The recently released draft report of the MTA’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability contains tens of recommendations, most of which deal with greening the MTA’s infrastructure or responding to the consequences of climate change. (One which has been seized upon by the press is a “green MetroCard” program whereby transit riders could donate to help fund the MTA’s sustainability projects.) However, a significant number would help the MTA divert automobile trips to transit, often through land use policy.

Among the MTA’s long-term goals on land use are to capture two-thirds of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the MTA region and to have two-thirds of all development in the MTA region occur within a half-mile of a train station or bus stop.

One way to help get there, the report says, is by developing a formal transit-oriented development program, which TSTC has long called for. The report cites NJ’s Transit Village program as a case study and notes that the MTA and New York’s Smart Growth Cabinet will create an incentive package to support TOD.

Of course, a prerequisite for transit-oriented development is transit, and the report recommends expansion of the system throughout the MTA region, particularly in places poised for development, such as Stewart Airport, the Nassau Hub, and the Pilgrim State development in Suffolk County. It also recommends creating bus rapid transit corridors in all MTA regions, including Long Island and Connecticut.

The report also recommends that the MTA “play a prominent role in promoting cycling for commuters and recreational cyclists” by adding bike parking at stations and MTA worksites, accommodating bikes on trains and buses, and advocating for bicycles as a matter of policy. Metro-North is currently testing new bike racks for trains on the New Haven Line, but Connecticut commuter advocates have been divided over the extent to which the railroad should accommodate cyclists.

Government Actions Needed

Though the report divides its recommendations into “near-term” and “transformational” categories, it does not include any kind of near-term timeline for implementation.  Many of the recommendations are dependent on governmental action and the report lays out a legislative and regulatory agenda that describes what federal, state, and local government actions would support the MTA’s goals.

The MTA represents one-third of transit ridership in the United States, so there is some logic behind its long federal agenda. The MTA calls for a “green” stimulus bill that is heavy on transit funding, an increased gas tax, and the creation of a “cap-and-trade” emissions market that funds transit. Interesting land use recommendations include passage of a federal law modeled after California’s SB 375, which prioritizes state transportation aid to regions that reduce VMT through smart growth. The report also recommends that the Federal Transit Administration cut the number of regulatory hoops for transit projects.

Most of the New York recommendations echo those in the Ravitch Commission’s report, including new taxes and tolls, regional bus, and bus rapid transit. The State Legislature is also called upon to legalize camera enforcement of bus lanes. The main Connecticut recommendations are to set parking goals at Metro-North stations and to finance more affordable housing near transit using the HomeConnecticut program.

It’s not clear how quickly the MTA plans to take action on this set of ambitious reforms, particularly given its perilous financial state. But the scientific consensus is that avoiding the worst climate change scenarios will require immediate action.

The final version of the report will be released next month.