A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in the tri-state region and beyond.
WINNERS
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy – The governor announced this week that a Metro-North infrastructure modernization project has wrapped up, which “should help restore the confidence of commuters who have been shaken by two years of service failures, accidents and management blunders.”
AAA New Jersey – AAA members in Morris, Essex and Union Counties are now eligible for free roadside bicycle assistance, because “the idea of mutual respect and sharing the road with all users is an important one at AAA.” Too bad their colleagues across the Hudson don’t seem to share that sentiment.
National Association of City Transportation Officials – More and more states and cities are endorsing NACTO’s Urban Street Design Guide as a guide for implementing livable streets, and the organization has just appointed Linda Bailey, former federal policy advisor for the New York City Department of Transportation, as Executive Director.
New Jersey businesses near transit – A recent study shows that “transit hub markets” are a best-case scenario for business owners in the Garden State, noting that if New Jersey wants to attract young innovators to its companies, “transit connectivity is critical.”
LOSERS
New York State Senator Andrew Lanza – Senator Lanza has taken his dislike of Select Bus Service to a new level this week by introducing a bill that would “bar the city from enforcing a bus-only lane” – a move advocates say would ensure certain death for SBS on Staten Island.
Brooklyn Community Board 3 – CB3 has postponed an eagerly-awaited discussion on a neighborhood slow zone because the next meeting’s agenda was “too packed” and that “liquor license applications are time sensitive” – as if pedestrian safety is not.
US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations – You might say the Committee’s latest bill landed with a “thud” this week. Not only does the 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill (THUD) reduce program funding by nearly $2 billion, but it also severely cuts funding to Amtrak, the FTA, the FRA and the TIGER program.
Regarding Metro North, too bad all of LIRR’s problems can’t be solved this quickly! Wow, you’d think that they’d just rediscovered slice bread from listening to Gov Molloy!
In regard to the Select Bus, replace it with streetcar or light rail without dedicating a lane. Enforce bans against parking in the lanes used and let drivers choose whether they drive on the tracks. Because of better and smoother acceleration, the electric rail vehicles will be faster than the buses.