It was an action-packed end-of-session for transportation advocates in Albany, with some squeaker wins as well as some disappointing losses which will no doubt be on next year’s sustainable transportation wish list.

Lowering Speeds

A key victory this year came when the State Senate laid politics aside and granted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio a key component of his Vision Zero plan: the authority to lower the default speed limit to 25 mph throughout the five boroughs.

Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell was an early and effective champion in the Assembly, but in the Senate, passage was less certain when election year politics entered into the negotiations.

After a concerted campaign from Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, the first positive sign of forward progress for the bill came with three days left in the legislative session when Senator Jeffrey Klein introduced an amended bill (S.7892) that included input from community boards. Passage was certainly not assured especially as it became clear that Senator Dean Skelos was prepared to block the bill for personal reasons, and when Senator Andrew Lanza also indicated he was not inclined to support the legislation. Ultimately, consensus was reached and the bill is expected to be signed by Governor Cuomo. The City has already begun to discuss how to implement its new local control.

Unfortunately, other legislation to give more municipal control over speed limits in Riverhead, Niagara Falls and towns under 50,000 in population was blocked by the Assembly. Local municipalities may have better luck securing local control next year.

Red Light Cameras

Red light camera demonstration programs have been working effectively in Suffolk County, Nassau County, Yonkers and Rochester since at least 2009 (and since 1988 in New York City), cutting crashes and red light running. All red light camera programs were scheduled to sunset at the end of 2014, and early on in the session, advocates expected the legislature would reauthorize these existing programs.

But because of some pushback from AAA, there were questions about whether other cities would be granted the authority to start their own programs. It was expected that the Cities of New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and Albany had the best chance of obtaining authorization, but it wasn’t until the last hour of the last day that the Senate agreed to expand these life-saving tools upstate.

Transparency at the Port Authority

In the aftermath of the Port Authority’s “Bridgegate” scandal, two bills passed the legislature and now await Governor Cuomo’s signature. The first one (sponsored by Assemblymember Amy Paulin and Senator Michael Ranzenhofer) would subject PANYNJ to Freedom of Information laws, enabling the public to finally have access to key documents in the decision-making process. The other (sponsored by Assemblymember Jim Brennan and Senator Lanza) would subject the authority to financial reporting, and other transparency requirements public authorities are subject to across the state.

Not only do these bills require Governor Cuomo’s signature, but given that the Port Authority is a bi-state agency, companion bills also need to be passed and signed in New Jersey.

Funding the TZB

An incomplete and murky financial plan to fund the balance of the $3.9 billion replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge continues to be a problem for both Governor Cuomo and New York State legislators. Advocates were successful in beating back legislation that would have given toll discounts to residents of Westchester and Rockland Counties, eroding a key revenue stream for the Thruway Authority, and brought further congestion to a corridor.

Then, in the final days of session, it became clear to advocates that a program bill, introduced on behalf of the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) by Senator Mark Grisanti and Assemblmember Robert Sweeney, would have authorized a controversial $511 million dollar loan from the EFC (federal funds that legally need to be spent on sewer and water needs) to offer “toll relief.” That bill died in the Assembly, but efforts by the Cuomo Administration are underway to advance this massive  and unprecedented loan through at “breakneck speed” and without sufficient public input, according to the Times Union.

Passed: The Community Risk and Resiliency Act

In line with the 2011 Public Infrastructure Policy Act, the climate resiliency bill (Sponsored by Assemblymember Robert Sweeney and Senator Diane Savino) would require state-funded projects to consider climate change before issuing permits and allocating money. If signed by the governor, the state would need to plan all state projects—roads, bridges, public transit and sewer—with an eye towards the future of extreme weather, including sea level rise projections.

Failed: Safer Drivers and Streets

Two bills supported by New Yorkers for Active Transportation will need to hope for better luck next year, (or perhaps an administrative fix by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles and the NYS Department of Transportation):

• The Driver’s Ed bill (sponsored by Senator Marty Golden and Assemblymember Walter Mosley) would have updated the required pre-licensing course for New York State, assuring that bicycle and pedestrian safety were a part of the curriculum and test. The bill passed in the Senate with Senator Golden’s leadership, but was never put on an transportation committee agenda by Rochester Assemblyman David Gantt.
• An update to the Complete Streets law (sponsored by Senator Tim Kennedy and Assemblyman Sean Ryan) would have required the consideration of complete streets designs for resurfacing and maintenance projects, a notable gap in the 2011 Complete Streets law.