At Monday’s State of the MTA address Monday at Cooper Union, MTA CEO Elliot Sander called on elected officials to pass congestion pricing and fully fund the MTA’s 2008-2013 capital program. Sander also announced MTA support for several programs and innovations that TSTC has advocated for:

Regional Bus

The MTA, according to Sander, will take “significant steps” this year towards consolidating NYC Transit, MTA Bus, and LI Bus into a regional bus agency which could eliminate redundancies between the three agencies and lead to cost savings. Completing this consolidation could allow LI Bus to escape the three-way tug-of-war which occurs annually as New York State, the MTA, and Nassau County fight over how much each should contribute to the bus agency (see, for example, MTR #s 551, 434, and 267). Ideally, regional bus will mean greater and more predictable funding for bus service on Long Island.

Video Tolling

Sander announced that MTA Bridges and Tunnels would, later this year, study the feasibility of a video tolling system similar to the one used on Canada’s Route 407. Video tolling would use recorded license plate images to bill non-EZ Pass users and would do away with toll booths and barrier arms entirely, finally bringing the MTA into the 21st century of toll collection. TSTC has written extensively about cashless tolling’s safety, time, and air quality benefits. In August, we reported that commuters using MTA crossings were waiting longer at toll booths (MTR # 561). In the same article, MTR pointed out that toll booths increase emissions by lengthening trip times and forcing cars to decelerate and accelerate (stop-and-go driving causes more emissions than steady driving). Though different cashless tolling technologies are widely available, the MTA lags behind agencies like the Port Authority in making this more modern and efficient shift.

Bus Rapid Transit

Just a year ago, TSTC wondered if New York City’s bus rapid transit (BRT) plans were even going to happen (MTR #551). Sander reaffirmed the MTA’s commitment to the mode and said the first BRT route would open later this year. As the possibility of congestion pricing revenue has breathed new life into transit improvements, BRT has been seized upon as an option for transit-starved communities because it can quickly and affordably bring better transit to the outer boroughs and other places that need it. Progress on this joint effort of NYC Transit and NYC DOT is exciting news for commuters who have been waiting a long time for transit relief.

Smart Growth/Transit-Oriented Development

Sander said the MTA should become a “catalyst for environmentally sound land-use,” though he said details of the agency’s land-use plans would not be released until next month (yesterday MTR suggested the MTA create a formal transit-oriented development program). It is a natural fit to cluster mixed-use, pedestrian- and bike-friendly development around transit hubs, especially as gas prices rise, threats from global warming loom, and more people express a desire for increased physical activity. There is huge potential in the suburbs where the MTA operates that has been virtually untapped.