New Bill Seeks Three Billion Annually to Reconnect Hudson Valley Communities

Congressman Pat Ryan introduced the Restoring Essential Public Access and Improving Resilient Infrastructure Program Act on December 12, 2025, proposing a sweeping update to the federal program known as Reconnecting Communities. The bill would reauthorize the program at three billion dollars per year for 2027 to 2031, broaden eligibility for grants, and enshrine requirements intended to prioritize economic development, community involvement, and the prevention of displacement in project selection.

At the core of the proposal is a focus on repairing neighborhood connections severed by mid century highway construction and improving pedestrian and transit access to jobs and services across the Hudson Valley. Planning and transportation groups endorsed the measure, highlighting the potential to fund projects that restore walkable streets, safer crossings, and transit links that many communities lost when highways were built through dense neighborhoods.

Local officials across the region welcomed the proposal, including leaders from Kingston and Port Jervis who signaled support for new federal resources to repair local infrastructure and better connect residents to employment centers. For Orange County, where towns and small cities border major travel corridors, the bill could open funding pathways to redesign roadways, retrofit crossings, and expand transit access that serves low income neighborhoods and older adults.

The bill also proposes stronger guardrails against displacement by making housing stability and community engagement central to funding decisions. Advocates said those provisions would help ensure that investments benefit long standing residents rather than accelerating gentrification. Municipal planners and local transportation agencies in Orange County could use the expanded eligibility to pursue projects that integrate local economic goals with mobility improvements.

If enacted, the program would begin funding in 2027, giving local governments and regional planning bodies time to identify candidate projects and prepare applications. For Orange County residents, the measure promises federal dollars aimed at reconnecting neighborhoods, improving access to jobs and services, and shaping infrastructure investments with community voices and displacement prevention measures at the forefront.