New York
Bicycling Coalition’s Objectives for Re-Authorization of TEA-21
For questions, please contact Ivan Vamos, Legislative Director, at
518-436-0889
The New York Bicycling Coalition hopes to influence the
reauthorization of the nation’s surface transportation law, the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21). To this end, NYBC urges
the New York Congressional delegation to pursue the following objectives in
regard to pedestrian and bicycle programs within the renewed TEA-21, or TEA-3:
1)
Enhance the Safe Routes to School Program: many areas in New York
City’s borough of the Bronx have benefited from this program, allowing children
to go to school in safer, more ecological ways. They want the fun and
flexibility of getting there on their own and being able to stop at the store
or a friend’s house on the way home. Many families in suburban areas would also
like to decrease their dependence on motorized transportation, gain relief from
vehicular congestion and parking problems, and seek a healthier lifestyle. We ask that TEA-3 allocate more funding to:
a)
Expand
Safe Routes to School in urban areas where population density and high use make
this type of program highly successful;
b)
Initiate
Safe Routes to School in suburban areas with research on walk, cycle, and drive
needs of various-sized communities, followed by programs tailored to educate
parents and children in which routes are best for walking or biking;
2)
Create a bike-friendly road and transportation system: Although ISTEA and TEA-21
made substantial gains in this area, much of our transportation systems are
still unfriendly to cyclists. On-street cycling lanes need further development
in all towns and cities so people can safely ride on a daily basis from home to
work, to school and to shop. Although many inroads have been made in several
New York communities, many buses, trains and subways do not yet accommodate
cyclists and their bicycles without posing financial and logistical barriers.
This improvement effort should also focus on those who cannot drive cars or do
not own them, including children and the elderly. NYBC asks special attention
be paid to:
a)
The
use of bicycle and pedestrian impact statements on all major highway projects,
including renovation projects;
b)
The
classification of all streets in a municipality for bike use by age
appropriateness, such as at age 6, 10 and 14;
c)
Dedicate
funding to pay for the installation of secure bike holding areas in business
areas, at mass transit hubs and by major rail stations;
d)
Allow
bicyclists to qualify for benefits given to employers extending financial
benefits to mass transit commuters;
e)
The
eventual elimination of cycling barriers on all key bridges, and the
consideration of bike lanes in any bridge reconstruction plans;
f)
The
reduction of logistical barriers preventing cyclists from loading their bikes
on buses and trains, and financial assistance for transit systems, including
Amtrak and intercity buses willing to develop accommodations for bicycles.
3)
Strengthen existing Transportation Enhancements, CMAQ and other TEA-21
programs for improved bicycling facilities; We believe existing programs to develop
cycling facilities should be enhanced and expanded. To that end, eligibility
for bicycling improvements should be more explicit; and incentives should
encourage the use of funds for bicycle projects. This funding has been used and
should continue to be used to:
a)
Plan
and implement extensive bike routes. For instance, to date no full-scale effort
has been mounted to create end-to-end bike routes in the NY-NJ region. Monies
should be directed towards an effort to do this and similar projects elsewhere
in New York State;
b)
Accelerate
completion of the Buffalo to Albany Erie Canal bike path;
c)
Map
and sign all of the major bikeways through the state to make them safer and
more attractive to local users and tourists, including routes from:
i)
Buffalo
to Albany
ii)
Jamestown
to Hudson
iii)
Niagara
to Erie, PA
iv)
Plattsburgh
to Syracuse
v)
Manhattan
to Montauk
vi)
Manhattan
to Bear Mountain (West side of Hudson)
vii)
Manhattan
to Poughkeepsie
viii)
Croton
Harmon to the Shawangunks and Kingston
ix)
Poughkeepsie
to Saugerties and Tannersville
x)
Binghamton
to Ithaca
xi)
Syracuse
to Oswego
xii)
Albany
to Saratoga
xiii)
And
others as identified by bike groups around the state
d)
Allocate
adequate funding to upstate localities to develop cycling paths amenable to
tourism. Funding should also allocate monies to install appurtenances such as
map kiosks, benches, and water fountains along the paths.
e)
Continue
to earmark and preserve old rail lines for bike use, while also increasing
funding for the connection of discontinuous paths and rail trails (such as the
rail trail in Nyack, NY).
f)
Strengthen
the eligibility of bicycle projects in all highway funding so that National
Highway Safety funding can be used within and across National Highways; and
CMAQ funding can be used for local and metropolitan projects;
g)
Include
a representative from major bicycle and pedestrian organizations in the
metropolitan and state long-range transportation planning process;
h)
Support
research that will enable us to reach an average 8% reduction in cyclist and
pedestrian deaths per year. These accidents now cause 5,500 deaths per year and
countless injuries.
4)
Create major bike and pedestrian routes for all cities and towns in the
event of an emergency; The National Transportation Security Act must account for regional
emergencies that might cause panic. For instance, sabotage of power plants or
subways can shut down mass transit. In suburban areas, many people escaping at
once can create motorized gridlock. We need to define in advance clear and safe
methods for non-motorized emergency movement of people across large areas.
Funding should be allocated for the development, advertising and training of
New York residents for quick evacuation. NYBC also asks that TEA-3 provide
funding and direction for the development of bike and pedestrian “corridors”.
Specifically, we are asking that the new bill allocate funding to:
a)
Create
an explicit non-motorized component of evacuation plans for major Metropolitan
areas;
b)
Prepare
for those emergencies by the identification and remedy of potential pedestrian
bottlenecks by assuring continuous, permanent byways for non-motorized
evacuation.
c)
Maintain
these byways so they are available for everyday pedestrian and cyclist use,
assuring they will be passable in case of emergency;
d)
Provide
for education of individuals, families, and the elderly in particular, for the
use of the system.
5)
Use the rebuilding of the World Trade Center area as a nationwide model
for accommodation of cycling commuters. The rebuilding of the WTC site is an ideal
opportunity to demonstrate how large complexes such as office parks,
transportation hubs, and other traffic generators can accommodate and encourage
bicycling commuting. The new bill should allocate specific funding to:
a)
Create
enclosed secure holding stations or parking areas for bicycles that allow for
short term storage at major buildings and at transport stations in the area;
b)
Build
a modest system of cycling byways and paths within the site that can be
expanded with increased demand;
c)
Provide
for the connection of the WTC area to existing bike lanes and bikeways; Fill
all gaps in the system of bikeways and bike lanes from the top of Manhattan to
the WTC site;
d)
Assure
safe and seamless bike connections to the other NYC boroughs: Brooklyn, Staten
Island, Queens, and the Bronx.
Using bicycles for transportation and recreation is
the wave of the future for Americans, as we fight rising gasoline costs,
extreme traffic congestion, cancer-producing pollution, and obesity. The New
York Bicycling Coalition believes its objectives for TEA-21 will make for a
better transportation program, benefiting both the nation’s and New York’s
pedestrians and bicyclists. TEA-21 and its immediate predecessors have opened
opportunities for meeting their needs, and have made enormous strides. Yet
there is still so much more to be done.
Many cyclists and pedestrians continue to report
that they still do not feel safe riding and walking from their homes to work or
school, and more and more children have abandoned their bikes because of
parent’s safety concerns. NYBC hopes
that the energy and funding this nation can dedicate to realizing safe and
accessible transportation alternatives will help bring about this improved
vision for the future.
For questions, please contact Ivan Vamos, Legislative Director, at
518-436-0889
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