Residents and elected officials from the City of Newburgh addressed the Orange County Legislature on Thursday, March 6, advocating for improved public transportation in the county. For urban communities like Newburgh, many residents depend on public transit or ride-sharing services for work, school and daily activities.

Orange County Legislature Chairman Kevin Hines (R-C-I) opened the meeting for public comment, allowing each speaker three minutes. Many focused on Item 25, a resolution authorizing the county executive, in conjunction with the county’s planning department, to apply for federal grant funding through the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

The county is seeking approximately $1.9 million to support public transit in non-urban areas with populations of fewer than 50,000. The funds would be used for operating assistance payments and purchasing replacement and expansion dial-a-ride vehicles for municipal transit operators. Other speakers addressed the planned expansion of Route 17, a project that extends from the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County to Harriman in Orange County, leading to Interstate 87. The resolution, which later passed, is separate from the Route 17 expansion.

Kyle Conway, president of the NAACP Newburgh/Highland Falls Chapter, spoke about his past struggles commuting as an Orange County Community College student. He described a two-hour journey from Highland Mills to Middletown, where he risked being locked out of class if he arrived late. Later, while pursuing a master’s degree, car trouble forced him to take a similarly long trip from Harriman to Newburgh.

“I want my county representatives to think about investing in the people of this county through public transportation,” Conway said. “As elected officials, you have an opportunity to change the course of someone’s life through policy initiatives and allocating funds.

Expanding public transportation will ensure someone does not miss the opportunity to become a teacher, achieve their dream, feed their family, or allow young people to maneuver independently. Instead of expanding roads for people to pass through this county, I would like to see Orange County modernize and adjust to the influx of residents and their needs.”

Taylor Jaffe of Catskill Mountainkeeper supported the county’s grant application and highlighted statistics on households with limited vehicle access. She also questioned the financial responsibility of the $1.4 billion Route 17 expansion.

“As the legislature considers allocating NYSDOT funding to public transit to improve the quality of life for Orange County residents, we also recommend reassessing and questioning whether spending $1.4 billion on highway expansion is fiscally responsible when much of that funding could be used to repair roads that need it first,” Jaffe said.
Newburgh resident Ann Sullivan expressed appreciation for transit funding but said more is needed. Sullivan was among several city residents who, along with Councilmembers Omari Shakur, Giselle Martinez and Ramona Monteverde, traveled to the meeting. Their trip took over an hour, requiring four bus changes, one of which had to be reserved two weeks in advance, and multiple fares.

Keith Williams of Newburgh emphasized pedestrian safety when discussing transportation improvements, recalling a friend who was killed by a drunk driver in 2014 while walking to work. Other Newburgh residents called for bus route expansions along Route 17K to improve job access, increased service hours, and greater resources for pedestrians.

Orange County Legislator Kevindaryán Luján (D-WF) commended community members for voicing their concerns. He recalled that when he joined the legislature eight years ago, discussions about expanding bus routes and adding bus shelters in Newburgh were already ongoing. He recently spoke with the county’s planning commissioner and said logistics are being worked out to install bus shelters in Newburgh.

“Transportation is absolutely at the height of my concerns, second only to the high levels of unemployment my community faces, which are among the highest in the region,” Luján said. “Transportation connects us to services and jobs, making it a pivotal element. That’s why I focus so much on it.”

Luján also highlighted a transportation initiative providing free bus service in Newburgh and Middletown through Dec. 31, 2025. The program initially ran for several months in past years, but its extension for the entire year represents significant cost savings for residents, he said.