving) 121 On- condition, System to Ramp (from I- Service Interchange, 84) and Exit Full Freeway. 2 122 Off- Ramp Eastbound Acceleration Lane 180 m (591 ft) 340 m (1,115 ft) for 50 Direction, Exit Length km/h to 110 km/h (30 121 On- mph to 70 mph), no Ramp (from I- grade adjustment 84) factor. 3 Eastbound Deceleration Lane 70 m (230 ft) 204 m (669 ft) for 110 Direction, Exit Length km/h to 30 km/h (70 122 Off- mph to 20 mph) with Ramp 1.2 downgrade adjustment factor. 3 Eastbound Acceleration Lane 85 m (279 ft) 234 m (768 ft) for 30 Direction, Exit Length km/h to 110 km/h (20 122 On- mph to 70 mph) with Ramp 0.6 downgrade adjustment factor. 3

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-36 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Route Location Highway Feature Existing Standard Westbound Ramp Terminal Spacing is 600 m (1,969 ft) Direction, Spacing (Weaving) approximately 300 recommended for the Between Exit m (984 ft). Entrance-Exit (Weaving) 122 On- condition, System to Ramp and Service Interchange, Exit 121 Off- Full Freeway. 2 Ramp (to I- 84) Westbound Deceleration Lane 55 m (180 ft) 153 m (502 ft) for 110 Direction, Exit Length km/h to 30 km/h (70 122 Off- mph to 20 mph) with Ramp 0.9 upgrade adjustment factor. 3 East Main Street (CR Driveway Entrance Several non- NYSDOT “Policy and 67), Crystal Run Road, conforming Standards for the Ballard Road, Sullivan commercial and Design of Entrances to Lane residential State Highways”, driveways. November 24, 2003. 1. Refer to AASHTO A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 2004, Chapter 10, Page 807. 2. Refer to AASHTO A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 2004, Chapter 10, Page 844, Exhibit 10-68. 3. Refer to AASHTO A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 2004, Chapter 10, Exhibit 10-70, Exhibit 10-71 and/or Exhibit 10-73.

The following is a summary of non-standard features associated with the structures within the project limits. Non-standard features for the bridges that carry NYS Route 17 are based on AASHTO A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System. Non-standard features for the remaining bridges are based on the Design Criteria, as outlined in Chapter III, Section A.

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Table II-18 NON-STANDARD AND NON-CONFORMING BRIDGE FEATURES

East Main Street (CR 67) over NYS Route 17 (BIN 1013970) FEATURE NON-STANDARD NON-CONFORMING STANDARD Full approach Bridge 9.4 m (31 ft) total, with roadway width, Roadway 1.10 m (3.6 ft) -- including 2.4 m (8 ft) Width shoulders1 shoulders for an uncurbed roadway With barrier, use Horizontal larger of 1.2 m (4 ft) 1.10 m (3.6 ft) -- Clearance or actual shoulder width Vertical 4.47 m (14.66 ft)2 -- 4.9 m (16 ft) min. Clearance East Main Street (CR 67) over Phillipsburg Creek (BIN 3345140) FEATURE NON-STANDARD NON-CONFORMING STANDARD Full approach 8.8 m (29 ft) total, with Bridge roadway width, 0.33 m (1.08 ft) and Roadway -- including 2.4 m (8 ft) 0.74 m (2.43 ft) Width shoulders for an shoulders1 uncurbed roadway With barrier, use Horizontal larger of 1.2 m (4 ft) 0.33 m (1.08 ft) min. -- Clearance or actual shoulder width NOTES: 1. The bridge carries the existing approach traveled way, but the bridge roadway width is non-standard due to insufficient shoulder width. 2. Denotes a feature that is non-standard for an interstate highway bridge, but satisfies design criteria for the current functional classification.

k. Safety Considerations, Accident History and Analysis

An accident analysis was prepared during the Expanded Project Proposal phase of this project. The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles provided 1,127 accident reports for the period from October 1, 1995 through September 30, 1998 for all roads within the project study area. Accident data provided by NYSDOT Accident Surveillance System (SASS) was also reviewed. A detailed summary of the analysis is included in a separate report Accident Analysis Route 17 at Exit 122 Project, January 2001, including detailed analysis of accidents types, locations and collision diagrams. (A copy of this report is available fro review at the NYSDOT offices.) Traffic patterns and the roadway network have not changed since this analysis was prepared. More

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current accident data from June, 1999 thru May, 2002 was reviewed to determine if the accident rates had changed. The accident rates and types of accidents were similar to the rates and types of accidents provided in the 2001 study. The Regional Transportation Systems Operations Group concurred that this acciddnt is still representative of the current conditions (see letter in CH VI A). A brief summary of the 2001 study results are presented below.

There were no pedestrian or bicycle related accidents in the project area. Accident rates were computed for the state roadways and compared with the statewide average accident rates for similar facilities, as summarized in the following tables. The segments that exceed the statewide average accident rates are highlighted.

TABLE II-19 ACCIDENT RATES, NYS ROUTE 17

Statewide Location Length No. of Accident Rate Rate (km) Accidents Acc/MVkm Acc/MVkm

NYS Route 17 2.1 91 0.99 0.68 Exit 122 Area Acc/MVkm = accidents per million vehicle kilometers TABLE II-20 ACCIDENT RATES, EAST MAIN STREET

Statewide Location Length No. of Accident Rate Rate (km) Accidents Acc/MVkm Acc/MVkm

East Main Street 2.6 31 0.97 1.78 (Dunning Rd. to Rte 17) Acc/MVkm = accidents per million vehicle kilometers

TABLE II-21 ACCIDENT RATES, CRYSTAL RUN ROAD

Statewide Location Length No. of Accident Rate Rate (km) Accidents Acc/MVkm Acc/MVkm

Crystal Run Road (Rte 1.1 92 4.02 3.74 17 to Ballard Road) Acc/MVkm = accidents per million vehicle kilometers

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-39 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Accident Patterns and Clusters

Clusters of accidents occurring in the same vicinity, or having a similar cause/pattern were identified. The locations and accident patterns are provided in the following tables:

TABLE II-22 ACCIDENT CLUSTERS, NYS ROUTE 17

Approximate Direction Accident Approximate Location Pattern No. of Accidents

Exit 121 Rte 17 westbound Fixed-Object 4 mainline

Route 17 eastbound Overtake 5 mainline Fixed-Object 5

Exit 122 Rte 17 westbound Overtake 7 mainline Fixed-Object 8

Route 17 eastbound Rear-End 7 mainline Overtake 8 Fixed-Object 4

TABLE II-23 ACCIDENT CLUSTERS, COUNTY AND TOWN ROADS

Description of Location Accident Approximate No. of Pattern Accidents

Rear-End 23 Crystal Run Road at Ballard Road Left-Turn 14

Crystal Run Road at Crystal Run Crossing Left-Turn 8

Side-swipe 3 E. Main Street at sharp curve 100 meter east of Rte 17 EB off ramp intersection Left-Turn 4

Left-Turn 3 E. Main Street at Route 17 EB Exit Ramp Rear-End 4

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-40 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

The following is a written summary of findings for each roadway in the project area.

NYS Route 17: The primary accident patterns on NYS Route 17 were fixed object, overtaking, rear end, and accidents attributed to slippery pavement (wet) conditions. Clusters of accidents were generally found near the interchanges. The patterns were found to be related to vehicles attempting to merge in heavy traffic, or attempting to avoid other vehicles that were stopped, merging, or slowing down due to congestion caused by a variety of factors. More than half of the rear end accidents occurred when the road surface was slippery due to wet conditions.

Excessive speed was attributed to many fixed object and rollover accidents at the on and off ramps (I-84 Exit 4 westbound and NYS Route 17 Exit 121 westbound onto I- 84). Many of the ramp accidents occurred during dark or poor light conditions. Slippery (wet) pavement conditions, animal avoidance and falling asleep were frequently cited in the reports.

Crystal Run Road: The primary accident patterns on the four lane urban section on Crystal Run Road were rear end and left turn accidents, occurring most often near the intersection at Ballard Road. Common contributing factors were listed as following too closely, driver inattention, and slippery pavement. Heavy traffic contributed to these accidents which mainly occurred during afternoon and evening peak traffic flow.

East Main Street: Accident types included rear end, left turn, and right angle accidents. There were side swipe and rear end accident patterns on East Main Street where traffic must slow from its normal flow due to the sharp curve. Another accident pattern is located at the NYS Route 17 eastbound Exit 122 intersection with East Main Street where vehicles have a steep downhill grade southbound coming over the NYS Route 17 overpass, and a sharp curve for northbound traffic leading to the signalized intersection.

l. Pavement and Shoulder Conditions

The Pavement and Shoulder Distress Survey, November 2000, contains detailed information about the existing pavement and shoulder conditions that were evaluated within the project study area. An emphasis was placed on the ramp and mainline pavements at the Exit 122 interchange with NYS Route 17. Record information and pavement maintenance histories provided by the NYSDOT and visual inspections were used to conduct this evaluation. Pavement condition scores included in the “New York State 1999 Highway Sufficiency Ratings” book were compared to the field survey data and both report similar findings. Key condition findings are summarized below. Updated ratings from the “New York State 2002 Highway Sufficiency Ratings” book are also included below to document condition changes that have occurred since the survey was completed.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-41 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

Pavement

NYS Route 17: One predominant pavement distress observed in both eastbound and westbound directions was full width transverse cracking of the asphalt concrete surface due to the underlying expansion joints in the original concrete pavement. There are major cracks in all directions, many of which were previously sealed.

The other predominant distress was the presence of longitudinal cracking located between the travel lane and shoulder and at the centerline. This condition was observed consistently in locations where there may be less than adequate roadside drainage (in cut sections). These cracks indicate a lane shoulder separation, perhaps related to the condition and joint locations of the underlying concrete pavement.

The sufficiency rating for the segment immediately east and west of the Crystal Run Road overpass was a 5 in 1999 and 2002, with the last pavement maintenance work completed about 1986. The condition of the short section of pavement between the I- 84 overpass and the I-84 eastbound off-ramp to NYS Route 17 was a 7 in 1999 and 2002, with the last pavement maintenance work completed in 1995. The short section located east of the Exit 122 eastbound ramps was rated 8 in 1999 and 6 in 2002, with the last pavement maintenance work completed in 1997. This last eastern-most section is currently being reconstructed as part of the Wallkill River bridge replacement project.

Interstate 84: Pavement conditions along the project area of I-84 were observed to be good, absent of any significant distress to the surface asphalt concrete or the underlying concrete pavement. Minor single cracks were observed at the centerline between the driving and passing lanes in the westbound direction. These cracks may represent the paving lane joint. The sufficiency rating was 8 in 1999 and 7 in 2002, with the last pavement maintenance work completed in 1995. A project to resurface I-84 is planned for 2012.

East Main Street/Crystal Run Road: The asphalt pavement along East Main Street and Crystal Run Road is generally in fair condition. Minor longitudinal cracking along the cold joints in the asphalt pavement has occurred but has been sealed with bituminous filler. Various portions of the roadway have been resurfaced to maintain the acceptable riding surface. Minor wheel path rutting is present at the existing intersections.

Shoulder

NYS Route 17:

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The asphalt concrete shoulder conditions are generally good with the exception of the shoulder separation crack consistently located between the travel lane and shoulder. In some locations, the longitudinal crack is deteriorating into larger, multiple cracks.

Interstate 84: Shoulders on I-84 were generally in good condition.

East Main Street/Crystal Run Road: The shoulders along East Main Street and Crystal Run Road within the project area are generally in poor condition with alligator cracking present throughout the majority of the length. Moderate longitudinal cracking is present between the pavement edge on the shoulder. The poor condition of the shoulder is likely the result of poor drainage of the roadside. Several areas have no defined drainage and have a 25 mm to 40 mm (1 inch to 1.5 inch) drop-off between the asphalt and gravel shoulders.

Foundation

No problems with highway foundation could be confirmed at this time.

m. Guide Rail, Median Barrier, and Impact Attenuators

The guide rails on NYS Route 17 are mostly box-beam and post and cable and are in fair condition. All rails along I-84 are also in fair condition and are primarily post and cable with some box-beam.

The roads that are part of the Orange County system (East Main Street) and the Town of Wallkill system (Ballard Road, Crystal Run Road) are primarily box-beams and W- beams and are all in fair condition. The Ballard Road box beam railing at the I-84 overpass bridge is in good condition.

n. Traffic Control Devices

Table II-24 presents a summary of the intersection traffic control devices in the project study area.

TABLE II-24 INTERSECTION TRAFFIC CONTROL

INTERSECTION TYPE OF CONTROL Crystal Run Road/Ballard Road Signalized, actuated Crystal Run Road/Blue Cross and Blue Shield Entrance Signalized, actuated Crystal Run Road/Crystal Run Crossing Signalized, actuated NYS Route 17 Westbound Ramps/Crystal Run Signalized, actuated Crossing

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-43 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

INTERSECTION TYPE OF CONTROL East Main Street/Midway Road Stop sign on Midway Road NYS Route 17 Eastbound Ramps/East Main Street Signalized, actuated

o. Structures

The following bridges are within the project area. They are identified by Bridge Identification Number (BIN) on Figure II-3.

TABLE II-25 BRIDGES WITHIN PROJECT STUDY AREA

NYS Route 17 Bridges Bridge Identification Number „ NYS Route 17 over the Wallkill River BIN 1013980 (under construction) (Replaces BIN 1013981 and BIN 1013982) „ NYS Route 17 over the Wallkill River overflow (Existing BIN 1013990 box culvert is being replaced with smaller culvert that (Being eliminated) is not considered a bridge)

Bridges Carrying Local Roads over NYS Route 17

„ East Main Street over NYS Route 17 BIN 1013970

Other

„ East Main Street over Phillipsburg Creek BIN 3345140

A summary of the existing conditions and history of the bridges is presented in Table II- 26.

Due to significant deficiencies with the two bridges that carry NYS Route 17 across the Wallkill River (existing BINs 1013981 and 1013982), NYSDOT is currently replacing these two bridges, as well as a large box culvert beneath NYS Route 17 just east of the Wallkill River (existing BIN 1013990), under a separate project. The two bridges over the river are being replaced with a single bridge (BIN 1013980) and the box culvert is being replaced with a smaller culvert that is not considered a bridge. Construction of these bridge replacements and associated highway improvements is anticipated to be complete in 2007.

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-44 Table II-26 NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Existing Bridge Summary

No of Curb-to- Minimum Federal General Name/Feature Date of Spans/ Type of Total Curb Number & Width Median Vertical Sufficiency NYS Condition Recommend- Load Crossed BIN Location Construction Owner Lengths Structure length Width of Travel Lanes Shoulder Width Width Sidewalks Utilities Clearance Rating Rating ation Restrictions Posting Safety Flag Rehabilitation History

WB - 0.36 m (1.18 ft) right shoulder, Installation of new deck joints, 6.3 m (20.7 ft) left Composite 94.1 replacement of wearing surface '86; NYS Route 17 78.6 m 35.9 m Six 3.6 m (11.8 ft) shoulder 0.84 m 4.85 m 1052559 Exit 121 1968 NYSDOT Two steel multi- None None ('99 biennial 5.777 6 None None None railing and median barrier over I-84 (257.7 ft) (117.7 ft) lanes EB - 0.53 m (1.74 (2.8 ft) (15.9 ft) girders insp) replacement '95; superstructure ft) right shoulder, cleaning '91 & '97 6.3 m (20.7 ft) left shoulder

Two 1013980 empty N/A NYS Route 17 Prestressed Outside shoulders (replacing 100 mm (0.615 m (2 over Wallkill River East of Exit 122 at 2007 (scheduled Two 54.8 m concrete New 110.95 m 34.13 m Four 3.6 m (12 ft) 3.0 m (10 ft) 13.73 m N/A (under N/A (under N/A (under 1013981 NYSDOT None (4") ft) freeboard None None None New bridge is under construction. (under Wallkill River completion) (179.8 ft) England bulb (364 ft) (112 ft) lanes Inside shoulders (45 ft) construction) construction) construction) and communi above design construction) tee girders 1.2 m (4 ft) 1013982) cation flood) conduits

Raised bridge to increase clearance, Simple, Crystal Run Road 650m (2,131 ft) Water 55.0 replace deck, & replace steel composite 46.0 m 9.4 m Two 3.6 m (12 ft) Two 1.1 m (3.6 ft) 4.47 m over 1013970 east of 1947 NYSDOT Two None None & ('99 biennial 4.916 5 None None None members '75; cleaned and painted steel multi- (150.8 ft) (30.8 ft) lanes shoulders (14.7 ft) NYS Route 17 NYS Route 17/I-84 Electrical insp) '87; superstructure cleaned '91; fascia girder stringer in span 1 straightened '93

350 m (1,148 ft) WB - one 3.5 m WB - 0.33 m (1.08 None documented; based on original East Main Street 73.5 southeast of Orange One 9.75 m Steel multi- 9.75 m 8.7 m (11.5 ft) lane ft) shoulder plans - original bridge railings (CR 67) over 3345140 1957 None None None N/A ('99 biennial 5.469 5 None None None Crystal Run Road County (32.0 ft) girder (32.0 ft) (28.5 ft) EB - one 4.2 m EB - 0.74 m (2.24 replaced and asphalt wearing surface Phillipsburg Creek insp) over NYS Route 17 (13.8 ft) lane ft) shoulder added

Page II-45 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

p. Hydraulics of Bridges and Culverts

East Main Street (CR 67) over Phillipsburg Creek (Tributary No. 2) (BIN 3345140)

The bridge is located approximately 122 m (394 ft) upstream of the confluence with the Wallkill River. Based on the March 4, 1986 Town of Wallkill Flood Insurance Study (FIS) prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the bridge is in the backwater zone of the Wallkill River. The FIS refers to Phillipsburg Creek as Wallkill River Tributary 2. The water surface elevations for the 50-year Design Flood and the 100-year Base Flood are above the low chord and above the top of deck respectively.

A Hydraulic Vulnerability Assessment was performed in 1996 with the following results:

Vulnerability Class: Medium Vulnerability Rating: 4 (Inspection Program) FHWA Scour Rating (Item 113 Code): 8 (Bridge foundations stable for calculated scour conditions.)

The following values are provided in the FIS for Phillipsburg Creek: Drainage Area: 6.8 km2 (2.6 mi2) 3/ Q50: 15.9 m s (563 cfs) 3/ Q100: 20.8 m s (735 cfs)

Based upon updated hydrologic calculations (see the Floodplain Evaluation in Appendix H) that consider the effects of recent upstream developments, the following peak flow values for Phillipsburg Creek were calculated:

Drainage Area: 6.8 km2 (2.6 mi2) 3 Q50: 20.7 m /s (730 cfs); an increase of 30% 3 Q100: 22.1 m /s (780 cfs); an increase of 6%

Design of the replacement structure should utilize these updated peak flows.

The channel approaching the bridge is straight, but the channel slope abruptly transitions from 3.8% upstream to 1.0% downstream of the bridge. This has caused an accumulation of sediments that is significantly reducing the waterway opening.

NYS Route 17 EB & WB over Phillipsburg Creek (Tributary No. 2)

The 3 m (10 ft) wide by 3 m (10 ft) high reinforced concrete box culvert is located approximately 661 m (2,170 ft) upstream of the confluence with the Wallkill River. Based on updated hydrology listed above, the culvert has 1.25 m (4.1 ft) of freeboard

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-46 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72 for the 50-year Design Flood and 0.762 m (2.5 ft) of freeboard for the 100-year Base Flood. The culvert’s capacity thus exceeds NYSDOT design criteria. Concentrated, high-velocity flows at the culvert outlet and the lack of adequate scour protection has created a 1.5 m (5 ft) scour hole, as measured from the culvert apron to the channel bottom. A 15 m (50 ft) length of channel protection riprap (D50 = 760 mm (30 in)) along the right bank, downstream of the outlet, has been undermined as a result of the scour.

NYS Route 17 EB & WB over the Wallkill River (BIN 1013980, Replaces BINs 1013981 & 1013982)

This bridge is currently under construction (refer to section II.C.1.o Structures). The Wallkill River is located under both spans of this bridge. The new bridge will have 0.615 m (2.02 ft) of freeboard for the 50-year Design Flood, and 0.195 m (0.64 ft) of freeboard for the 100-year Design Flood.

NYS Route 17 over Wallkill River Overflow Culvert (Replaces BIN 1013990)

This box culvert bridge is currently being replaced with a smaller culvert that is not considered a bridge (refer to Section II.C.1.o Structures). The new culvert meets the NYSDOT HDM Chapter 8 Drainage Design requirements for culverts, which include the headwater to pipe height ratio, and elevation of the headwater in relation to the shoulder break elevation, for a 50-year storm. q. Drainage Systems

The existing drainage system consists of both open and closed drainage within the project study area. Table II-27 identifies the type of drainage and the observed condition of the facility or structure.

TABLE II-27 ROADSIDE DRAINAGE FACILITIES

Route Location Drainage Type Condition / Notes I-84 East & West Within project Grass Swale, catch Good area basins to drain median NYS Route 17 East Within project Grass Swale, catch Good & West area basins to drain median East Main Street Within project Grass Swale Poor; Inlets along area both sides of road Crystal Run Road Within project Grass Swale Poor; Inlets along area both sides of road Ballard Road Within project Open Ditch Good area NYS Route 17:

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Several isolated areas of drainage related problems were observed on NYS Route 17. In cut areas poor drainage may be contributing to the observed shoulder cracking.

Along NYS Route 17 westbound, just west of the Wallkill River bridge, the roadside ditch is beginning to erode the edge of the shoulder area. Off-site drainage appears to be approaching the shoulder and travel lane, especially during heavy runoff events. During the recent construction work there have been problems with surface runoff filling the ditch and flowing over the NYS Route 17 westbound lanes and draining into the median.

Interstate 84: Drainage along Interstate 84 was observed to be adequate.

Overall, no significant drainage problems are known to exist within the project area. r. Soil and Foundation Conditions

No unusual soil conditions are known to exist in the project area. All bridge abutments and piers are founded on continuous spread footings on either earth cut or fill, except for the existing NYS Route 17 eastbound and westbound bridges over the Wallkill River (BIN’s 1013981 and 1013982) that are currently being replaced. The existing bridge piers and abutments for these two structures are founded on continuous spread footings on rock or piles on rock. The new bridge pier and abutments are being founded on bored-in piles carried down to bedrock. Soil and rock investigations will be conducted during the preliminary design phase of the project. s. Utilities

Private properties within the study limits are served by many different public utilities. With the exception of the access-controlled highways of NYS Route 17 and Interstate 84, commercial and residential properties along the other highways within the project limits have the following utilities available to them:

Table II-28 UTILITIES AND OWNERS

Utility Owner Electric Orange and Rockland County Utilities (overhead) Telephone Citizens Telecom (overhead) Gas Orange and Rockland County Utilities Water Town of Wallkill Consolidated Water District #1 Cable Television Time-Warner Cable (overhead) Sanitary Sewer Town of Wallkill Consolidated Sewer District

NYS Route 17 at Exit 122: Design Report and Draft Environmental Impact Statement Page II-48 New York State Route 17 at Exit 122 May, 2007 PIN 8006.72

The nearest Town of Wallkill Consolidated Water District #1 well site (drinking water) is known as the Rykowski Site, which is located to the north of Sullivan Lane (north side of NYS Route 17), approximately 61 m (200 ft) west of the Wallkill River. Additional information regarding the six Town of Wallkill Consolidated Water District #1 well fields is in Section IV.B.3.b(ii).

A 610 mm (2 ft) asbestos concrete pipe sanitary sewer main runs along the western edge of the Wallkill River, crossing under the bridge that carries NYS Route 17 over the river. A sewer line runs parallel to and outside of the northern NYS Route 17 right- of-way line from Crystal Run Road to this main.

Overhead electric lines run parallel to the northern NYS Route 17 right-of-way line near Crystal Run Road. Overhead electric lines also cross NYS Route 17 at Midway Road.

Overhead utility lines are present on East Main Street, Midway Road, Crystal Run Road and Ballard Road. A 300 mm (12 inch) water main is located on East Main Street and Crystal Run Road. A 200 mm (8 inch) sanitary sewer is located on Crystal Run Road and Ballard Road.

Street lighting is provided on Crystal Run Road and Ballard Road using aluminum light poles with truss arms and cobrahead style fixtures, which were recently installed. Street light wiring is underground. East Main Street adjacent to the NYS Route 17 eastbound on/off ramps has two aluminum street light poles and fixtures and one truss arm that is mounted on a wooden utility pole which provides street lighting in the vicinity of the intersection. t. Railroads

A Norfolk-Southern (north-south) rail line runs west of the project area. A commuter rail terminal is located, on this line, on the east side of North Galleria Drive. This is the Metro-North Railroad commuter line that travels to Hoboken, NJ and connects to New York City. The rail line travels under Ballard Road, North Galleria Drive, NYS Route 17 and NYS Route 211. Section II C.1.x. outlines the transit services Metro- North provides. u. Visual Environment

The project area lies within the Hudson Valley lowland. Gently rolling terrain characterizes the topography of this area of the expressway that is bordered on both sides by woodlands and fallow fields. At the eastern portion of the project area near the NYS Route 17 Exit 122 interchange is the Wallkill River, a nationally designated National Inventory River under the federal Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers protection program. The areas adjacent to the Wallkill River are floodplains and

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consist of typical riparian woodland and wetland species. The river corridor is wooded and offers scenic views both upstream and downstream when looking from the Wallkill River bridge on NYS Route 17.

On the south side of NYS Route 17, Phillipsburg Creek, a tributary to the Walkill River, cuts through the terrain creating a deep crevasse with steep side slopes on both sides of the creek bed. A small number of one-story residential structures are located on top of the slope and have views of the creek bed. The area surrounding the creek bed is primarily wooded with a dense stand of mature hardwoods with limited amounts of under-story due to the dense canopy created from the vegetation.

The northern and western portions of the project area are characterized as commercial settings with numerous office parks, malls, strip plazas and restaurants. This area is comprised of widely spaced medium to large one and two-story buildings with deep setbacks surrounded by open parking or lawn areas. The architectural character of the buildings and the arrangement of the structures are not significant contributors to the visual resource of the area.

Heading southeast through the project corridor, toward the Wallkill River, the highway descends and provides open views of the land to the south. Although there is no intimate foreground enclosure, the hills in the immediate background provide the visual terminus and a larger sense of enclosure. The uniform color and texture of the vegetated hill sides provide a sense of continuity to the visual environment and detracts from the dominate pavement of the highway.

v. Provisions for Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Pedestrian and bicycle traffic is prohibited on NYS Route 17 and I-84. There are no provisions for protected bicycle traffic on any of the county and local roads in the project area, including bicycle lanes, paths, shared roadways, or wide curb lanes. For a roadway shoulder to be usable for bicycle traffic, it must be at least 1.2 m (4.0 ft) in width (NYSDOT Highway Design Manual). There are only a few local road segments that include a paved shoulder wide enough for safe bicycle traffic, however in most cases these routes do not provide the required width for an extended length between two destination points.

There are no provisions for pedestrian travel on any of the roadways in the project area, with a few minor exceptions. Sidewalks are on a few unconnected segments throughout the project area which have been constructed by individual property owners.

There are no known plans for improvements to bicycle or pedestrian accommodations. Where pedestrian facilities are not provided, accommodations for handicapped accessibility are also not provided.

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w. Planned Development for the Area

Extensive development is planned and expected to occur around the project area. This development has been taken into account when projecting the future traffic volumes and the design elements of any build alternative. A list of planned and projected new developments, shown in Table II-29, was developed in a collaborative effort in the scoping phase with NYSDOT, Orange County, Town of Wallkill, the MPO, and the Community Task Force established for this project. This information was incorporated into the OCTC traffic demand model to estimate the design year (2030) traffic volumes.

Table II-29 PLANNED AND PROJECTED FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PROJECT STUDY AREA THROUGH THE DESIGN YEAR (2030)

Square Square Name Location Units Type Status Meters Feet Crystal Run Crystal Run Road Unknown Unknown Office Approved Ambulatory Dunkelman Rykowski Lane 22,297 240,000 Office Complete Medical Office Elderly Women Rykowski Lane 1,133 12,200 Office Approved Professional LLC Fairway SF & Multi- Under Golf Links Road 220 Condominiums Family Construction Hudson Heritage Federal Credit Rykowski Lane 2,430 26,160 Office Complete Union Crystal Run Under Microtel Hotel 35,100 Hotel Crossing Construction Orange Regional Planned/ East Main Street 56,315 606,172 Hospital Medical Center pending Mt. Joy Road Mount Joy Road 12 SF Residential Complete Planned/ Tetz Asphalt Crotty Road 84 900 Manufacturing pending Wallkill Industrial Rykowski Lane 1,133 12,200 Office/Retail Approved Park Wallkill Corporate Crystal Run Road 46,452 500,000 Office Speculative Park Silverlake Townhouse/SF Planned/ Golden Triangle 90 Scotchtown Rd. Residential pending Under Kabro Cottage St. Ext. 283 SF Residential construction

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Square Square Name Location Units Type Status Meters Feet Sivlerlake Scotch Valley 39 Scotchtown Rd. Under Tower Ridge Tower Drive 192 MF residential construction Wallkill Manor Planned/ 2nd St. 62 MF residential Apartments pending MKA/Woodside Cottage Street MF and SF Planned/ 216 Knolls Extension residential pending 129,844 1,432,732 1,114 * Table compiled as of November 29, 2006

It is the policy of NYSDOT to seek the participation of local public bodies and the private sector in financing capacity improvements to State and local highways, where appropriate, to relieve growing congestion and/or to facilitate economic development. The NYSDOT will seek financial participation from the Town of Wallkill, Orange County, and the private sector in financing portions of the project, such as capacity improvements to East Main Street and Crystal Run Road.

x. System Elements and Conditions

This section of NYS Route 17 and I-84 serve very important regional travel needs, and serve commuters and visitors to and from New York City and recreational travel to and from the Catskill Mountain area.

NYS Route 17 has been designated as the future Interstate 86. This designation focuses improvement and funding on the upgrade of the highway facility across the state and its role and importance in interstate travel.

Exit 122 also provides an important access point between the expressway system and the rapidly growing center of retail, employment and trucking activity in Orange County. The safety and operational problems outlined in this report, identified with the assistance of the Community Task Force, restrict the planned growth of development in the area. The existing issues, combined with NYS Route 17’s future status as Interstate 86, will become more problematic when local and regional growth continues as planned.

Construction of several casinos in the Orange County area has been proposed by developers over the past several years. If casinos are constructed in Orange County along either NYS Route 17 or I-84 it would likely increase the volume of traffic along these roadways. While no definite casino plans have been approved, the traffic model for the project area does include an anticipated 300 to 350 casino vehicles that would travel on NYS Route 17 through the project area. There are no casinos currently planned that would utilize the Exit 122 interchange. See Appendix C for

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There are limited Transportation System and Demand Management measures and programs currently in place in the project study area. Important opportunities exist for better managing the system through additional traffic signal coordination and timing improvements, intersection enhancements, and Intelligent Transportation Systems measures.

Transportation Demand Management measures can be expanded through enhancing public transit and increased ride sharing (ie: carpools). These types of measures will be an important part of any transportation system improvements made in this project, enhancing conditions during the construction period as well as the long-term mobility in the area.

In 2000, over 16,800 Orange County workers (or 12.6%) commuted to work by carpool (US Census). MetroPool is an important regional resource that can assist with expanding demand management. MetroPool is a private, nonprofit commuter transportation company supported by NYSDOT, Connecticut DOT, and private sector contributions. Its goal is to foster better mobility and air quality in the region by reducing single occupant vehicle trips. MetroPool provides commuter and employer services, including free over-the-phone advanced computer-based ridematching and classified ridematching listings, vanpool and carpool assistance, and transit matching for work trips. MetroPool also assists employers with their commute programs through on-site consultation, Guaranteed Ride Home Programs, marketing support, and other services (see "MetroPool Services"). All services are provided free of charge. The MetroPool web site is www.metropool.com.

Public Transit: This section summarizes the existing public transit services provided in the project study area.

The Metro-North Railroad uses the Norfolk Southern rail line, as discussed in Section II.C.1.t. Metro-North Railroad, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is the second-largest commuter line in the United States. Metro-North has established stations in seven counties in New York (Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Rockland, and Orange), and two counties in Connecticut (New Haven and Fairfield). The Port Jervis line operates out of New Jersey Transit's terminal in Hoboken, New Jersey, and runs 153 km (95 mi) from Hoboken to Port Jervis. Starting at 4:36am, there are a total of eight trips per weekday that travel from the Wallkill-Middletown station toward Hoboken, where passengers can make many other connections, including service to New York City. The line consists of only one track. In 1995, an average of 284 daily passengers boarded at the Wallkill-Middletown station heading toward Hoboken and by 2002, the average weekday passenger trips was up to 385. Weekday service to Penn Station

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via the Secaucus Transfer Station began on December 15, 2003 for West-of-Hudson customers. Ridership is projected to increase due to the reduced commute time and number of transfers to midtown Manhattan. The Metro-North Railroad website is www.mta.info.

Coach USA Short Line provides bus transit service to Orange County, including the OWL (Orange – Westchester Link) service between Orange and Westchester Counties. The service is offered Monday through Friday (except holidays) during the morning, and afternoon commute periods, and some midday service. Coach USA also provides commuter service to New York City from Orange County. Couch USA Shortline website is www.shortlinebus.com.

The Wallkill area is also served by the Main Line Trolley Bus. Also operated by the Coach USA Short Line bus company, the Trolley Bus serves Middletown, Goshen, Chester, Monroe, Harriman and Woodbury Common. There are drop off and pick ups at Dunning Road and Schutt Road; Dunning Farms/Toys-R-Us; Orange Plaza Kohl’s; Galleria Mall; and Horton Medical Center. There are four pick-up times on weekdays heading toward Harriman. Heading from Harriman toward Middletown, there are five pick up times for each location during the week. In addition, there is one morning and one afternoon pick up at each stop on Saturdays and Sundays.

For those requiring or desiring door-to-door transportation, the Dial-A-Bus service can be used for a fee. Reservations for this service must be made in advance. Approximately 27,300 people used the Dial-A-Bus service in 2003. There are also private companies that provide senior transportation.

The possible construction of a park-and-ride lot in the general project study area will be evaluated further in preliminary design.

y. Environmental Integration

Under the Department’s Environmental Initiative, actions to enhance the natural and manmade environment above and beyond required mitigation measures may be considered for incorporation into Department projects.

Project specific Environmental Initiative practice guidelines include: • Interagency coordination to advance environmental objectives; • Minimizing adverse effects on the environment and communities; • Environmentally sound planning and design using context sensitive design; • Incorporation of features to mitigate unavoidable adverse impacts; • Implementation of measures to enhance natural and manmade features; and • Incorporation of environmental projects funded by others as betterments.

The Wallkill River provides an opportunity for enhancements that could be made as

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part of this project. Task Force members and local environmental groups have expressed the desire to create a canoe launch and fishing access with limited parking (5 to 6 spaces) at the Wallkill River near the NYS Route 17 bridges. The NYSDEC has also investigated options for providing a canoe launch and fishing access near this section of the Wallkill River.

A seven-mile segment of the Wallkill River downstream of the NYS Route 17 bridge is listed on the nationwide Rivers Inventory by the National Park Service. This listing is based on its hydrologic character and is defined as one of the “last remaining sparsely developed, representative free-flowing rivers in this physiographic region”. The scenic nature of the Wallkill River also lends itself to a linear trail system along the river edge or at established viewpoints. These enhancements would improve access to a community resource by providing scenic and recreation opportunities for area residents.

Protections against intense future development between future East Main Street and the Wallkill River, to protect and enhance the wetlands, floodplains and other resources, could be provided through a subsidized land purchase by interested preservation groups.

Phillipsburg Creek (a Class C trout (t) stream) also provides an opportunity for enhancement that could be made a part of the project. While Phillipsburg Creek is a Class C (t) Stream, the creek has no history of trout, except for a 1936 NYSDEC stocking program that was largely unsuccessful. Since the stream is a cold water aquatic habitat and relies on tree canopy to provide shade cover, preservation and enhancement of its riparian corridor within the project limits is recommended to help preserve this resource.

2. NEEDS

This section evaluates and correlates the features, conditions and deficiencies that were outlined in Section II.C.1 to identify and describe the need for the project. The primary purpose and need for this project is to; i) improve Exit 122 to meet interstate standards, ii) address safety and operational deficiencies at NYS Route 17 at Exit 122. a. Project Level Needs

i. Safety Needs

As outlined in Section II.C.1.k., there are many locations in the project study area that have an accident history reflecting higher than average accident rates. Some of the accident clusters and patterns can be at least partially attributed to non-standard or non-conforming features and/or traffic congestion. This is particularly a problem for NYS Route 17 in the vicinity of Exit 122. This project is needed to correct this existing

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safety problem.

ii. Bridge Structural Needs

The bridge structural deficiencies were identified for the two existing bridges carrying NYS Route 17 over the Wallkill River (BINs 1013981 and 1013982). The replacement of these two bridges with a single structure (BIN 1013980) is currently under construction as a separate project. There were no other significant needs identified for the bridges studied (see Section II.C.1.o.)

iii. Capacity Needs

As outlined in Section II.C.1.i, there are locations within the project study area with existing and future projected poor levels of service. This includes Exit 122 and several intersections on East Main Street and Crystal Run Road. The poor levels of service occur, and/or are expected to occur in the future, primarily during the weekday commuter peak hours of travel. The poor levels of service expected in the future are due primarily to the extensive new development planned within the project study area. Existing capacity problems have played a contributing role in the accidents in some areas.

iv. Non-Standard Features

As outlined in Section II.C.1.j., there are roadway and ramp features in the project study area that do not meet current design standards. These deficiencies have contributed to operational problems at Exit 122, including a significant accident problem.

v. Environmental Needs

The Wallkill River and Phillipsburg Creek provide unique opportunities for this project to integrate preservation of the riverine environment, and improved public access to these resources. Enhancement measures could include canoe docks, limited parking, hiking/biking paths, overlooks, acquisition of easements or land purchases, etc. The protection of valuable environmental resources outlined in Chapter IV is also of central importance.

b. Area or Corridor Needs

i. System Needs

NYS Route 17 serves very important regional travel needs, and serve commuters and visitors to and from New York City and recreational travel to and from the Catskill Mountain area. It has also been designated as the future Interstate 86. The safety

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and operational deficiencies identified in this study impact not only regional access and travel, but cross-state and interstate travel as well.

ii. Mobility Needs

There are little to no accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists and persons with disabilities in the project study area. The lack of facilities does not encourage these modes of travel or provide a reasonably safe mode choice for residents, visitors, and employees. Potential needs for expanded public transit service and facilities have also been identified and are currently under local study. There are opportunities to assist the growth in public transit and carpooling in the project study area.

Along the NYS Route 17 (Future I-86) corridor existing Park and Ride lots are at or near capacity and newer lots are expected to reach capacity over the next several years. NYSDOT Region 8 Planning, Orange County and the Orange County Transportation Council all agree that long range planning should provide for Park and Ride lots at all NYS Route 17 (Future I-86) interchanges. This is becoming more evident with the growth to the north, south and west of Middletown, Goshen and Chester.

Within the corridor, the Chester Park and Ride lot has over half of its parking spaces filled on a regular basis in less than the two (2) years that it has been operating. The Goshen Park and Ride lot has had to increase the number of parking spaces, and these are now attracting more commuters to the lot. Judging from the demand in the Monticello and Route 209 corridor, the Wurtsboro Park and Ride lot that opened October 2006 is anticipated to be heavily utilized by commuters in a short period of time.

The area bus lines anticipate that current commuters from the Wallkill, Scotchtown Circleville, and west of Bloomingburg areas that now drive to Monroe and Central Valley to access NYS Route17 will likely utilize a Park and Ride facility in the vicinity of Exit 122. A Park and Ride lot at Exit 122 would also increase ridership on the bus lines that service this area, and help to alleviate traffic congestion on NYS Route 17.

iii. Social Demands and Economic Development

Exit 122 provides an access point between the expressway system and the rapidly growing center of retail, employment and trucking activity in Orange County. In addition to improving safety, the Exit 122 interchange improvement project will support community plans for development and enhance the local economy.

Currently, over 1.4 million square feet of new development is planned or proposed in the project study area. This development includes residential housing, commercial development, restaurants, and a new hospital with approximately 375-400 beds. An

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important component to future growth and development in and around the Town of Wallkill will be safe, efficient access to NYS Route 17 by the Exit 122 interchange. The safety and operational problems outlined in this report currently restrict the ability of the area to grow as desired.

c. Transportation Plans

The Exit 122 interchange improvement project is included in two of the areas transportation plans, the County’s “2020 Vision: Orange County Transportation” and the Orange County Transportation Council Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2004.

The relative priority of the project is high, since federal designation for Interstate 86 has occurred for NYS Route 17 from the Pennsylvania State line to East Corning (Exit 43). Federal legislation provides language for Future I-86 designation for the remainder of NYS Route 17 upon satisfactorily upgrading it to interstate standards. Exit 122 does not currently meet interstate standards.

The project is not part of an approved Congestion Management System and is not subject to a Major Investment Study (MIS).

D. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The objective of the NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 Project is to remedy the identified problems or needs and to help achieve community goals through transportation improvements. Based upon the data collection and evaluation summarized in this chapter and the input provided by the Community Task Force, local government officials, business representatives and environmental organizations, the following project objectives have been established.

1) Remove the NYS Route 17 at Exit 122 interchange geometric deficiencies to improve safety and traffic flow.

2) Reduce traffic operation deficiencies on NYS Route 17 and other facilities in the project area to improve travel time and safety, and to accommodate planned area development and regional transportation system needs.

3) Design improvements to avoid and minimize social, economic and environmental impacts. Incorporate, where practical, environmental initiatives into the project.

4) Enhance multi-modal travel.

5) Enhance safe and efficient property access to accommodate planned area

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development.

6) Provide cost effective and properly scaled improvements.

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