Legislators grew frustrated with New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald at a hearing last week, bristling at what Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) called her “almost deliberate opaqueness” during a session about the department’s proposed 2012-13 budget.

Governor Cuomo’s budget makes significant [...]]]>

The Capitol | Photo: Matt H. Wade

Legislators grew frustrated with New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald at a hearing last week, bristling at what Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) called her “almost deliberate opaqueness” during a session about the department’s proposed 2012-13 budget.

Governor Cuomo’s budget makes significant infrastructure investments, and the public is eager for details about its spending targets and financing. When legislators inquired, though, Commissioner McDonald was short on information.

Senator Fuschillo (R-Merrick) asked for a list of bridges and roads that would be repaired with the $4.5 billion allocated to the NY Works plan.

“We’re working on the list,” replied McDonald.

Fuschillo also asked for more information on the plan to consolidate NYSDOT’s regional offices.

“We’re studying that now,” said McDonald.

Senator Golden (R-Brooklyn) asked about funding the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement.

“We’re looking at all the options,” McDonald said.

In a moment of frustration, Senator Golden rhetorically asked, “how are we supposed to make an informed decision when your responses are uniformly ‘we’re studying that’?” (The Senate and Assembly evaluate the Governor’s budget every year).

Information-hungry legislators emphasized the need for a Memorandum of Understanding between the agency and the Legislature on the NYSDOT Capital Program’s targets. They also reminded McDonald that the Western New York NYSDOT region was shorted $167 million in 2008 and asked for a regional breakdown of NYSDOT’s spending.

Commissioner McDonald had a firmer answer for Senator Liz Krueger (D-New York), who asked if any of the projects in the NY Works plan were for public transportation, as opposed to just roads and bridges. McDonald answered in the negative, but said that that NYSDOT was “working with the federal government to assist upstate [transit] systems.”

On Friday, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) announced a request for $18.6 million in federal transportation funds to begin preliminary engineering work on the Tappan Zee Bridge project.

The amendment to the [...]]]>

Governor Cuomo and NYMTC still have the opportunity to make transit part of the Tappan Zee project. Photo: Patja

On Friday, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) announced a request for $18.6 million in federal transportation funds to begin preliminary engineering work on the Tappan Zee Bridge project.

The amendment to the downstate New York Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)—the basic blueprint for downstate transportation spending—would “program funding for preliminary engineering work for the Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project in Westchester and Rockland counties to include steel pile procurement, installation, testing and removal.” The plan calls for $18.6 million in federal “Interstate Maintenance” support.

This means that the project is moving forward despite the elimination of public transportation, which the County Executives of Westchester and Rockland originally wanted on the bridge. Officially, the project is in the first phase of the environmental review, but there’s clearly a lot going on behind closed doors.

In order for the amendment to make it onto the TIP (and thereby get federal funding), there must be a consensus among the voting members of NYMTC. Although the NYMTC typically approves all of its members’ proposals, council members have previously vetoed particularly objectionable plans.

A public comment period runs from Dec. 12-21. Those interested in seeing changes to the project should contact Governor Cuomo and their local elected officials.

The cost to society of traffic crashes is over three times that of congestion, according to a new report from AAA. The report makes a clear case for the importance of traffic safety projects – road, bike, and sidewalk improvements that typically cost less than road widenings sold to the public as congestion relievers (but [...]]]>

The cost to society of traffic crashes is over three times that of congestion, according to a new report from AAA. The report makes a clear case for the importance of traffic safety projects – road, bike, and sidewalk improvements that typically cost less than road widenings sold to the public as congestion relievers (but which tend to increase driving and congestion in the long run).

According to the report, in 2009, fatal and non-fatal traffic crashes in urbanized areas had costs more than three times greater than the costs of congestion in those same areas. Costs associated with crashes — including property damage, lost household production, medical costs, and rehabilitation– were estimated to be $299.5 billion in 2009, while congestion costs for 2009 came in at $97.7 billion.

The report finds the highest per person crash costs are in smaller metropolitan areas, but in each metro area, the costs of crashes are higher than the costs of congestion. The total cost of crashes in the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island metro area was $29.5 billion ($1,548 per person) – more than 2.6 times the cost of congestion for the region ($10.9 billion, or $580 per person).

Researchers used data from the Federal Highway Administration on the costs of crashes, and the Texas Transportation Institute’s estimates of congestion costs. Though costs associated with crashes have increased since the AAA’s previous study (released in 2008, using data from 2005), the pattern of crashes costing more than congestion has held from the previous iteration of the study.

The report offers a number of broad recommendations such as increasing “collaboration between disciplines” and funds for data collection. Its boldest have to do with national leadership. The study argues that the US should “make zero fatalities a national goal” and make safety a national priority.

Graph: TSTC using data from AAA report.

When Florida Governor Rick Scott rejected $2 billion in federal funding for high-speed rail earlier this year, NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald was quick to the [...]]]>

The Livingston Avenue Bridge is one of only a few connections between Albany and Rensselaer, making it critically important that pedestrians and cyclists get access to the bridge.

When Florida Governor Rick Scott rejected $2 billion in federal funding for high-speed rail earlier this year, NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald was quick to the draw, helping to secure almost $900 million in funds for the Northeast region. Part of that money has been set aside for preliminary engineering to rehab or replace the Livingston Avenue Bridge, a freight and passenger rail bridge which connects Albany and Rensselaer and is currently a bottleneck in Amtrak’s passenger rail service. Now, the unanswered question for the adjacent communities is whether NYSDOT will apply its regional goals of including bicycle and pedestrian accommodations to the revamped bridge.

The 144-year-old swing bridge is owned by freight railroad CSX and is deemed as the “critical link” connecting New York City to northern and western New York, as well as Amtrak’s national rail system. It used to have pedestrian access—and at one point, tolls were actually collected from those who crossed—but conditions have deteriorated and there is now no legal access across. Community leaders in Albany and Rensselaer view bike and pedestrian access as key to their waterfront revitalization efforts, connecting trail systems and improving multi-modal access to the train station. The concept has loomed large in various plans over the last twelve years, most recently in “Albany 2030,” the city’s draft master plan released for comments last month.

According to Richard Filkins, manager for the project, NYSDOT has not decided yet if this bridge will include bike and pedestrian access. Filkins said there were few examples of bikes, pedestrians, and rail co-habiting on bridges, though he mentioned the possibility of cantilevering a structure off of the bridge to provide access. Some rail bridges that include such accommodations include the Steel Bridge in Oregon and Harpers Ferry Bridge in Virginia, both of which are mentioned in a report issued by the Federal Highway Administration in 2002 titled “Rails with Trails: Lessons Learned.” Parks and Trails NY also submitted a letter in November that has ample examples of bike-ped trails adjacent to rail, though not across bridges.

In December, Cohoes Mayor John McDonald III sent a letter to DOT emphasizing that the Capital District Transportation Committee had signed off on the project  ”contingent on restoring pedestrian and bicycle accommodation across the bridge,” and called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.” However, Maurice O’Connell, Vice President of Government Affairs with CSX, told MTR that “we have real safety concerns for both the public and our crews.”

With discussions ongoing with CSX over several areas, it’s not clear whether NYSDOT will push hard for bike and pedestrian access on the bridge. In the meantime, as the bridge goes through preliminary engineering and environmental review inside NYSDOT offices, local advocates are nervous. Lorenz Worden from Albany Bicycle Coalition told MTR “there really is no other good option across the river.” Filkins anticipates an early fall informational meeting, and recommends that comments be sent to Commissioner Joan McDonald at any time. “Our goal is to come up with a solution that makes everyone happy,” he said.

Image: TSTC graphic, using images from CDTC and Google Maps.

Prospects for removing the little-used Sheridan Expressway in the South Bronx and replacing it with new development and open space took a big step forward last year when NYC won a federal grant to study [...]]]> [EDITOR'S NOTE: THE JULY 23RD TOUR HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, AUGUST 20TH DUE TO THE SEVERE HEAT ADVISORY. ]

Prospects for removing the little-used Sheridan Expressway in the South Bronx and replacing it with new development and open space took a big step forward last year when NYC won a federal grant to study what could be built in the highway footprint. That study, the TIGER II Sheridan Expressway-Hunts Point Land Use and Transportation Study, is well underway with two key milestones checked off the City’s list: the establishment of a Community Working Group (which had its first meeting June 28) and a website dedicated to the study.  Both milestones are part of the City’s larger public participation process, which also includes accepting public comments, leading public site tours (the first one is scheduled for Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm; another will be held Thursday, July 28, from 4-6 pm) and public charettes.

The South Bronx River Watershed Alliance (SBRWA) – an alliance of community and planning groups advocating for the removal of the Sheridan and of which Tri-State is a member – is one of the Community Working Group members.  Though the Alliance is supportive of the study, it is working to ensure the City’s outreach fairly and accurately depicts the existence of the Sheridan Expressway in Hunts Point for all community stakeholders.

In its initial outreach, the City downplayed the transportation improvements being considered for major traffic bottlenecks in the Bronx highway network.  These include an additional interchange on the Bruckner Expressway that provides direct access to Hunts Point Peninsula, improvements to existing interchanges in the Bronx highway network, the removal of the Sheridan Expressway, and land use changes that could be made in the South Bronx if the Sheridan were removed.  But early on, many business representatives told the Alliance they thought the study was focused only on removing the expressway. When informed that the study also included broader highway changes, their receptivity and interest in the removal option changed, and the effort was no longer perceived as a threat to business activity.

The city's study of Hunts Point and the Bronx highway network covers much more than the Sheridan Expressway, which needs to be explicit in NYC's outreach to local businesses.

Additionally, some language on the website overstates the importance of the Sheridan Expressway as a transportation conduit.  Initially, the city inflated the number of vehicles that use the Sheridan on its newly created website by over 300% (the average daily vehicle count is approximately 35,000.  The city said the count was 160,000).  The Alliance immediately sent a letter to the city calling for the change, which was promptly made.

Also, the website’s “Context“ page contains statements such as the following: “In addition to automobile traffic, the Sheridan’s most critical use is the circulation of trucks between the nation’s major agricultural regions in the western and southern parts of the country and Hunts Point Food Distribution Center” and “The Hunts Point Food Distribution Center is a major user of the Sheridan Expressway and the entire highway network in the South Bronx.”  Statements such as these convey the idea that the Sheridan is a necessary artery for traffic, though traffic counts are low compared to nearby highways, and could potentially slant public opinion of the land use study.

In its letter, SBRWA requested that the City be more explicit when explaining to businesses the various improvements being studied and there is much more to the study than merely analyzing the removal of the Sheridan.  And, the city did just that.  During the kick-off Community Working Group meeting, each of the six city agencies gave a more balanced description of the study context and goals.

Overall, NYC has been receptive and responsive to community feedback since the launch of the Community Working Group, even adding a second Sheridan tour on July 28th to showcase existing traffic conditions during different times of day.  It is only through such collaboration that a winning proposal will be successfully received by the community.

Image: NYC Department of City Planning.

The Complete Streets law to make roads safer for all has yet to be signed by Governor Cuomo. But NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald has a unique opportunity to put her stamp on a high-profile safety project in downtown Smithtown, at an intersection [...]]]>

Fast traffic has made Main Street, in Smithtown, dangerous for pedestrians.

The Complete Streets law to make roads safer for all has yet to be signed by Governor Cuomo. But NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald has a unique opportunity to put her stamp on a high-profile safety project in downtown Smithtown, at an intersection that has been the site of numerous pedestrian deaths and injuries.

The safety issue at Main Street (Route 25/25A), a hot-button issue for years, recently caught the attention of Senator Chuck Schumer. His interest, as well as continued advocacy from Smithtown Chamber of Commerce, the family of Courtney Sipes (who was killed while walking along the roadway), and county elected officials has facilitated a renewed focus from NYSDOT on addressing the dangerous pedestrian environment. Local leaders support reducing the number of lanes from four to two, even if it means slowing travel speeds, but the road is controlled by the state.

In May, Suffolk County Legislator John Kennedy hosted a meeting about the roadway. The follow-up meeting was recently postponed by NYSDOT because, according to one insider, the dangerous conditions have gained attention of the highest levels at NYSDOT.

If this is true, it’s a moment for Commissioner McDonald to shine. Working with her staff, she should listen to the requests of community leaders and develop a plan that prioritizes pedestrian safety over car speeds and makes the road more attractive for business.

Photo: Mike Xirinachs / WCBS 880.

Route 25/25A in downtown Smithtown, [...]]]>

The intersection of Main Street (Route 25/25A) and Lawrence Avenue in Smithtown. Since this photo was taken, NYSDOT installed fencing to prevent jaywalking, striped higher-visibility crosswalks, and retimed signals. But the agency hasn't addressed the intersection's fundamental problem: A road design that allows cars to speed through downtown.

Route 25/25A in downtown Smithtown, in Suffolk County, is becoming well known for all the wrong reasons.

Last week, two young sisters, Mabel and Melody Burgos, were injured while crossing the street at its intersection with Lawrence Avenue.  As of Monday, Melody was still in a coma.  This is the same intersection and roadway where four other pedestrians have been struck since January 2010, with three killed, including 11-year-old Courtney Sipes and 33-year-old Seamus Byrne.  These fatalities prompted the NYSDOT to target downtown Smithtown as a pilot area for its SafeSeniors pedestrian safety program, and some of the targeted improvements had been implemented by last fall. These limited improvements, while welcome, haven’t gone far enough.

Saying that more couldn’t be done because of limited capital funding, the DOT made these improvements with existing operating resources.  With this latest news, it is clear the DOT has a lot of work to do.  New crosswalks and fencing to channel pedestrians to safer crossings have done little to alter the fundamental problem facing pedestrians and other non-motorists along Route 25/25A:  speeding cars, often traveling well over the posted limit of 30 mph.

According to reports, both Smithtown and Suffolk County officials support reducing the number of lanes in downtown Smithtown from four to two, a “road diet” that would reduce the speed of automobiles and increase pedestrian safety (and wouldn’t necessarily be expensive, since it could be done through restriping).  Unfortunately, since Route 25/25A is a state road, the decision rests at NYSDOT.  And while NYSDOT has talked a good game about improving pedestrian safety, it’s been hesitant to actually implement major improvements. Joan McDonald, the agency’s new commissioner, has an opportunity to bring new ideas to NYSDOT’s Region 10 (Long Island) office that will reduce needless accidents on the road.

Photo: Google Street View.

Sunrise Highway.

February 17th, 1996 was the best day of my life.  That was the day that a beautiful 8 lb 2 ½ oz baby girl named Brittany Lee Vega entered this world.

When Brittany was three, we moved to my hometown of Wantagh, a small community in Nassau County, New York. Wantagh had the best education you could ask for; it was a Blue Ribbon School District, and that’s what I wanted for my little girl. She was a straight “A” student who excelled in everything she set her mind to. She loved art, music, science and math. Her extracurricular activities included guitar, swimming and singing. Little did I realize that it is not just the schools we needed to be concerned about as parents, but the more basic elements of life—like whether or not the streets we lived on were safe and “complete.”

Not every street fit that description. We had recently allowed Brittany to cross a four-lane avenue, but had forbid her to cross Sunrise Highway, a curving, 6-lane road that runs through the heart of our busy town with the speed limit of an expressway — a whopping 50 mph — and no count-down clocks for pedestrians. A few years back, I had heard a mother screaming as she ran down my block, “My baby! My baby!” Her 12-year old son had been hit by a car as he crossed Sunrise Hwy. on his bike. I dreaded that ever being me, and teary-eyed, told Brittany what I had seen.

Brittany entered her freshman year at Wantagh High School in September 2010. The first two exciting weeks of school had passed when Brittany asked me if I could drive her to school instead of taking the bus as usual. I told her I couldn’t leave her three younger siblings that early in the morning, and she disappointingly said “okay.” Neither of us said anything more about it, and I assumed she did as I told her. Brittany was a very good girl; she listened to what I asked of her (aside from keeping her room clean and eating her veggies) and when she did get in trouble, she even agreed with her punishments, knowing when she was in the wrong. She knew she was not allowed to leave the house alone, even to walk around the block, unless she had a friend with her.

The night before Brittany was killed was like any other.  At dinner, we talked about having her close friend over and me making my famous chili dish (one of Brittany’s favorite meals). The following night we planned on finally dying her hair, something that was very exciting to Brittany since I usually disagreed about her choice in color. This time we compromised. I went to sleep that night exhausted.

September 22, 2010

At around 6:25 am the next morning, September 22nd, I woke out of a deep sleep to the sound of sirens coming from Sunrise Highway, about ten blocks from our house. Slightly startled with my heart beating fast, I thought of my family and then realized that my husband was already on the train to Manhattan and all my children were fast asleep as they should have been. I put my head back down on the pillow, and thanked God it was not my family.

Twenty minutes later, I heard the sound of someone pounding on my front door. I ran downstairs to find a police car and two police officers standing there asking me if I knew of the child that they had written down on a piece of paper. As I looked at the paper with Brittany’s name on it, I said, “that’s my daughter, but she’s asleep in her bed.” They said no, that she’d had been hit by a car on Sunrise Highway and I needed to go with them to the corner right away.

As we approached the intersection, I saw all of the cars stopped and police taking pictures.  I looked out the window for a glimpse of my daughter, but all I could see was her cell phone laying on the street. Seconds later, the police got a radio call from the hospital saying she didn’t make it…my baby was gone! It was a living nightmare.

Over six months have passed since the accident and I still feel like it couldn’t have happened to my baby girl… but it did.  As the days after her accident passed, the story of what happened began to unfold. Brittany decided to walk to school that day with a friend who was supposed to meet her at the corner to help her cross. As she approached the corner, she received a text from him saying he had overslept and couldn’t make it. He offered for his parents to get her. That was the last anyone heard from her.

The police said the driver didn’t see her, even though she was walking in the crosswalk, had crossed all six lanes and was one step from the safety line when the car hit her at 60 mph, throwing her 70 feet in the air before she landed. She immediately went into cardiac arrest and sustained blunt force trauma to her head. The driver wasn’t charged with anything, not even a speeding ticket.

Why I Support Complete Streets

We can’t always make sure that drivers obey the rules of the road, but we can fix our roads to make them safer for everyone who uses them. That is why I’ve spoken at our local Town Board meeting and sat down with local Senators and Assemblymembers to advocate for “Brittany’s Law,” New York’s version of “Complete Streets.”  I fully believe that “Complete Streets” can make our roads safer for everyone, and our children in particular.

While I can’t do anything to bring Brittany back, I can do everything in my power to protect my three other children (with one on the way), and ensure that no family goes through what mine has already gone through.

Will you join me?

Brittany, as an infant and as a teenager.

If you’d like to help the Vega family in their efforts to pass a Complete Streets Law in New York State, please do so by joining the 3,000 who have signed her petition in support of the law at www.tstc.org/brittanyslaw.

Photos: Top – Tri-State Transportation Campaign; Bottom – Sandi Vega.

Albany elected officials say they’ve wrapped up a budget deal ahead of schedule, a major accomplishment that will hopefully move the state closer to fiscal health. But they’ll have no time to rest as the state’s infrastructure crisis comes ever closer. [...]]]>

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge's repair needs go beyond the corrosion pictured here.

Albany elected officials say they’ve wrapped up a budget deal ahead of schedule, a major accomplishment that will hopefully move the state closer to fiscal health. But they’ll have no time to rest as the state’s infrastructure crisis comes ever closer. New York has less than a year until it essentially runs out of money for transit projects, and its transportation needs are great, as underscored by a new report from Transportation for America that focuses on the woeful condition of the state’s bridges.

According to T4America’s analysis, the structurally deficient bridge with the highest traffic volume in the state is the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.  Operated by MTA Bridges & Tunnels, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge sees an average of 169,791 motorists a day. One out of 8 bridges motorists cross each day is deteriorating to some degree, and 41.4% of NY bridges are already over 50 years old (most bridges are designed to last only 50 years, the report says).

New York is currently facing a transportation funding shortfall for both the MTA and NYSDOT transportation programs across the state. The MTA faces a $10 billion shortfall in a $25 billion capital program that is – as Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign puts it – “more hole than plan.” Meanwhile, NYSDOT has a 2 year, $7 billion capital program which the agency has said is “not sufficient to maintain existing levels of statewide bridge and pavement conditions.” New York also recently received its worst grade ever from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

In November 2010, Lt. Governor Richard Ravitch released a report which found that the state would need to come up with another $1.3 billion a year in dedicated revenue to support both the MTA and NYSDOT capital plans to bring the Empire State’s transportation assets back to a state of good repair.

Transportation for America’s report, “The Fix We’re In for,” provides a state-by-state analysis of bridge conditions for all 50 states and Washington D.C.  The report, based on recent data from the Federal Highway Administration, is a sobering reminder of the large, growing and dangerous backlog of deficient bridges that need repair and maintenance work to stay open and safe.

Photo: Jan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island Advance.