New Yorkers for Active Transportation (NY4AT) are gearing up for their second annual advocacy day on February 11. This is a great opportunity to tell your representatives in Albany why walking and biking are important to you, and why you need their support to build a safer walking and biking environment for all New Yorkers.
Issues on the agenda:
Budget: Governor Cuomo deserves praise for setting aside $67 million in Transportation Enhancement funding for pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure earlier this month, but New York residents also need a long-term policy commitment that recognizes walking and biking as vital transportation infrastructure. That means a dedicated pot of money, distributed annually, that can provide a consistent source of funds for communities that want to build pedestrian and bicycling-friendly road and trail networks. Governor Cuomo left this out of his draft Executive Budget, but there is still time for the Senate and Assembly to do the right thing in their budget bills.
Safer Streets Legislation: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has come out charging on his Vision Zero policy, and municipalities across the state are chomping at the bit to build their visions of safer streets. But to make those visions a reality, Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature needs to join the party. There are a handful of bills that have been introduced — stay tuned for more info on this in the coming weeks — that will help to assure that New York will no longer be dead last when it comes to pedestrian and bicycling safety.
Register now, and we look forward to seeing you on February 11!
And don’t forget: On February 4, the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance (NYSTEA) will be teaming up with the New York Public Transit Association for Transit Awareness Day. Register here for the pro-transit rally and legislative reception, and let us know if you’ll be joining; we’ll be sure to loop you into some appointments with your legislators. The main message of the day will be, “Invest in Transit, Keep New York Moving!”
[…] and advocates from across New York — Advocates from across the Empire State traveled to Albany yesterday to talk with legislators about dedicated state funding for active transportation. The quartet of […]