1. Introduction

The purposes of this subpart are to implement the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 134, 23 U.S.C. 150, and 49 U.S.C. 5303, as amended, which…Set forth the national policy that the MPO designated for each urbanized area is to carry out a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive performance-based multimodal transportation planning process, including the development of a metropolitan transportation plan and a TIP, that encourages and promotes the safe and efficient development, management, and operation of surface transportation systems to serve the mobility needs of people and freight (including accessible pedestrian walkways, bicycle transportation facilities, and intermodal facilities that support intercity transportation, including intercity buses and intercity bus facilities and commuter vanpool providers) fosters economic growth and development, and takes into consideration resiliency needs, while minimizing transportation-related fuel consumption and air pollution.

23CFR§450.300

The Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC) is the designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) serving the Kingston, NY, urbanized area and the entirety of Ulster County. Federal law requires that all urbanized areas with a population greater than 50,000 people have an MPO, which is assigned certain planning responsibilities, notably the preparation and adoption of a Long Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (LRTP). In addition, UCTC is part of a larger Transportation Management Area (TMA) that includes both Orange and Dutchess Counties. A TMA represents urbanized areas with a population greater than 200,000. The three MPO’s for Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange counties coordinate their planning activities for this larger area.

The LRTP must look at least twenty years into the future and be updated at no less than five-year intervals. This long look forward is particularly valuable as transportation facilities can take a long time to move from idea to plan to design and construction, and then once introduced they are long-lasting.

This LRTP, called Mobility 2050, is a strategic vision of Ulster County’s transportation future, the policies necessary to support that vision, and an investment plan for its implementation.

In this era of limited financial resources, the LRTP provides guidance on how limited available funds can be best used to meet regional priorities. The total of LRTP recommended investments must, by Federal law, be constrained by an estimate of reasonably available revenue. This “fiscal constraint” ensures that the LRTP’s list of investment projects is realistic. Therefore, the preparation of the LRTP forces decision-makers to be explicit about their choices of strategies, programs, and projects, and the trade-offs among them.

A DYNAMIC PLANNING ENVIRONMENT

There are several critical issues that have impacted the development of this LRTP. These include funding, transportation choices, environmental issues, and economic concerns as discussed below:

• Federal transportation authorization. The current federal surface transportation law, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which authorizes funding for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs, expires in 2026. It is expected that new federal legislation, or an extension of the current law, will be passed by 2026. However, the priorities of this prospective future legislation are not yet known.
• Federal transportation funding. Programs of the FHWA and the FTA provide a significant proportion of capital funds in New York State’s transportation program. All FHWA program funds, and a portion of FTA funds, come from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The primary source of revenue for the HTF is tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. These taxes have not been increased since 1993, leaving their purchasing power diminished by nearly three decades of construction cost inflation. At the same time, receipts have been diminished by use of more fuel-efficient cars, and alternative fuels that are not taxed. Since 2016, Congress has transferred billions of dollars from the U.S. General Fund to the HTF so it can meet expenditure obligations despite the decreasing purchasing power of the federal gas/diesel taxes. There is general agreement among policy makers that a sustainable approach to funding FHWA and FTA must be enacted, however how this will happen is unclear.
• State and local transportation funding. The New York State Dedicated Highway and Bridge Fund also has fiscal challenges, related to substantial debt service payments resulting from past borrowing, and use for non-capital purposes. Local governments receive state funds through the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) but must rely primarily on property tax and sales tax receipts to pay for transportation projects that are not on the federal-aid road system. Other states permit local option sales taxes, but this is not the case in New York. Public transit is supported separately by the state, with operators such as Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) receiving State Transit Operating Assistance (STOA), and a portion of the non-Federal share of capital costs. State and federal funds are formula-driven with federal aid shrinking slightly.  Public demand for more frequent transit service and wider coverage is being addressed by county leaders, which must ultimately be paid using local dollars.
• Aging infrastructure. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) points out in its 2022 Transportation Asset Management Plan that, like much of the rest of the country, our state’s roads and bridges, transit systems, and railroads are characterized by aging infrastructure. Depending on the type of construction and materials used, each of these elements has a predictable life span. That life may be extended by preventive maintenance and rehabilitation or decreased by neglect. Current conditions are a consequence of investment, but also of timing. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, the nation built much of the Interstate Highway System and other facilities. Fifty years later, much of this infrastructure is worn out, creating a spike in need for investment in preservation in order to keep the assets operational.
• Focus on freight and economic development. The trend in federal transportation policy over recent years is to pay more attention to freight movement and how it supports regional, statewide, and the national economy. NYSDOT completed its first comprehensive statewide Freight Transportation Plan in 2019 and published an update in 2024. Federal legislation requires that the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) develop a National Freight Strategic Plan and Primary Freight Network. The UCTC will take advantage of these activities to continually evaluate the role of freight movement in the county’s economy.
• Changing attitudes about land use. People of all ages make decisions about where they choose to live, and how to pursue a positive quality of life. Whether urban or suburban, people increasingly seek a human scaled neighborhood that is walkable and bikeable, has access to schools and shopping, and has convenient public transit. Others prefer a rural location, but one with access to needed services. New York State passed both a Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act and a Complete Streets Act. These acts were intended to guide state and local government decisions about transportation projects away from a singular auto-centric view to one that looks at the accessibility and mobility needs of all users.
• Transportation and Harmful Air Pollution. Air pollution from operating motor vehicles is a major challenge for metropolitan regions across the country. Ulster County is in attainment of federal air quality standards. However, UCTC continues to monitor the policy landscape relating to air pollution and seeks opportunities to further reduce the transportation system’s contribution to air pollution.
• Public health and active transportation. Transportation planners are bringing new partners into their conversations. The public health community has begun to turn its understanding of the value of physical activity into participation through calls for active transportation initiatives and opportunities. They have become valued stakeholders in supporting the construction of sidewalks and trails, wider shoulders of roads to support safe biking and walking and promoting Safe Routes to School and similar non-motorized programs. This is closely connected to discussions of land use planning as noted above.
• Transportation and technology. A twenty-five-year planning cycle is a very long time in today’s environment of fast changing technology, disruptor business models, environmental challenges, and economic cycles. We have seen that even a five-year capital program cycle has difficulty responding to these changes. During the 25-year horizon of this LRTP, we may see fully automated cars being in general use, electrical vehicles representing a majority of new vehicles, reoriented investment in transportation infrastructure to reflect environmental concerns, remote work capabilities altering commuter patterns, and the use of online resources changing shopping behavior along with the need for freight and delivery services. These changes have already begun. Already, personal vehicles have more on-board safety features like lane departure warning and automatic brake assist, and pervasive wireless communications has enabled new approaches such as USDOT’s Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) plan to support cars communicating seamlessly with each other and roadside infrastructure, enhancing safety and smoothing traffic flow.  Commercial GPS guidance systems are found in cars and trucks, and on smartphones and similar devices. Drivers receive real-time traffic and road information, enabling them to make smart choices on route, mode, and time of travel. EV charging stations are now deployed on major routes, bridge replacements now require 100yr flood analysis, and Uber and Lyft are present in the region. The resulting changes in travel behavior and infrastructure design will change the need for investments and are likely to change some of the conclusions of this LRTP. The next update of this LRTP, due by 2030, will take stock of expected and any unanticipated technological developments, and evaluate their consequences for UCTC’s strategic vision.