Congressman Pat Ryan Fights for a More Affordable, Safe, and Free Hudson Valley; Delivers on Core Community Priorities in Bipartisan Transportation Bill

May 28, 2026

Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Pat Ryan - a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee - delivered on key Hudson Valley priorities in the bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act, a bill that authorizes hundreds of billions of dollars for critical infrastructure projects across the country every five years.

Ryan fought tooth and nail to secure several core community priorities in the bill, including provisions to boost housing construction near transit centers, improve rail crossing and bridge safety, and expand West of Hudson transit options.

"This is a big moment for the Hudson Valley. I've been working hard with colleagues on both sides of the aisle all year to make sure this bill invests in what our community needs: more housing and better roads, bridges, and rails. I'm incredibly proud we got it done," said Congressman Pat Ryan. "From major investments in rail and bridge safety, commercial and residential housing development, and a historic step in expansion of West of Hudson one-seat ride to the City, the BUILD America 250 Act goes to show what happens when you put politics aside and focus on delivering for the people. I will continue to fight for these kinds of improvements our community desperately needs. This is how we build the more affordable, safe, and free Hudson Valley all our families deserve."

Key Hudson Valley priorities Ryan secured in the BUILD America 250 Act include:

Investing in Hudson Valley affordable housing through Transit Oriented Development (TOD): Protecting and expanding Transit Oriented Development programs is a top priority for Congressman Ryan, and one of the most effective ways to bring down the cost of housing and build more units across the Hudson Valley. The program makes it easier and less expensive to build housing and commercial spaces near transit hubs, like the Beacon Landing project - 264 units of mixed-income housing that repurposes an underutilized parking lot next to the Beacon Metro-North station. The BUILD America 250 Act reauthorizes critical TOD programs that lead to wins like Beacon Landing, ensuring that more projects like this can be built in the Hudson Valley.

Improving rail crossing safety by funding the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program (RCE): There are more than 100 rail crossings in NY-18, many of which desperately need safety improvements like traffic signal upgrades to prevent congestion backups, roadway redesigns, and increased and enhanced warning systems. Big rail companies are trying to roll back safety measures and require less frequent inspections when we should be doing the opposite.

In 2023, following a fatal crash where a commuter train struck and killed a pedestrian in Port Jervis, the city was awarded RCE grant money for safety improvements at the rail crossing. Ryan has been raising the alarm on the RCE program's expiration for more than a year, and made it a top priority to ensure the program's longevity in the BUILD America 250 Act.

Creating a working group to assess bridge safety issues and providing the largest ever investment in America's bridges: A safety report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024 listed the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge as one in need of key vulnerability assessment.

Ryan made it a key priority to ensure that bridge safety requirements - and funding for vulnerability assessments - were included in the final bill. The BUILD America 250 Act not only reauthorizes the Bridge Investment Program to address aging bridge infrastructure, but also creates the Interagency Bridge Strike Working Group to conduct assessments on vulnerable bridges, including across the Hudson Valley.

Fighting for Hudson Valley public safety: Ryan has led the fight to prevent opioid deaths in the Hudson Valley. He was one of only two Democrats to cosponsor the HALT Fentanyl Act, pushing Speaker Johnson to bring the bill to the floor. Preventing overdose deaths is a key part of Ryan's commitment to building a safer Hudson Valley. Drug overdoses on public buses are an emergent public health and safety issue that must be addressed through innovative solutions. Ryan secured the inclusion of a historic provision in the BUILD America 250 Act, to keep emergency medical kits, including the overdose medication naloxone, on public buses.

Expanding West of Hudson one-seat ride service: Expansion of one-seat ride service to New York City, especially in communities west of the Hudson River, has long been a central priority for Hudson Valley residents. For too long, commuters have been stuck with exhausting transit options that cannot keep up with the needs of the growing community. Ryan has advocated for the expansion of one-seat ride for years - earlier this year he launched the West of Hudson Transit Study venture with Governor Hochul. Ryan's top priority in the BUILD America 250 Act was continued expansion of West of Hudson transit, specifically advancements for one-seat ride along the New Jersey Transit Port Jervis line in Orange County.

Delivering Safe Streets for All: Over the last three years, Ryan has helped deliver nearly $2 million in Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant funding to communities across the Hudson Valley. These grants are used to bolster pedestrian safety, reduce traffic accidents, and prevent roadway deaths. Last year, Ryan helped the Town of Cornwall secure a $200,000 SS4A grant for a review of Cornwall's most dangerous and accident-prone streets. This grant will enable the town to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan that will provide recommendations on how to make the town safer for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Ryan successfully secured the reauthorization of SS4A in the BUILD America 250 Act, to continue funding projects like this across Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties.

In addition to all the priorities Congressman Ryan fought for and delivered in the BUILD America 250 Act, he is also continuing to push for critical legislation relating to transportation and infrastructure in the Hudson Valley:

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