Transportation

(01/30/12) Proponents of a new rooftop highway in the state are angry after an announcement by the state Department of Transportation this week that the agency will use $6.3 million in federal money earmarked as part of the 2005 federal highway bill for improvements along Route 11. The I-98 supporters thought the money was supposed to be used for planning studies for the new highway. But the DOT says the language in the legislation allows the money to be used for Route 11 instead. Joanna Richards reports. more

(01/30/12) Officials in Harrietstown have organized a new citizens committee to study the cost and future management of the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear. The airport was the target of a scathing report from the state Comptroller's office earlier this month that found the facility had been mismanaged.

(01/16/12) A new debate is underway over the future of the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear. Traffic at the airport is growing, with more than 11,500 passengers using Cape Air's commuter flights last year. Supporters say that brings a big boost to the Tri-Lakes economy.

But state and local officials also say cost overruns, mismanagement and a lack of political support for the airport could threaten its future.

Brian Mann has our story. more

(01/11/12) The state Comptroller issued a scathing report yesterday, arguing that "mismanagement" at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear has cost Harrietstown nearly a quarter million dollars. The report also found that local officials "could not account for" nearly four thousand gallons of fuel. Brian Mann has details. more

(01/03/12) A local advocacy group that wants to replace the train tracks between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake with a multi-use recreational trail is ready to hit 2012 with a full head of steam.

The Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates held a press conference in the board room at the Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake last week to update the media and the public about the group's efforts.

The organization plans to study the costs of building a trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, as well as the economic benefits of a tourist train that currently operates along the corridor. more

(12/30/11) Town leaders in Colton say the north country is putting too much emphasis on a so-called Rooftop Highway, and not enough on short term economic development projects. The highway idea, which some have dubbed I-98, is to build a four lane interstate from Watertown around to Plattsburgh.

Colton Town Supervisor Lawrence Patzwald says there are many ways to boost the region's economy. more

(12/26/11) A green group in the Adirondacks is trying to block the reopening of an industrial railroad line that stretches into the High Peaks region of the Park.

Protect the Adirondacks says the move would violate an easement that allows the railroad to operate in an area designated as part of the "forever wild" forest preserve. As Brian Mann reports, state officials have also raised questions about the project. more

(12/23/11) The US Postal Service is in crisis mode, trying to downsize while wrestling with billions of dollars in deficits. Dozens of local post offices have been targeted for possible closure. And as many as 200 mail processing centers around the country may also shut down - including facilities in Plattsburgh, Glens Falls and White River Junction, Vermont. A final decision on their fate has been put off until May, but as Sarah Harris reports, people are already talking about the jobs and the services that may be lost here in the North Country. more

(12/06/11) In our on-going series, The Adirondack Attic, Andy Flynn talks with Steve Engelhart, Executive Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, about an early photo of the original Lake Champlain Bridge, which connects Crown Point, New York and Addison, Vermont. Back in 1929, the original bridge was state-of-the-art for the era.

(11/14/11) The North Country Regional Economic Development Council's draft strategic plan, due to the state today, includes support for rehabilitating of the Remsen-Lake Placid rail corridor.

The latest version of the plan supports state, federal and private funding for rehabbing the entire railroad, from Remsen all the way to Lake Placid. The plan calls the corridor the "last remaining rail access into the central Adirondacks." The council's draft plan also says accommodations should be made for a multi-use recreational trail.

But the corridor is controversial, and not everyone is pleased that it's included in the strategic plan. Chris Morris reports. more