Last week, a statewide coalition of pedestrian and bicycling safety advocates sent a letter to Governor Cuomo with a very important item on their holiday wish list:  dedicated funding for pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure. Individuals can add their voice to the chorus here, and a postcard will be sent to Santa’s workshop in the North Pole Governor Cuomo’s office in Albany, courtesy of Parks & Trails New York.

As the letter states:

The adoption of the Complete Streets law in 2011 has developed significant momentum for pedestrian and bicycle projects at the local level in our state. Communities across New York are eager to invest in pedestrian and bicycle projects, knowing that these projects improve their community’s quality of life, promote a healthier population, revitalize downtowns, increase real estate values and business activity, provide equitable and affordable transportation choices, and reduce air pollution.

Unfortunately, recent reductions in funding, on a state and federal level, greatly reduce the ability of communities to realize their goals.

Those reductions include a 30 percent cut ($12 million annually) of dedicated funds from the federal government via MAP-21, and a 40 percent cut in planned expenditures for bike-ped only infrastructure ($100 million over four years) on the state level. In part, this reduction in support for bike-ped infrastructure is a result of NYSDOT’s new Preservation First policy that categorically excludes new bike-ped infrastructure from 80 percent of the dollars spent by NYSDOT on transportation projects.

As Tri-State has heard over and over while working with various communities across the New York, one of the biggest impediments to implementing the Complete Streets law is the lack of state and federal financial support. To date, over 65 communities have adopted a local policy, and the recent flood of applications to the Transportation Enhancements Program demonstrated the overwhelming, and unmet demand, for safer walking and biking options.

In 2012, New York State had the worst pedestrian and cycling safety record in the nation, with 27 percent of road fatalities being a bicyclist or pedestrian. As Governor Cuomo contemplates his 2014-2015 budget, let him know what that 27 percent figure means to you.

Here’s what you can do:

Send a postcard to Governor Cuomo requesting:

• $20 million in the 2014-15 state budget specifically dedicated to funding pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure projects, with a minimum additional commitment of $20 million annually over the next five years
• Revision of NYSDOT’s Preservation First policy so that it does not exclude new pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure projects and is consistent with the intent of the state’s Complete Streets law

All it takes is just two clicks: Read the postcard and sign on.