We have a lot to be thankful for: increased transportation funding in New Jersey, Citi Bike expansion, and Alec Baldwin. But there’s so much more that could be accomplished. So before we daydream about riding the Glassboro-Camden Line, the Hartford Line or the Second Avenue Subway to join our families this Thursday, we thought it would be prudent to list all the things we wish we saw this past year.
We’d be more thankful if…
New Jersey transportation funding were not contingent on out-of-touch political aspirations — Governor Chris Christie’s negligence to address his state’s transportation funding crisis was ultimately a political power play to secure fiscally irresponsible tax breaks that will blow an even bigger hole in the state budget. Even then, the overdue plan came too late and still falls short.
Our cities were proactive, not reactive, on making streets safer — In the age of Vision Zero, it shouldn’t take a tragedy to galvanize support for a street redesign. And as the fourth anniversary of Vision Zero approaches, New York City will not increase street redesign funding while traffic deaths are on the rise.
Planning and funding for Gateway Tunnel were more concrete — With federal funds for transit looking uncertain for the next four years, and no tangible headway made on the environmental or planning process yet, what will happen next with the Gateway Project is up in the air.
We could just stop talking about widening Interstate 95 already — The driving boom is over, and the state is facing a massive budget deficit, but the idea that Connecticut can spend $1.2 million on yet another study on widening I-95 just won’t die.
New York’s complete streets law had long-term dedicated funding for redesigns and maintenance — Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo allocated $110 million for a five-year statewide pedestrian safety initiative. While admirable, that plan excluded New York City, bicycling safety projects and money for the maintenance of existing complete streets.
The Glassboro-Camden Light Rail and Hudson-Bergen Light rail extension projects had secured funding — Talks surrounding the proposed 18-mile rail line between Glassboro and Camden, and the 8-mile extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail largely fell silent during the state’s transportation funding crisis.
The Hartford Line were up and running — The commuter rail line connecting New Haven, Hartford and Springfield was originally planned to open during late 2016, but it looks like we’ll just have to wait until early 2018.
Woodhaven Boulevard had bus rapid transit already — The plan for better bus service along Woodhaven and Cross Bay Boulevards has been in the works for years, but resistance from local electeds, community boards and vocal residents–as well as the Department of Design and Construction’s hazy timetable for the street’s reconstruction–has sidetracked (and consequently watered down) the project, keeping the corridors congested and largely treacherous.
We didn’t have to worry that Second Avenue subway might not open on time — It’s becoming difficult to keep track of the Second Avenue Subway’s shifting deadlines. So many opening dates have been pushed back or come and gone, so we have our fingers crossed for early 2017, but we’re not holding our breath.
Nassau and Suffolk Counties took a fresh approach to funding their bus systems — Instead of cutting service to mitigate budget deficits, Nassau and Suffolk Counties should look to other cities and bus agencies that have proved there are better ways to fund and improve transit. Houston’s METRO, for example, redesigned their entire network in a revenue-neutral overhaul to shorten wait times and expand service; and this past Election Day, cities and counties, from Atlanta and Los Angeles to Seattle and Toledo, approved ballot measures to increase local taxes in exchange for better transit.
We saw plans for bus lanes on New NY Bridge project renderings — Back in 2014, the Governor’s Mass Transit Task Force proposed a bus rapid transit network, but whether the state will actually follow through on these recommendations remains unclear.
Leaders in the region understood that transportation is critical to holistic, effective climate action — Transportation is now the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. for the first time since 1979. It’s incumbent upon tri-state leaders to realize that if they want to be climate heroes, they can’t push projects or policies that facilitate more driving.
We could just leave the bike lanes out of it, please — No, really, please.
Our advocacy didn’t have to expend energy fighting racism on top of building just and equitable communities — But it does.
