POUGHKEEPSIE – The Dutchess County Transportation Council has started its newest countywide planning effort: Moving Dutchess Forward – a long-range, strategic look at improving transportation in Dutchess County over the next 25 years.
Moving Dutchess Forward, the council’s seventh long-range transportation plan, is centered around four strategic goals and will look at all the ways people move about the county, from driving, walking, and bicycling, to riding transit and moving freight.
It will evaluate trends, assess transportation barriers, and recommend planning policies and investment strategies to help create a safer, more reliable transportation system for all residents and visitors, regardless of ability, background, or form of travel.
The council expects the plan to be completed by next spring and will be the first digital plan with updates at https://movingdutchessforward.com.
The council is also asking for the public’s input on the transportation challenges they face in accessing basic needs such as housing, work, and healthcare. An online survey is available on the Moving Dutchess Forward website and directly at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MDFChallenges. The survey responses will inform the plan’s priorities and make sure it addresses local transportation needs. Survey participants can also enter a drawing to win a gift card.
Funding for the DCTC and its work comes from the Federal Highway and Transit Administrations.