NYSDOT & CDTC Awarded $240,000 Planning Grant For I-787 & Hudson River Waterfront

ALBANY, NY (08/09/2012)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) have received a $240,000 federal grant to examine redevelopment options along the Hudson River waterfront and Interstate 787 corridor in the cities of Albany and Watervliet, Village of Menands and Town of Colonie.

The project's total cost is $400,000. The $240,000 grant, provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will be matched with $60,000 from NYSDOT. The grants supplement $100,000 in federal planning funds already appropriated to cover CDTC staff technical assistance costs.

This is part of the I-787 Livable Corridor Planning Initiative whose goal is to integrate transportation, land use planning and public access to the waterfront between I-787 exits 2 and 9. NYSDOT, CDTC and local stakeholders will work to identify options for downtown economic development, brownfield redevelopment and improved walking, biking and transit access to the waterfront.

"We are very pleased to receive this grant," said NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald. "DOT is committed not only to meeting the transportation needs of New Yorkers but also to boosting local development efforts, all while preserving the natural beauty of this magnificent and historically important area."

CDTC Executive Director Michael Franchini said, "This study will be very beneficial for our members – the cities of Albany and Watervliet, the Village of Menands and the Town of Colonie. Our goal is to produce a well thought-out, comprehensive, reasonable, and inclusive plan which we can implement in the very near future."

On August 2, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the award through the Transportation, Community and System Preservation Program (TCSP). The TCSP provides federal grants to promote improved planning and coordination among transportation, community and system preservation plans. U.S. DOT received 600 applications, and 83 were selected to receive funds nationwide.

Specifically, TCSP funds will be used to (1) identify the short- and long-term infrastructure needs for I-787 and its related access roads through a structural evaluation; (2) identify opportunities for alternative designs based on those long-term needs that would reduce long-term infrastructure costs and improve transportation/community compatibility; (3) identify near-term access improvements to support waterfront revitalization and economic development initiatives such as downtown and brownfield redevelopment; and (4) undertake a public involvement effort and visioning exercise.

CDTC is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy and Saratoga Springs metropolitan areas. For more information contact the CDTC offices at (518) 458-2161.

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