Transportation Council Begins Update of Countywide Transportation Plan
Public invited to learn more at Dec. 17th virtual meeting; New website, survey launch welcome community engagement

POUGHKEEPSIE … The Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) is updating its countywide transportation plan, Moving Dutchess Forward. This plan is the guiding vision for improving transportation in Dutchess County over the next 25 years; and the DCTC invites the public to learn more during engagement opportunities, including a virtual public meeting on Dec. 17, outreach events, and a public survey.

Work on Moving Dutchess Forward will unfold over the next eight months in four steps: Learn, Assess, Advocate, and Invest. The Learn step – which reviews trends in the county’s population, economy, housing, freight, technology, climate and travel behavior – is now available online for public review and comment at MovingDutchessForward.com.

Public involvement is critical to the planning process, ensuring Dutchess County’s transportation priorities reflect the needs of residents, workers, and visitors. The DCTC will hold several upcoming opportunities for the public to help shape the new plan:

• The DCTC will host a virtual public meeting on Dec. 17 from noon to 1 p.m. This virtual meeting will provide an overview of Moving Dutchess Forward and gather public feedback on transportation challenges and priorities. To register for the virtual meeting, please visit: tinyurl.com/MDFzoom1.
   
• DCTC representatives will attend the Beacon Farmer’s Market (233 Main Street, Beacon) on Dec. 14 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the Millerton Farmer’s Market (51 S. Center Street, Millerton) on Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where residents can meet the DCTC team, ask questions and provide feedback on the County’s transportation system. 
   
• An online survey has been launched to gather feedback regarding transportation challenges and priorities. The survey, available in English and Spanish, is open through Dec. 31, 2025. The survey can be accessed at https://arcg.is/1qDmOy3, and three respondents will be randomly selected to win a $25 Visa gift card.

All community members are encouraged to participate in one or more of these engagement opportunities. 

Those who require any assistive technologies, language translation, American Sign Language interpretation and/or adaptive strategies to attend and engage during the virtual meeting can contact Liz Podowski King with Highland Planning at 585-649-1210 or liz@highland-planning.com by Dec. 12. 

More information about Moving Dutchess Forward can be found at MovingDutchessForward.com. The website provides draft content, information on upcoming events, an interactive map viewer and online comment form.