A weekly roundup of good deeds, missteps, heroic feats and epic failures in tri-state transportation news.
Winners
NYC Pedestrians and Cyclists — StreetsPAC-endorsed candidates received the majority of votes in 16 of 21 contests in yesterday’s primaries, a sign that New York City voters want safe, livable streets.
Hartford, CT — The installation of bike lanes on Broad Street in Hartford is underway.
Federal Highway Administration — The FHWA is encouraging engineers to use the new bikeway design guidelines from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) instead of the outdated AASHTO guidelines for bicycling facilities.
NY State Senator Mike Gianaris — The Q103 bus, which serves parts of Queens that lack subways, got a 20 percent service increase thanks to Senator Gianaris’ advocacy.
Losers
Central NJ suburban retail developments — In a “win” for the environment and downtown economies, the vacancy rate of suburban “big box” and strip mall stores is on the rise in Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
NYS Thruway Authority — The State is planning to borrow $700 million to repay $500 million it borrowed to fund up-front costs for the new Tappan Zee Bridge. This kind of borrowing isn’t exactly the sustainable, fiscally-responsible financing plan that New Yorkers expect.
