New York’s State Legislature wrapped up its 2008 session last week. Though the session was characterized by lack of action on progressive transportation measures — topped, of course, by the failure to implement NYC’s congestion pricing program — the body did manage to pass a couple of noteworthy bills.

Perhaps the most significant transportation bill to make it through the legislature was an agreement to allow construction of a recyclables marine transfer station at the Gansevoort Peninsula on Manhattan’s West Side. The agreement will allow full implementation of NYC’s Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP), which shifts waste transport from long-haul trucks to barges and rail. The SWMP was passed by the NYC Council in 2006 but faced opposition from West Side Assemblymembers.

The Legislature also passed legislation giving all traffic enforcement agents the ability to issue block-the-box violations (by reclassifying the violations as non-moving). Such a measure should increase the number of citations handed out for this infraction, which was previously enforceable only by police and special traffic agents. Crain’s Insider reported this week that a planned increase in NYC traffic agents has been postponed as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s 2009 budget, but the bill will still increase the number of agents authorized to enforce block-the-box violations. This intersection-clearing measure should improve traffic flow and improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Bills that would have allowed bus lane enforcement cameras in NYC and red light cameras in Nassau County both died in the State Assembly’s Transportation Committee, despite “home rule” votes in favor of the bills from the NYC Council and Nassau County Legislature. A number of press outlets explored the at-times bizarre machinations of the Transportation Committee — particularly those of its chairman, Rochester Assemblymember David Gantt. Though an opponent of traffic cameras, Gantt pushed a separate red light camera bill which appeared to steer contracts to a company which had hired his former counsel as a lobbyist. Gantt also convinced some co-sponsors of the bus lane camera bill to vote against it, prompting both Streetsblog and the SI Advance to investigate how he did so.

Finally, Long Island legislators snuck through a bill which would preclude construction of the LITRIM truck-rail freight intermodal center planned for the former Pilgrim Hospital site by preserving the site as open space. If signed by Gov. Paterson, this bill would be a serious setback for Long Island rail freight. Currently the Island receives only 1% of its freight by rail, which is far more efficient and environmentally friendly than trucking (see MTR # 564).