New York DOT studying Hudson Valley transit improvement potential

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) yesterday announced it's studying ways to improve transit west of the Hudson River, specifically for commutes into New York City.

The West of Hudson Transit Study will focus on issues faced by commuters living in the Hudson Valley, such as the limited cross-county connections and poor coordination between transit options, according to a press release issued by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office.

Funded by the state fiscal-year 2026 budget, the NYSDOT expects the study will produce ways to improve bus services and enhance connections to existing passenger-rail lines and ferries. Issues to be examined locations where where roadway infrastructure can be improved to prioritize mass transit, allowing passengers to bypass congestion. Improvements identified will be implemented on an ongoing basis. The NYSDOT has begun conducting rider surveys as part of the study.

The study builds on the ongoing efforts to improve transit in the valley, such as the Jan. 2 launch of a bus service expansion that doubled weekday connections to MTA Metro-North Railroad trains to and from New York City, state officials said.