A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in the tri-state region and beyond.
Winners
MTA subway riders — The MTA has finally adopted “modern and transparent assessment tools” already in use by transit providers around the globe which “are much better at detailing the overall subway experience.”
New Haven Transportation Director Doug Hausladen — The Elm City’s Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking is taking steps to optimize bus stop spacing and make better use of curbside parking on residential streets near business districts.
MTA Board Member Scott Rechler — In a Crain’s op-ed, the real estate executive and Regional Plan Association board chair joined TSTC’s Veronica Vanterpool in calling for a progressive congestion pricing plan for New York City.
Broward County Transit — During Hurricane Irma earlier this month, the South Florida transit agency helped out by picking up evacuating residents and taking them to shelters.
Natural Resources Defense Council, California, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont and Washington — State transportation departments will have to to continue to comply with an Obama-era rule and assess the impacts their projects will have on climate change, thanks to the NRDC and the states that filed suit against the Trump administration.
Losers
MTA bus riders — New Yorkers who rely on MTA buses regularly miss appointments and lose jobs because of congested streets and service inefficiencies.
NJ Transit — The transit agency, which doesn’t have a dedicated funding source and uses capital money to pay for operating expenses, has lost one engineer a month to the MTA’s Metro-North Railroad since January.
NYPD — New York’s Finest continually blame people on bikes for their own injuries and deaths, even when there’s no evidence to support their theories.
New York City — Since Mayor de Blasio took office, the city’s vehicle fleet has grown, and both mileage and crashes have increased.
Tri-State Transportation Campaign — After over a decade with the organization, Veronica Vanterpool’s last day at TSTC is this Friday.
