COLONIE, ALBANY CO. (AP) -- The public's input is being sought by New York state transportation planners conducting a $3 million study into the road, rail and canal corridor between Albany and Buffalo.

The Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation launched the study in October 2009 to identify and address the transportation challenges facing a region that includes major east-west highways, passenger and freight rail systems, and the Erie Canal.

The corridor between the Albany area and western New York handles millions of travelers and millions of tons of freight each year.

Thursday evening in the Albany suburb of Colonie, the Mohawk-Erie Multimodal Transportation Corridor Study is holding the last of four public meetings scheduled this year. Other meetings were held last month in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

The study is expected to be completed next fall.

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