Paterson Recommends Chris Ward for PA Post

May 2, 2008 – 4:07 pm

This afternoon Governor Paterson recommended Chris Ward, currently managing director of the General Contractors Association, as the Port Authority’s next executive director. A former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Ward is well respected throughout the region and is an excellent choice to run the agency. Congratulations, Chris! For more, see Governor Paterson’s statement.

By Kate Slevin | Posted in Port Authority | Comments (0)

Tracking Bloomberg’s Accomplishments, and Looking Beyond His Term

May 2, 2008 – 2:50 pm

Three recently released publications will be powerful tools in shaping transportation policy in New York City beyond the Bloomberg Administration. Two are progress reports on Mayor Bloomberg’s 127-point sustainability agenda, PlaNYC; the other is the NYC Department of Transportation’s strategic plan.

Building a Greener Future
The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) PlaNYC progress report, Building a Greener Future, finds few achievements to hail on the transportation front because Mayor Bloomberg’s heavy reliance on congestion pricing as the tool to reduce gridlock precluded other traffic mitigation measures such as expansion of metered parking or reducing parking requirements in the City’s Zoning Resolution. The League, along with others in the advocacy community, calls for a long term vision for transportation planning that goes further than the current administration, into the next mayoralty and beyond. To do this, the NYLCV emphasizes the need to codify legislative guidelines and offices created during Bloomberg’s tenure that are making progress towards a more sustainable NYC.

The report also asks the City to increase its operating support to the MTA to help end the agency’s cycle of borrowing from the capital program to pay for operating expenses.

Progress on PlaNYC
A second report, released by Mayor Bloomberg on Earth Day, one year after the PlaNYC, was first announced, details the City’s efforts to fulfill the 127 initiatives of the plan. There is significant mention of the demise of congestion pricing in the Assembly and the dire funding situation for mass transit as a consequence. Most notable are improvements made to Select Bus Service (or the City’s BRT program) with the first route launching in the Bronx this June; the launch of a Transit Signal Priority System which will be used to move buses through congested intersections; a pilot ferry service this spring from the Rockaways to Manhattan; 60 miles of new bicycle lanes; an HOV lane on the Manhattan Bridge; three new bus stop designs and two new sidewalk designs to improve pedestrian /transit street transfers; 800 new bicycle racks; and 550 new Muni Meters. The report also forecasts milestones to be completed through 2009, setting up an important foundation for what we should be working towards in future years.

Strategic Thinking at NYCDOT
The New York City DOT is also establishing a strong foundation for future work. On Monday, the agency unveiled a strategic plan to a packed house at the Municipal Art Society. The impressive plan outlines a full agenda for the short time remaining in Mayor Bloomberg’s term and takes strides to guarantee the continuity and ongoing success of progress made. In her presentation, NYC DOT Commissioner Sadik-Khan eschewed bland comparisons with other cities, instead claiming that the plan, “Sustainable Streets: 2008 and Beyond,” will be the framework for “The New York City Model” of a livable city. Highlights include:

- Cutting traffic fatalities in half by 2030 by increasing enforcement of traffic laws, including the expanded use of red light and speed cameras, and through pedestrian infrastructure improvements.

- Doubling the number of bicycle commuters by 2015 and triple the number by 2020.

- Implementing two BRT lines in the next year and a half and the implementation of three more after 2010. Commissioner Sadik-Khan recently presented the city’s BRT plan at a symposium hosted by TSTC, the Pratt Center, Straphangers Campaign and Transportation Alternatives.

- Creating quality public space by creating 4 new plazas a year, ultimately creating one in each community board. In addition, Broadway, Fordham Road and Main Street, Flushing will be transformed into main streets and community focal points. Using complete street design, these corridors will optimize public space and pedestrian friendly features – including 20 new automated pay toilets.

- Opening up the limited access parkways to trucks to reduce truck traffic on neighborhood streets. The initial parkway candidates are the Grand Central, Henry Hudson and the Belt Parkway.

On the institutional side, the agency hopes to reach out and train community leaders, overhaul their data collection (including the specific development of tools to track congestion relief, BRT and bicycling) and attract and retain staff that embraces innovation and livable streets concepts.

The report provides some perspective on how far NYC has come and how important it is to continue the good trends, no matter who is calling the shots. Just two years ago, the Campaign was criticizing NYC DOT’s many failures under previous Commissioner Iris Weinshall. (See, for example: “City’s Credibility on Transportation Ebbs,” April 4, 2006; “Limited Input for NYC Rapid Bus Study,” June 8, 2005; “Brooklynites Say City has Failed Traffic Challenge,” July 26, 2006). Today, a new era is upon us.

Image: Cover of NYCDOT’s “Sustainable Streets: 2008 and Beyond”

By Tri-State Transportation Campaign | Posted in NYC Congestion Pricing, New York City, Transportation Funding | Comments (0)

Atlantic Yards Rally Tomorrow!

May 2, 2008 – 11:54 am

Brooklyn Speaks, of which Tri-State is a member, is co-hosting a rally to stop the demolition of the proposed Altantic Yards project. From the brooklynspeaks.org website:

“As originally proposed, the Atlantic Yards project would overwhelm surrounding neighborhoods, further clog already overburdened streets, create outdated superblocks that deaden street life, overtax public transit, streets, water and sewer infrastructure and create eight acres of “temporary” parking lots that could blight Brooklyn for decades.

But now it’s even worse.

Recently, developer Forest City Ratner acknowledged to the New York Times that it doesn’t even have the resources to construct the signature first phase of the project that would surround the arena.

Now the arena will not be nestled in dramatically designed residential and office buildings. Instead, it will be surrounded by vacant space or more temporary parking, creating a dead zone where vitality was once promised. It’s so bad that New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff (a previous supporter of the project) called it a betrayal of the public trust and a creator of new blight. He even called upon architect Frank Gehry to walk away from Atlantic Yards entirely.

It’s time to call a time out on Atlantic Yards before more demolitions, displacements, and disruptions scar our neighborhood, and more tax dollars go into a hole that doesn’t seem to have a bottom.

Join the sponsors of BrooklynSpeaks.net, the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, Assembly Members Hakeem Jeffries and Joan Millman, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, NYC Council Members Letitia James, David Yassky and Bill de Blasio and others at a rally next Saturday, May 3rd at 2 PM at on Pacific Street near Carlton Avenue to demand Governor Paterson call “Time Out” on Atlantic Yards.”

Image: Brooklyn Speaks

By Kate Slevin | Posted in Development, New York City | Tags: , , | Comments (1)

Governor Rell Nominates Transit Expert for Top ConnDOT Post

April 29, 2008 – 2:55 pm

Joseph MarieLast week, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell nominated Joseph F. Marie to be the new head of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. In doing so, Governor Rell chose the first ever transit expert to lead the agency. According to the Governor’s press release, Mr. Marie, currently the Director of Operations and Maintenance for METRO, the regional public transportation service in Phoenix, has over 22 years of experience in transit, both in the public and private sectors.

Yesterday, Mr. Marie appeared before the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Executive and Legislative Nominations and, according to news reports, (The Stamford Advocate and The New Haven Register) seemed to impress legislators and is on course to be unanimously approved by the Committee today, with the nomination process then moving to the House of Representatives. The House must then take action prior to the General Assembly closing on May 7th. No Senate action is required.

In testimony, Mr. Marie called for creating a more integrated and multi-modal transportation system throughout Connecticut that incorporates roads, rail and ports equally to address transportation issues. According to reports, Mr. Marie also spoke about the need to focus efforts on transit-oriented development and for ConnDOT to become involved in smart growth initiatives.

It seems like Mr. Marie has been saying all the right things during the confirmation process. His comments concerning ConnDOT’s role in promoting TOD and smart growth are particularly heartening, and suggest that he understands the importance of connecting land use and transportation when working to create sustainable transportation systems and responsible growth.

The Campaign hopes that, if confirmed, Mr. Marie’s words will facilitate action. ConnDOT is in desperate need of a strong leader who can bring lasting and progressive change to an agency that has long prioritized road building and expansion as the solutions to the State’s transportation problems.

Image: Minnesota Public Radio. Joe Marie testing Minneapolis’s light rail system before its opening in 2004.

Editor’s note: Mr. Marie’s nomination was confirmed by the Connecticut House of Representatives on May 1st.

By Ryan Lynch | Posted in Connecticut, Land Use-Transportation Connection | Tags: , , , , | Comments (1)

UVA Has Big Plans for the Sheridan

April 29, 2008 – 2:34 pm

This past Saturday a set of architecture and landscape architecture students from the University of Virginia returned to the Bronx to present their visions for the future of the Sheridan Expressway footprint.

A community-based plan for the removal of the under-utilized highway is currently being studied by the NYS DOT as a result of advocacy by The South Bronx River Watershed Alliance, a coalition of which Tri-State is a member. The UVA architecture studios have worked semester-long to craft plans for parkland, affordable housing, mixed-use construction and access to the Bronx River; all possible should the Sheridan be removed.

The studio work was split between two groups of students. One set worked on a mixed-use plan for the entire footprint and on integrating the new land with the surrounding neighborhoods and the riverfront. The designers put a premium on livability and sustainability in their concepts, including on-site sewage treatment, maximum open space and a focus on pedestrian and common space.

Another group of students focused on the market plaza site at the southern tip of the project area. Their goal is to create a public space that will act as a destination and community center for the Longwood and Hunts Point neighborhoods. The concepts included dog parks, naturally landscaped amphitheaters and community athletic and artspaces.

The final projects will be presented at UVA in May. Thanks to all of the students and faculty that worked so hard on these projects. Their imagination and vision will help make this campaign a reality.

Image: UVA architecture students describe their proposals to Bronx residents.

By Kyle Wiswall | Posted in Bike/Pedestrian, NYSDOT, New York City | Tags: , , , , | Comments (0)

MTA Gearing Up For Real Action on Transit-Oriented Development

April 25, 2008 – 1:24 pm

It seems like the MTA is finally taking transit-oriented development (TOD) seriously. The agency announced that it “is developing a region-wide TOD program to support local communities throughout the MTA service territory,” and has added a description of this program to its website, which includes a single point of contact for communities interested in TOD projects. These are all promising steps towards a broad smart growth agenda outlined in the interim report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability and the MTA. The commission was created by MTA Executive Director Lee Sander in September 2007.

For years Tri-State has advocated for the MTA to spearhead a “transit village” program offering planning assistance to municipalities interested in TOD (see, for example, MTR # 542). The interim report calls on the MTA to do just that, recommending that the agency “develop a system-wide Transit-Oriented Development program” and describing the agency’s progress: “the MTA and New York State are establishing a partnership and package of incentives to support TOD development throughout the service area. The partnership will develop a branded TOD program.” In New Jersey, NJ Transit and NJDOT’s Transit Village Program has been very successful in encouraging transit-oriented development (pictured above is planned TOD in Cranford, a designated Transit Village).

The report also recommends that the MTA work with shareholders to capture two-thirds of all new trips in its region and concentrate two-thirds of the region’s new residential and commercial growth within a half-mile of MTA service by 2030. Other recommendations are for the agency to be more proactive in creating intermodal connections and providing bicycle and pedestrian access to its stations.

Encouraging transit-oriented development makes perfect sense for transit agencies, as it has been conclusively proven that TOD boosts transit ridership — which brings benefits of its own. Both the Sustainability Commission report and a recent report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group underscored transit’s impact on lowering energy consumption. The Sustainability Commission report noted that, largely because of transit use, the energy footprint of the average New Yorker is about a quarter as large as the average American’s. The USPIRG report found that the New York metropolitan transit system, by its existence, saved 1.8 billion gallons of oil in 2006 (worth $4.6 billion).

Images: Top - Cranford Downtown Management Corporation. At right - Excerpted from MTA Sustainability Commission interim report (MBTU = million British Thermal Units).

By Steven Higashide | Posted in Land Use-Transportation Connection, MTA, Transit-Oriented Development | Comments (2)

Conservation Voters’ Long Island Agenda: Smart Growth, Smart Transportation

April 23, 2008 – 5:19 pm

This week the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) released its Long Island Policy Agenda for 2008, a document with a heavy focus on smart growth and important transportation initiatives for Long Island. NYLCV called for “a new and more comprehensive growth strategy” that would be able to meet the needs of Long Islanders in years to come. Highlighting the dearth of affordable housing and increased costs due to traffic congestion, NYLCV urged Long Island’s local leadership to adopt smart growth strategies by:

  • Changing zoning regulations to allow for and encourage increased residential density and mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
  • Encouraging downtown development and revitalization.
  • Creating inclusionary zoning programs aimed at encouraging affordable housing.

By targeting Long Island’s land use patterns (the root cause of traffic), these strategies would be effective in reducing congestion and carbon emissions, and would also create pedestrian-friendly communities ideal for young adults and empty-nesters.

NYLCV also addressed the lack of non-automobile transportation options on Long Island, and urged policymakers to develop alternative transit options. They called for efforts focused on:

  • The development of the LIRR Third Track project which would significantly increase the capacity of the railroad.
  • Incorporating greater use of bike lanes and the encouragement of bicycling to LIRR stations.
  • Ensuring LI Bus has adequate funding for its capital and operating needs.

Long Island’s Transit Problems Can’t Be Solved by Grandstanding

As the NYLCV agenda points out, Long Island has pressing transit needs — particularly the completion of the Main Line Third Track. However, certain Nassau County elected officials aren’t answering the call. Assemblymembers Thomas McKevitt and Thomas Alfano, and Mayors Phil Guarnieri of Floral Park and Daniel Petruccio of New Hyde Park have opposed the Third Track since its inception, but seem more interested in political grandstanding than coming up with concrete solutions to Long Island’s congestion problems. While the LIRR’s initial public outreach on the Third Track project left much to be desired, President Helena Williams has made strides to address community concerns over the past year. It is time for project opponents to advocate feasible changes to the Third Track, not simply stand in the way of solutions. Long Island’s economic strength depends on an LIRR that takes full advantage of the future East Side Access connection to Grand Central, which will only occur if capacity on the Main Line is expanded.

Lawmakers also haven’t addressed LI Bus, which has been historically underfunded (see, for example, MTR #s 551, 434, and 267). Funding has in fact remained stagnant in the face of rising ridership. A recent Newsday article described how the overly complicated funding agreement between the MTA, the State, and the County is hindering LI Bus’s ability to provide sufficient service. These three entities must resolve this issue if they are to create a more effective suburban mass transit system that better complements the LIRR. The MTA has made it clear that it intends to eventually create a regional bus agency that integrates Long Island Bus, New York City Transit’s bus division, and MTA Bus — a laudable objective which could bring LI Bus out of its funding purgatory. However, the transit riders of Long Island also need a short-term solution, and should look to their elected officials to push for one.

Image: Excerpted from NYLCV’s Long Island Policy Agenda for 2008.

By Ryan Lynch | Posted in Long Island, MTA | Comments (0)

Tearing Down the Route 34 “Disconnector”

April 22, 2008 – 1:12 pm

A slide shows one City of New Haven vision for its post-Route 34 future.

On Wednesday, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the New Haven Urban Design League hosted a public event, attended by approximately 150 people, in order to raise awareness of and increase support for the “tear-down” of the Route 34 Connector in New Haven and its replacement with a boulevard. President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism John Norquist headlined the event and called for the immediate removal of what he labeled the “disconnector” and subsequently re-linking the street grid, adding on-street parking, and building mixed-use development along the corridor.

Mr. Norquist’s presentation did not go into specifics on how New Haven should accomplish this feat, a task he left up to the City of New Haven and its citizens. Rather, his presentation focused on the precedents for such a project, drawing on freeway-to-neighborhood conversions from San Francisco, Portland, Milwaukee, and as far away as Seoul, South Korea. By utilizing examples of successful projects throughout the country and abroad, he hoped to win over skeptics who might see the removal of a heavily trafficked highway as impractical.

ConnDOT Deputy Commissioner Albert Martin also spoke, providing an overview of ConnDOT’s transit-oriented development efforts (earlier covered in MTR here). He said that momentum for a teardown project would have to come from New Haven officials and community members because it was not currently on ConnDOT’s agenda, and that the agency would have to study such a proposal in detail before agreeing to support it.

Kelly Murphy, New Haven’s Economic Development Administrator, began the evening by summarizing the City’s ideas for the corridor (which can be viewed in more detail here). She made a point to say that the project was in the initial stages, calling the pink and orange boxes in her presentations “placeholders” for the final vision of the project, which will come from the community and city.

The common thread running through the three presentations was that teardown proposals need local energy to make headway. If New Haven officials are to garner grassroots support for such a project, they must integrate the community’s vision into the planning and implementation process. A community visioning process and/or “charette” planning process would be a good start.

By Ryan Lynch | Posted in ConnDOT, Connecticut, Development | Comments (4)

Your Input Needed on Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen Transportation Issues

April 21, 2008 – 5:57 pm

Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen residents will get a chance next Wednesday to contribute to an ongoing study of traffic problems in their neighborhood. On April 30, NYCDOT, Manhattan Community Board 4, and CHEKPEDS (the Clinton Hell’s Kitchen Coalition for Pedestrian Safety) will host a public input session where community members can suggest improvements to the project planners and engineers.

Since July 2007, NYCDOT has been administering a federally funded study of issues including increased pedestrian injuries, increased truck traffic, worsening traffic congestion, and slow bus performance. (The study covers 29th to 55th Streets between 8th and 12th Avenues.) Within the next few months, NYCDOT will release a list of recommended short-term improvements for the area; longer-term recommendations will be out by spring 2009.

The public meeting is at Holy Cross School, 332 West 43rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues) from 6pm to 9pm. Registration is required and can be done here.

By Steven Higashide | Posted in Bike/Pedestrian, New York City | Comments (1)

Buses Bloom in the Bronx (and Beyond)

April 17, 2008 – 9:00 pm

Bx12 Select buses greeted attendees of the “Buses in the Boroughs” symposium Tuesday morning.

With spring colors and fragrance in full bloom at the New York Botanical Garden Tuesday morning, TSTC along with Transportation Alternatives, the Straphangers Campaign, and the Pratt Center for Community Development hosted a symposium on bus rapid transit to showcase how this transit option has transformed major cities around the world and to preview New York’s plans for BRT throughout the five boroughs.

Walter Hook and Oscar Edmundo Diaz, both of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, discussed BRT systems in nearly two dozen cities around the world (both presentations are available on TSTC’s website). Hook’s presentation spanned multiple systems and highlighted some technical “dos and don’ts” for BRT providers (such as the advantages of median bus lanes, the need for multiple-door buses, how to fit BRT into narrow streets, etc.). His presentation drew on the broad and detailed knowledge of ITDP, which consults governments around the world in planning BRT systems and produces an 850-page BRT Planning Guide.

Diaz, a native of Colombia and a specialist in urban transport systems, focused on what many consider the world’s most successful BRT system, the TransMilenio of Bogota, Colombia. TransMilenio can carry up to 42,000 passengers per hour per direction and travels an average 18.1 mph, more than twice as fast as the average bus in NYC. It is top-of-the-line BRT, with pre-boarding fare collection, level boarding at platforms, and enclosed stations — a worthy transit system for a city of 7 million. Of course, the quickest way to get a sense of TransMilenio is through pictures:

Clockwise from top left: TransMilenio in dense urban areas, level boarding between bus and station platform, fare collection at turnstiles (not on the bus), interior of a TransMilenio bus.

Diaz emphasized how a well-built system can dramatically improve the lives of commuters and residents who lack transit access, and as a result, economic and social opportunity. While 21% of TransMilenio riders own cars, the system is also accessible to low-income commuters, mothers with children in tow, the handicapped, and the elderly. In surveys, the #1 reason TransMilenio riders said they liked the system was because it allowed them to spend more time with their families.

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By Veronica Vanterpool | Posted in MTA, New York City | Tags: | Comments (4)