Connecting Metro-North Railroad with Stewart Airport -- an idea that's been under discussion and has received a lot of support over the years -- may well remain in the discussion phase for even longer.

The lack of good transit links to Stewart Airport means other congested airports in the region will continue to be overburdened.Metro-North just released the results of its years-long study for improving transit service in Orange County, and what the railroad's proposed plan most notably does not include is the building of a commuter rail line connection to Stewart Airport.

Better access to New York's airports is essential for the region's economic growth and sustainability. And in this case, continuing to delay the construction of a Metro-North link to Stewart may have far-reaching negative effects for all New Yorkers.

The theory that our area's airports cannot sufficiently accommodate air traffic at their current sizes has led some to propose an expansion to Kennedy Airport by adding new runways close to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. This kind of expansion could exact a huge toll on the local environment. But by making it easier for air passengers to reach other regional airports -- like Stewart and MacArthur, on Long Island -- pressure could be taken off more congested airports like LaGuardia and Kennedy.

We can pump the brakes on environmental degradation in our own backyard by improving the efficiency of our transit system - and linking Metro-North to Stewart Airport can help us achieve that goal.