The Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC) has opened a public comment period on an amendment to its Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), the county’s five-year roadmap for transportation upgrades. The UCTC will meet on September 23 to review feedback on a proposed amendment focused on repairing and upgrading culverts to improve roadway resilience during extreme weather.
Read the press release regarding the amendment and public comment.
Read the 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Plan.
What Is the Transportation Improvement Plan?
The TIP is a budgeted five-year plan that guides transportation projects throughout Ulster County, including the Kingston metro area. It operates under the framework of a 20-year countywide transportation strategy overseen by the UCTC.
The 2026–2030 TIP, adopted this summer and set to take effect October 1, directs more than $170 million in federal aid toward local projects:
- $85 million in FHWA funds programmed by NYSDOT
- $46 million in FHWA funds programmed by local municipalities
- $38 million in FTA funds, largely through Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT)
Priority areas include improving safety, reducing congestion, supporting public transit, maintaining infrastructure, and preparing for climate resiliency. Ulster County is also part of the Mid-Hudson Valley Transportation Management Area, requiring coordination with Dutchess and Orange Counties on congestion management.
How to Participate
The current public comment period ends Monday, September 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Written feedback may be sent to:
Ulster County Transportation Council
c/o Brian Slack
244 Fair Street, PO Box 1800
Kingston, NY 12402-1800
Email: [email protected]
UCTC members representing each municipality are listed on page 3 of the TIP. Residents may also present ideas directly to their town boards or through the voting members of the Council.
Local Engagement: Safe9W and Traffic Studies
Southern Ulster residents have already begun shaping conversations around roadway safety. Lindsay Lannon of Marlborough launched the Safe9W campaign after a series of serious accidents, some fatal, along Route 9W. Her proposal was endorsed by the Marlborough Town Board, which recommended forming a collaborative committee to advance safety improvements along the corridor.
In addition, NYSDOT camera counters are actively tracking traffic flow in Milton and Marlborough at locations including Milton Turnpike, Lattintown Road, Western Avenue, Post Road, and Main Street in Milton. These devices collect only traffic counts, not images, and the data is publicly available on NYSDOT’s Traffic Data Viewer map.
Why It Matters
Transportation planning decisions shape the safety, efficiency, and long-term resilience of local roads. The TIP directs how federal dollars are invested in Ulster County, influencing projects from transit service to highway safety. For residents, this is a direct opportunity to ensure that community priorities—such as reducing crashes on 9W, improving rural roadways, and preparing for increasingly severe weather—are represented in countywide planning.
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