Complete streets legislation that would require new and reconstructed roads to accommodate all users continues to move through Albany, supported by a broad array of advocates and state legislators. State Senate Transportation Committee Chair Martin Dilan told reporters “I’m going to make sure this bill passes” at a Monday press conference attended by AARP New York, Empire State Future, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, and health, cycling, and planning organizations. The bill (S5711A) may be voted on by the State Senate as early as today.

The press conference was also in support of a “Smart Growth Agenda” (S5560/A8011) to instruct state agencies involved in infrastructure to align their planning, financing, and construction activities with smart growth principles such as a “fix-it-first” approach; protecting natural and historic resources; fostering compact, affordable, mixed use development; and community-based planning.

Additional supporters of the bills included Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, State Sens. Suzi Oppenheimer and Velmanette Montgomery, the American Cancer Society, NYS Public Health Association, the New York Association on Independent Living, Vision Long Island, Transportation Alternatives, and others.

Complete streets is making slower progress in the Assembly. The Assembly’s version of the complete streets bill (A8587) must be amended to make it identical to the Senate’s version, and is still awaiting a vote by the Transportation Committee. Among the key differences between the two bills is that the Assembly version provides broader exemptions to the complete streets requirement.  The “Smart Growth Agenda” bill has cleared environmental committees in both houses and is currently awaiting action from committees with budgetary authority (the Assembly Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee).