Transportation

(05/23/12) Host intro: The Vermont Air National Guard is considering whether to make Burlington International Airport home to a fleet of new F-35 fighter jets. Communities around the airport debated the jets' presence at a public hearing last week. The Environmental Impact statement put out by the Air Force says that the new jets will bring higher noise levels to neighborhoods surrounding the airport.

On Monday night, South Burlington's City Council voted 4 - 1 to oppose the plan. Sarah Harris has more. more

(05/21/12) The new Lake Champlain Bridge opened for business back in November. But over the weekend, thousands of people gathered to officially dedicate the span, which connects Crown Point and Addison, Vermont. Brian Mann was there and sent this audio postcard. more

(05/18/12) This weekend marks the official grand opening of the Lake Champlain bridge between Crown Point, New York and Addison, Vermont. Nearly three years after the old bridge was condemned and closed to traffic, the new span will see two days of dances, parades, music, and a flotilla on lake.

Brian Mann has followed the story from the beginning, and he joined Martha Foley on the line to preview the weekend.

(05/15/12) The state Department of Transportation has modified its plan to repave the highway from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake this summer. The new design will widen the shoulders and accommodate cyclists a little better.

The department will now aim to leave as much room as possible along the shoulders of state Route 86. DOT officials say the changes were made following input from local officials and cycling advocates. Chris Morris reports. more

(04/16/12) Officials in the Tri-Lakes area want the state to build lanes for bicycles when state Route 86 is repaved this spring between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.

The 8-mile stretch of the highway is one of the most heavily traveled roads in the North Country.
It's also popular among cyclists, both athletes and commuters.

But as Chris Morris reports, the state Department of Transportation says there are no plans to widen the road to include bike lanes. more

(04/04/12) The North Country will get $45.5 million from the state, for almost 50 projects to repair roads and bridges.

That money comes from the $1.2 billion "New York Works" program. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the projects yesterday. In a press release, the governor's office said the projects will repair 345 miles of roads and 11 bridges in the North Country. more

(03/23/12) Another sign of spring came yesterday (Thursday), as the St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened to shipping for its 54th season. The Thousand Islands saw its first ship of the season before the opening, on Wednesday. The Missisagi winters in Hamilton, Ontario, so it didn't need to pass through any locks to get to Prescott.

The Seaway opening also means it's the start of ship watching season in the Thousand Islands. Mike Folsom blogs at the ship watcher dot com. He says it was like winter never came this year, and there was hardly any ice to break to open the water up for the big freighters. Yesterday afternoon, he told Nora Flaherty ships were already on the move up the river.

(02/27/12) On Friday, we reported that New York state is pushing Federal officials to toughen proposed new standards for ballast water pollution on freighters using the St. Lawrence Seaway.

In that report, we mistakenly reported that the Cuomo administration is still planning to implement its own set of ballast water regulations, scheduled to go into effect next year.

But officials in Albany say they've decided to scrap the state rules, a move that's drawing mixed reviews from industry groups and environmentalists. Brian Mann has our update.

(02/24/12) A state vs. federal feud over ballast water carried by ocean-going freighters is heating up again.

New York is steward of a long stretch of the St. Lawrence River. Since the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened to international shipping in the 50s, it's been a major route for invasive species that have ended up in the Great Lakes and their tributaries.

The state's Department of Environmental Conservation has tough ballast water standards set to go into effect next year. The DEC -- and many environmentalists -- think the strict new rules are needed to keep more invasive plants and animals from reaching the US.

Officials with the federal Environmental Protection Agency -- along with the shipping industry -- think less stringent laws will keep invasives out - and they say their standards are achievable.

Brian Mann spoke about the debate with Martha Foley.

(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.