A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in Tri-State transportation news.
Winners
President Obama — In his Tuesday State of the Union address, the President called for a national “fix-it-first” policy (something TSTC has been calling for since 1996) that would prioritize improvements to existing infrastructure over new construction.
NJ Assemblyman John Wisniewski — In light of testimony from police and engineers, Wisniewski decided to delay making changes to New Jersey’s Red Light Camera program in order to gather more information.
NY State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli — The Comptroller approved the sale of $500 million in bonds for the new Tappan Zee Bridge, but he insisted the New York State Thruway Authority “make public a full financing plan, including the expected level of tolls, as soon as possible.”
Losers
Livable streets — So far, no NYC mayoral candidate has stepped up as a livable streets champion and the future of bike lanes in the city is in jeopardy, despite the fact that two-thirds of New Yorkers think they’re are a good idea.
NY State taxpayers — There’s still no financing plan on the horizon for the new Tappan Zee Bridge, but not to worry: Governor Cuomo is keeping his fingers crossed for a massive federal loan.
Connecticut municipalities — Cities and towns across the state stand to lose a combined $560 million in local revenue — funds that could be used to implement complete streets policies and pave local roads — due to the near-elimination of the car tax in Governor Malloy’s budget.
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