Believe it or not, it’s that time of year again. But before we chow down on some vegan cornbread pudding stuffing (or surrender to the earliest Christmas creep yet), we’d like to recognize all that we have to be thankful for here at Tri-State.

This year, we’re thankful for…

CTfastrak’s success — Ridership on the region’s first true BRT system has already surpassed projections, and expansion plans are already underway.

Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo finally reaching an agreement on the MTA Capital Program — A year late and a few billion dollars short, but the governor and the mayor finally reached a deal, ending months of disagreement.

Bike lanes on the Jersey Shore — While there certainly remains some work to be done, there are actually bike lanes on Route 35 in Ocean County.

District Attorneys Cy Vance and Richard Brown doing their jobs — It’s been said that if you want to get away with killing someone in NYC, do it with a car. Recent homicide convictions secured by Manhattan and Queens district attorneys suggest that may finally be changing.

Amtrak, USDOT, New York and New Jersey taking a potential calamity seriously — The U.S. Department of Transportation and Amtrak agreed to cover half of the cost of the Gateway tunnel project between New Jersey and Manhattan. Governors Christie and Cuomo agreed to cover the other half.

Elected officials who understand that a tolling plan that supports transit expansion, safe streets and reduced congestion is progressive, not regressive, policy — We’ve called out a few NYC electeds who have come out against Move NY, but there are many, many more who are supportive of the plan.

Connecticut’s transportation revolution — There’s been some real positive change in Connecticut’s transportation outlook. Now we just need to make sure the state protects its transportation funds from future raids.

Progress toward true BRT on Woodhaven Boulevard — The NYC Department of Transportation released a design for Queens’ Woodhaven Boulevard which raises the bar for BRT in the city.

Bike share in Hoboken, Jersey City and Queens — Citi Bike expanded deeper into Brooklyn, farther uptown in Manhattan, into Western Queens and across the Hudson. Meanwhile, Hoboken launched its own bike share system.

Manhattan Community Boards 5, 7 and 8 — CB 5 helped to usher in Plaza33, a temporary pedestrian plaza near Penn Station, while CB 7 and CB 8, which represent the Upper West and Upper East Sides, are bringing dedicated bike infrastructure on Amsterdam Avenue and on crosstown streets closer to reality.

The MTA seriously considering pedestrian and bicycle access on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge — All 12 of the lanes on the VNB are designated for the exclusive use of cars, trucks and buses. Finally, there’s serious momentum behind adding accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Matthew Norris — TSTC’s former South Jersey Advocate stepped down this fall after nearly five years. Matt played a critical role in helping Tri-State gain a foothold in Southern New Jersey, and the impact of his work will be felt for years to come.

Our supporters — We’re thankful for the foundations and individuals who support TSTC. We–literally–couldn’t do our work without you.

Our friends and colleagues — We’re also thankful for policymakers, agency staff, fellow advocates and community members we’ve worked with over the years. So much of Tri-State’s work depends on partnerships with dedicated, determined advocates who share our goals and ideals.