Stakeholders look at proposed plans for the Broadway corridor

NEWBURGH – As part of a bigger initiative to revitalize the City of Newburgh, the Orange County Planning Department held a public transportation and land use study Saturday in Newburgh to gather input and ideas from community members regarding possible improvements and enhancements to the Broadway Corridor.

The public event was an actual hands-on planning session in which tables of citizens worked with project consultants to brainstorm and discuss feasible solutions to Newburgh’s transportation problems.
The ultimate goal of the study is to help prioritize federal, state, county, and local funds to make some on the ground improvements to the road network and public transit services, said Orange County Planning Commissioner David Church.

“An early goal we know we want is to try dramatically to improve the public bus service; that’s an early need we want to meet and accomplish right away,” he said.

“I would like to see Newburgh shine again,” said resident Doug Mans whose family has lived in the area for generations. Mans suggested that a trolley system be implemented on Broadway to meet certain transportation needs and also serve as an attraction by itself explaining that the “two points to connect” would be Stewart Airport and the waterfront.

That was an idea discussed several years ago by Congressman Maurice Hinchey and then City Manager Harry Porr.

“In the City of Newburgh we currently do not have a transportation system,” said City Councilwoman Marge Bell. “It is totally missing. To bring the City of Newburgh into the 21st century the time is now to come up with a real true transportation system.”