New York State’s 2012 draft budget gave transportation some much needed attention. If the plan is adopted, the state will dispense $4.4 billion to New York’s transit systems ($4 billion to the MTA and $430 million to non-MTA systems). The increase in aid comes from tax restructuring and revenue increases from [...]]]>

Governor Cuomo. Photo: patja

New York State’s 2012 draft budget gave transportation some much needed attention. If the plan is adopted, the state will dispense $4.4 billion to New York’s transit systems ($4 billion to the MTA and $430 million to non-MTA systems). The increase in aid comes from tax restructuring and revenue increases from various dedicated taxes (MMTOA) that pay for transit.

Here are some of the budget’s notable transportation components:

• Upstate transit systems get attention: upstate bus systems have long struggled to deliver service. Bus systems currently receive revenue from the petroleum business tax, which has brought in less money over the years. To address this, the Governor proposed a redistribution of the Transmission Tax (also known as the “Long Lines Tax”) more equitably between downstate and upstate systems. Instead of a yearly transfer of tax revenue between upstate and downstate, funds would be distributed based on population. This would bring in an additional $11 million in aid to upstate transit systems. NYSTEA and TSTC have pointed out that these systems need greater attention.

• The MTA gets paid back: thanks to pressure from transit advocacy groups, Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget keeps his promise to fill the $310 million gap in the MTA’s budget caused by the reformed payroll mobility tax deal in December. The restructuring worried transit advocates, who feared that the drop in yearly revenue would trigger another fare increase and service cut in 2012. State sources indicate that the MTA will be compensated for the full $310 million over the state’s fiscal year (which runs April 1 through March 31). The state would also reimburse the MTA for costs associated with an EZ Pass rebate program for Queens residents that use the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge.

• The MTA Capital Program gets additional state commitment: the state would give an additional $770 million over the remaining three years of the MTA’s construction effort. This aid would be accompanied by a $7 billion increase in the MTA’s debt ceiling (from $34 billion to $41 billion), which would finance the bulk of the capital program. State legislation is required for this action.

• Rail gets a boost in funding: the budget includes $26.6 million for “additional rail capital investments and support [for] Amtrak service subsidies.” This would help improve the state’s rail infrastructure and make high speed rail opportunities more conceivable.

• NYSDOT will be consolidated: in an effort to create a more seamless transportation vision throughout the state, the New York State Department of Transportation’s 11 regional offices would be consolidated to six. TSTC has long advocated for this measure. The budget notes that the consolidation would create efficiencies within the department, along with “…a new regional view that better reflects the needs of the state.” Hopefully, this will benefit urban areas and streamline the funding process for sustainable transportation initiatives between cities and the state.

• Tappan Zee bridge construction bill has not been resolved: the Governor reiterated his proposal to fund the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project with $5 billion from a New York Works Infrastructure Fund, with the New York State Thruway Authority being the responsible entity. It is still unclear how the Thruway Authority would pay for the replacement, though increased tolls and taxes seem to be the most likely options. Meanwhile, BRTontheBridge.org was launched today to advocate for a bridge replacement plan that includes the public transportation communities need.

Transit advocates and LI Bus riders have been demanding for months to see the final service contract between Nassau County and Veolia Transportation, the private bus operator selected by the county to begin providing service next year. The county refused until last night, releasing the contract two days after Election [...]]]>

Naughty or nice?

Transit advocates and LI Bus riders have been demanding for months to see the final service contract between Nassau County and Veolia Transportation, the private bus operator selected by the county to begin providing service next year. The county refused until last night, releasing the contract two days after Election Day and the day before Veterans Day, when county offices are closed. A first vote on the contract is scheduled for Monday in the County Legislature’s Rules Committee. You can’t make this stuff up.

The county also announced that LI Bus would be ironically rebranded the “NICE” (Nassau Inter-County Express) bus system. The county will name a five-person Transit Advisory Committee that must approve fare hikes, service cuts, and the annual bus budget, but as outlined below this committee appears to have very limited powers.

The contract (available here) has several troubling pieces:

• Veolia can cut six routes in the first 6 months and has the ability to reduce service as it sees fit without approval by the Transit Advisory Committee, as long as changes do not amount to more than a 25% service cut on any route;
• There is no guarantee of free transfers to NYC buses and subways, or MetroCard use.  Losing free transfers would be a de facto fare increase for the 30,000 riders that link into the NYC system;
• Fare hikes are not planned for 2012, but Veolia can propose fare increases next year if revenue projections are not coming in as anticipated;
• If the Advisory Committee does not approve fare hikes, service cuts, or county funding increases requested by Veolia, the company appears to be able to terminate its contract. While an Annual Plan and Budget will be approved, it appears that it can be amended quarterly, putting the County on the hook for increases in “Variable Fees” (scheduled to go up by about $21 million by the ninth year of the contract alone);
• Reasons which Veolia can demand a fee increase quarterly include: an increase in fuel costs, operating costs, or “any other circumstance reasonably requiring that [rates] be adjusted … in order to maintain for Veolia the opportunity to earn a reasonable margin for overhead and profit for Veolia.”
• All Transit Advisory Committee members must be county residents, but do not need to be bus riders. There is no designated seat to represent riders or workers.
• There are no clear provisions for public access to Transit Advisory Committee meetings, except those required by state law.

There is one shred of good news, which is that Able-Ride service coverage will not change for two years. But with fares and service uncertainty in the months ahead, will it remain affordable? Federal law allows paratransit systems like Able-Ride to charge fares up to double that of the regular transit fare.

The county will hold a public hearing on the new contract at the Nassau County Executive and Legislative Building at 1550 Franklin Street in Mineola at a date and time to be determined.

Image: Via Nassau County.

With track fires and derailments creating havoc, commuters on the region’s rails need some good news.  And Metro-North is stepping up to deliver it.  To accommodate its growing ridership, Metro-North is adding more service to weekday rush hour and weekend trains. Since March [...]]]>

Metro-North has added trains to the Harlem and Hudson Lines.

With track fires and derailments creating havoc, commuters on the region’s rails need some good news.  And Metro-North is stepping up to deliver it.  To accommodate its growing ridership, Metro-North is adding more service to weekday rush hour and weekend trains. Since March 2010, total ridership on the system is up by 5.8 percent, jumping as high as ten percent on some stretches.  To accommodate the increase, the agency is adding cars to existing trains and adding more trains during AM and PM runs into and out of Grand Central.

Beginning today, commuters on the Hudson Line will have an additional AM peak train departing Poughkeepsie at 7:13 AM and an extra express PM train departing Grand Central at 6:12 PM.  Weekend ridership on the Hudson Line has also jumped, especially during Yankees baseball season.  (Which is part of the reason why the stadium’s oversized parking garages are seeing vacancy rates over 50%, as advocates predicted.)  On the Harlem Line, five trains will be added to the Sunday schedule to accommodate the rise in weekend trips along with three additional AM trains to Grand Central and two more PM trains leaving.  No service adjustments to the New Haven Line (but commuters are at least enjoying the occasional new M8 train).

Amtrak broke ridership records with news that the rail carried 30.2 million passengers in 2011.  According to the agency, it’s “a total that has never been reached in the corporation’s 40 years of operation.”  Overall, ridership for the agency has grown 44% since 2000. Meanwhile, the FY2012 federal budget could slash support for Amtrak if the funding levels being considered by the House are adopted.

It is an encouraging sign to see transit ridership grow so significantly.  The recession prompted dips in ridership and revenue casting a shadow on the financial outlook for the region’s transit agencies.  But, the worry continues as these agencies struggle to accommodate this growth with tight budgets and threats of state and federal cuts on the horizon.

Image: Adam E. Moreira/Wikimedia Commons.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Local elected officials on both sides of the Tappan Zee Bridge are speaking up for transit after Governor Cuomo’s announcement that the bridge replacement project is moving forward without plans for bus rapid transit or commuter rail. Over the ten-year study period, NYSDOT held multiple [...]]]>

Click here to view the embedded video.

Local elected officials on both sides of the Tappan Zee Bridge are speaking up for transit after Governor Cuomo’s announcement that the bridge replacement project is moving forward without plans for bus rapid transit or commuter rail. Over the ten-year study period, NYSDOT held multiple meetings with local and state elected officials to solicit feedback and share updates on the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor project. Representing communities frustrated with traffic congestion, limited transit, and dwindling economic growth, key officials saw the potential for mass transit to spur an economically robust and solid corridor. But without transit, many worry these concerns will not be addressed.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said on YNN’s Capital Tonight that “My concern is that they’re going to replace a 1955 bridge with another 1955 bridge, and that won’t do anything to solve the problem. Bus rapid transit, or mass transit, has got to be a part of this new bridge to alleviate some of the concerns that everyone has in this region.”

“If we’re going to fix the problem, fix the problem. Don’t spend $5 or $6 billion… and end up with the same exact problem the minute the bridge opens.” Astorino called for both rail and bus rapid transit, which he noted meant “dedicated lanes on the bridge, and then off the bridge — otherwise, you’re going to have buses full of commuters that are just stuck in traffic.”

As MTR noted this morning, a cross-corridor BRT system is projected to carry 50,000 daily bus riders, addressing issues of traffic congestion and lost economic productivity. Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef expressed his concerns with the plan in the Journal News saying, “You can’t just throw a bridge down there and say we’ll build the rest of it later.”

The strong support for transit by the Republican county executives is evidence of the broad consensus that has been reached over the life of the project study, which makes it all the more surprising that the decade-long process has to start afresh. The project changes have caught many off guard.  Drew Fixell, Mayor of Tarrytown, told the Journal News,  “This really was surprising. All of a sudden, everything changed.”

Video: Capital Tonight.

“One of the most important findings is that traffic forecasts clearly demonstrate a demand for travel in the corridor that cannot be accommodated [...]]]>

A bus rapid transit system connecting destinations throughout the I-287 corridor in Westchester and Rockland Counties had strong regional support. But it appears to have been dropped from the project.

“One of the most important findings is that traffic forecasts clearly demonstrate a demand for travel in the corridor that cannot be accommodated by highway improvements alone.  The need to include transit improvements in a dedicated right-of-way across the corridor is indicated.”- Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Alternatives Analysis, 2006.

Nearly ten years and 280 stakeholder meetings led to a regional consensus that transit should be included in plans to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge.

But in a few hours earlier this week, Gov. Cuomo changed course. On Monday he asked the White House to “fast track” the Tappan Zee Bridge project. On Tuesday the White House agreed, including it as one of 14 infrastructure projects being expedited across the country.

“Fast tracking” in this case means dropping plans for transit, “re-scoping” the project so it consists only of a bridge replacement, and starting over with an entirely new environmental study. If the Tappan Zee Bridge project moves forward without the bus rapid transit component, New York might have its own transit loss to rival New Jersey’s cancellation of the ARC rail tunnel.

For decades, the state has been studying how to improve the cross-Hudson commute along I-287 and launched a formal environmental review in 2002. After 280 meetings, including 10 public visioning sessions and detailed input from advocates, NYSDOT pursued five alternatives and all but the “No Build” alternative included transit. In 2009, the state said it would pursue bus rapid transit as the cross corridor transit option and launched transit-oriented-development workshops — with the help of Regional Plan Association, Project for Public Spaces, and Reconnecting America — to help nine municipalities explore development opportunities as a result of the bridge project.  The sessions were well attended and highly regarded.

BRT was selected because it was the most effective transit mode for suburb-to-suburb commuters and thus predicted to do the most to reduce traffic in the corridor. BRT is projected to move over 50,000 commuters daily and connect economic centers such as White Plains and the “Platinum Mile” of office parks with residential areas, regional destinations, and existing rail lines.  The need for such a system has been underscored by recent press reports describing how the Platinum Mile has lost tenants to urban centers with access to transit.

Advocacy groups often criticize agencies and government for closed and esoteric planning processes. Throwing out the earnest, thorough, and open state process surrounding the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 project to begin the process anew erodes public confidence and faith in government.

Today, the Journal News reports that the Federal Highway Administration, which has supplanted NYSDOT as the lead agency, will host two more public scoping briefings to discuss the bridge project on October 25 and 27.

Advocates and local elected officials cautioned against moving forward without a transit component. In a statement, TSTC Executive Director Kate Slevin warned that “the state may be missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions and create a transit backbone for future development in the Hudson Valley.” Regional Plan Association’s Jeff Zupan told the NY Times that “What they’re basically saying to the driver is, ‘We’re going to raise your toll [to pay for the replacement] and by the way we’re not going to improve public transit.’ “ Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef said to the Journal News that ”You can’t just throw a bridge down there and say we’ll build the rest of it later.”

A bus rapid transit system was always the cheapest component of the Tappan Zee/I-287 project. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be put on the fast track as well.

Multiple news outlets have reported that Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward will resign by the end of October, after 3 years of leading the agency. During his tenure, Ward kept agency budgets lean and took control of the World Trade Center rebuilding efforts. As Tri-State’s executive director Kate Slevin told the [...]]]>

Ward.

Multiple news outlets have reported that Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward will resign by the end of October, after 3 years of leading the agency. During his tenure, Ward kept agency budgets lean and took control of the World Trade Center rebuilding efforts. As Tri-State’s executive director Kate Slevin told the NY Times, Ward also “made a very strong and convincing case for more investment in our infrastructure.”

One recent example of that was a bold speech Ward gave at a NY Building Congress luncheon this summer. For years, transportation infrastructure has been on the decline: bridges are deficient, roads are crumbling, transit systems are aging.  Ward candidly compared the foibles of recent years with the marvels of the Progressive Era (when Grand Central, the subway system, and the underground water network were built). He lamented the passing of an era of bold innovation driven by courageous decision makers who understood the long-term implications of the decisions.  Too many of today’s leaders have kicked the can down the road and left future generations to deal with the consequences, and made it a struggle just to maintain existing infrastructure. Ward said:

The Port Authority recently sought to significantly raise its tolls and fares… In an instant, we became subsumed in the political environment I have been describing – one with little capacity to support the investment our region’s economic backbone so desperately needs.

By the end of it, we emerged with a ten-year capital plan that in some ways is all too modest – one that keeps our transportation network in a state of good repair to be sure, but not one that expands it in any transformative way. That agenda was unthinkable in this environment. […]

Unfortunately, you cannot always do more with less. Sometimes you must simply do more. And until that reality becomes part of our political conversation, we will be playing catch up with the rest of the world.

In the last few years, the nation’s biggest transit project (the Access to the Region’s Core rail tunnel) was cancelled, riders of the nation’s largest transit agency (the MTA) have twice faced the prospect of “doomsday” budgets, transportation construction programs in New York and New Jersey have been patched up with duct tape, the Lake Champlain Bridge in upstate NY had to be blown up after it was found unsafe, and lack of maintenance directly contributed to rail shutdowns in the winter (Metro-North’s New Haven line) and summer (NJ Transit and Amtrak derailments and electrical problems, LIRR switch failures). At the federal level, it often seems as if the best case scenario is the status quo, with massive cuts the only other option.

The financial and political environment hasn’t stopped all progress. But Ward is right to worry about the consequences of continued neglect. Let’s hope the next wave of transportation leaders is thinking about those consequences too.

On Tuesday, transit advocates, labor, elected officials, and transit users stood together on the steps of City Hall to call on Congressional leaders, Governor Cuomo, and Mayor Bloomberg to support transit.  Concerned about the outlook of the subways, buses, and rails amidst projected funding cuts in [...]]]>

Rally participants at City Hall in NYC.

On Tuesday, transit advocates, labor, elected officials, and transit users stood together on the steps of City Hall to call on Congressional leaders, Governor Cuomo, and Mayor Bloomberg to support transit.  Concerned about the outlook of the subways, buses, and rails amidst projected funding cuts in Washington and funding gaps at the MTA, attendees sent a strong message that the transit system is vital to New York’s economy and prosperity and that without continued and increased investment, the system might return to those days of old, poorly maintained subways and rail cars and unreliable and infrequent service on the region’s rails, subways, and buses.

Rally goers also called on Governor Cuomo to sign “lock-box” legislation, which requires that a “diversion impact statement” be filed when dedicated transit funds are swept into the general fund for other purposes, putting a public spotlight on diversions of transit funding.  The bill passed both legislative chambers in June and is still awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Standing up for transit were: Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Straphangers Campaign, Transportation Alternatives, UPROSE, and WE ACT in addition to State Senator Dan Squadron, Assembly Dick Gottfried, and City Councilmembers Letitia James and Robert Jackson. Tri-State Transportation Campaign associate director, Veronica Vanterpool, told the group:

“Transit investment not only helps New Yorkers get to work.  It generates hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the state boosting the economy of New York.  We are users of transit and we are defenders of transit.  And, we call on our leaders in Washington, City Hall, and Albany to fight against proposed transit cuts and we call on Governor Cuomo to sign the lockbox legislation.”

The event, organized by TWU Local 100, was one of several events happening in cities across the US for “Don’t X Out Transit” day. A similar rally took place in Flushing, Queens and included the Amalgamated Transit Union, State Sen. Toby Stavisky, state Assemblywoman Grace Meng, and Assemblyman Rory Lancman.

Image: NY1.

After months of advocating for improved bike facilities at many of Metro-North’s most widely used stations, the Bike Walk Alliance of Westchester announced that improvements will finally be coming to North White Plains. As reported by The Journal News, the MTA will build 20 bike parking spaces and add [...]]]>

The N. White Plains Metro-North station.

After months of advocating for improved bike facilities at many of Metro-North’s most widely used stations, the Bike Walk Alliance of Westchester announced that improvements will finally be coming to North White Plains. As reported by The Journal News, the MTA will build 20 bike parking spaces and add bike lockers as part of a planned 500-space parking garage.

The MTA’s original proposal included just 5-10 bike spots, and was assailed by bike advocates for its failure to significantly accommodate existing bikers and encourage increased biking amongst Metro-North riders.  After a grassroots campaign led by the Alliance and the Westchester Cycling Club, and with the support of local, state, and Congressional lawmakers, the MTA modified the plan to include better bike storage facilities.

The station is a natural fit for increased bike parking as it is accessible by the popular off-road Bronx River Parkway bike/pedestrian path. Also, given the high Metro-North ridership at this station, there is potential for more riders to become bike commuters with the addition of these new amenities.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Usroadsman.