In New York’s transportation world, 2013 feels like a tale of two administrations: one, at the New York City level, that was pro sustainable transportation and one, at the state level, that… well, the jury is still out.
The Bloomberg/Sadik-Khan NYCDOT era brought plenty of wins for those who walk, bike and take transit in New York City. For those residing in the rest of The Empire State, stay tuned — the battle continues.
We end 2013 with two notable losses: not only has Mayor Bloomberg passed the torch, but Senator Charles Fuschillo, the State Senate’s Transportation Committee chair and sponsor of the 2011 Complete Streets law, will also be stepping down, leaving a big question mark as to who will advocate for downstate’s transit systems and pedestrian and cycling safety interests.
The Good
Livable streets advocates impact elections — StreetsPAC, the New York City livable streets political action committee, launched in April and its push for a Vision Zero policy quickly became a plank in then-candidate Bill de Blasio’s platform. The PAC has already elevated progressive transportation policy into New York City’s political circles and Tri-State is excited to see what’s to come this year during the state election process.
Speed enforcement cameras debut in NYC — After more than 10 years of failed attempts, New York City finally squeezed out of Albany a key victory for safer streets. The City’s first speed camera demonstration program launched in the fall thanks to the efforts of Assemblywoman Glick and State Senator Klein.
Citi Bike — No matter what metric you look at, New York City’s bike share program has been a tremendous success. Launched in May, Citi Bike saw more than 5 million total trips through the end of November, has close to 100,000 annual members in just eight months and has had an impeccable safety record — especially compared to what some naysayers had predicted prior to the bike share system’s launch.
Long Island bus service — Thanks to additional funding from New York State, service was restored on Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus routes that were previously cut in 2012, something that Tri-State had called for early on in 2013. Not to be outdone by its neighbor to the west, Suffolk County decided to utilize its additional state funding to expand Sunday bus service, which not only makes car-free travel possible seven days a week, but also provides an economic boost to the area.
The Bad
Road fatalities and pedestrian/bicycle spending — In 2012, pedestrians and bicyclists in New York accounted for 27 percent of total roadway fatalities — the largest share of total roadway fatalities of any state. In 2013, although the final tally isn’t in yet, the carnage continued—between Albany’s Central Avenue and the extensive collisions upstate. NYSDOT gets a gold star for moving forward with improvements on Hempstead turnpike, but two gold stars get taken away for the fact that across the state, NYSDOT is actually planning to spend less money protecting vulnerable users than they spent before passage of the 2011 Complete Streets law.
Transparency — Governor Cuomo promised transparency but ended up leaving taxpayers in the dark about how their hard earned dollars will be spent on transportation projects.
The Ugly
Preservation First versus Complete Streets — NYSDOT’s new “Preservation First” policy appears to be a violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of the New York State Complete Streets law. Because the Preservation First policy requires road rebuilding projects to keep roadways unchanged, it prevents the inclusion of Complete Streets features like new sidewalks or bike lanes.
Tappan Zee Bridge numbers problem — While the Thruway Authority secured a $1.6 billion TIFIA loan from the federal government, a financial plan for the new Tappan Zee Bridge still has yet to materialize. Hudson Valley residents, meanwhile, continue to wonder how steep the toll increase for the new bridge will be and a clear path forward on how to include transit on the bridge has yet to outlined.
No lockbox in sight — Like governors before him, Governor Cuomo has scoffed at the notion that dedicated funds for transit should go to transit. After diverting $20 million in dedicated transit funds to plug general fund holes, the Governor then vetoed an unanimously passed bill (which was supported by over 200 organizations across the state) that would have assured some level of transparency for how diverted transit funds are spent.
