There’s been a lot of good news for sustainable transportation advocates in Albany this week, and it’s not even half over!

Rider Representative for NFTA

Yesterday, the New York State Assembly unanimously passed a bill (S6536/A9455), sponsored by Senator George Maziarz and Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, that will add a non-voting rider representative to the board of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), which serves the Buffalo metropolitan region. The bill specifies that the seat will represent the “transit dependent and/or disabled community,” and it ensures that the board will hear the voice of those most affected by service changes and fare hikes. The bill, which came after public outcry concerning proposed cuts to transit service in western New York, has also passed the Senate.

As the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance pointed out in a press release yesterday, the legislation “represents an important first step, [but] there is still room for improvement. This voice at the table for one transit authority needs to be followed by the establishment of a vote at the table for boards across the state.”

Schumer Supports Cycling and Walking on Livingston Avenue Bridge

While the assembly was busy passing the rider representative bill, Senator Schumer was pushing for the inclusion of a pedestrian/cyclist path in plans to rebuild Albany’s Livingston Avenue Bridge. The aging span, which connects the capital with the City of Rensselaer across the Hudson, currently conveys freight and passenger rail, but the reconstruction of the bridge presents an opportunity to get pedestrians and cyclists across as well. Senator Schumer’s voice joins that of the region’s Capital District Transportation Committee and local elected bodies, including the Albany Common Council and Rensselaer Common Council, both of which have unanimously adopted resolutions in support of cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure on the bridge.