State of the State: what Hochul must commit to
Governor Kathy Hochul will deliver her State of the State address Tuesday, January 10th, setting the course and tenor for the coming year in Albany. This is an especially crucial year for New York State. We’re at an inflection point — we can embrace and build on the pandemic-era revolutions in people-centered initiatives, or we can maintain outdated, car-centric philosophies and pursue myopic projects that preserve a deadly status quo.
New York State is home to some of the most exciting, dynamic cities in the nation and we should be a leader on innovative, forward-thinking policies. Rather than setting goals that merely shift us from one type of car culture to another, decision makers must reimagine how our streets can become valuable public space meant to serve all New Yorkers. If we hope to significantly address overlapping crises — housing, climate, traffic violence — nothing short of a revolution will do.
We’ve seen the ways public space and people-centered policy can save lives and spur economic growth. We hope Governor Hochul will adhere to that vision. Let’s show the rest of the nation how it’s done and set a course for a truly livable future.
If we’re going to do that, these are the policies and perspectives we believe are critically important to address in this year’s State of the State.
Break Car Culture. Perhaps the most critical theme we’ll be looking for is a commitment to solutions that move away from cars of any kind. Our entire solution to transportation issues cannot be a mere switch to electric vehicles. To start, that will be a lengthy transition process. And even if we could magically switch every car on the streets to an EV, they’re still cars. They create just as much congestion, and they kill and injure just as many New Yorkers. EVs are actually heavier, and therefore more dangerous to people as well as more destructive to road services, and use energy sources that negatively impact the climate. There are instances where it will be useful to move from traditional cars to electric. But the only truly transformative – and significantly impactful – shift is away from cars all together.
Use the Climate Action Plan to Advance Mode Shift and Reduce VMT. New York’s Climate Action Plan was voted on in December. It includes a number of objectives for sustainability and resilience, but the single most impactful thing we can do is to move away from vehicle-centric transportation. Doing so successfully will hinge on investing in alternatives and cultivating new mindsets. It will be crucial that the Climate Action Plan include the following:
Fund public transportation as a public service. We must commit to providing more reliable service independent of rider-generated revenue.
Allocate state funding and support to enhance micro-mobility and pedestrian infrastructure
Pursue policies that reduce overall vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
Encourage mode shift away from cars
Pursue Mobility Oriented Development (MOD)
Investing in the necessary infrastructure and maintenance for new low-emission zones and car-free streets
Enact higher registration fees for larger/less-fuel-efficient vehicles
Support Congestion Pricing. Hochul must affirm her strong support of congestion pricing. This toll will drastically reduce traffic congestion in Manhattan’s most clogged corridors, resulting in cleaner air and safer streets. Congestion pricing will also raise critical funds for our public transit system and provide the reliable and convenient service New Yorkers need to shift away from car dependence. More broadly, it’s essential that decision makers signal that congestion pricing, alongside other policies that deprioritize cars and drivers, are the future.
Support the SAFE Streets Act. In 2022, the signing of a Complete Streets bill came down to the wire. This year, we hope Governor Hochul will be an eager supporter of the SAFE Streets Act, a new package of bills aimed at improving safety and protecting vulnerable road users. The bills address:
Allowing state municipalities to reduce speed limits, a proven way to save lives
Providing funding and encouragement for new Complete Streets projects
Discouraging increasingly heavy and large vehicles
Providing support and more legal rights to those personally impacted by crashes
Recognize that Transportation is an Equity Issue. Transportation is an equity issue and we hope to see the Governor commit to address the underlying policies that exacerbate this unjust disparity. New Yorkers with lower income and people of color use every type of public transit at much higher rates than others. The State must commit to investing more resources in accessible modes of transportation that increase mobility for everyone, not just those who happen to own cars.
Build Intercity Rail, Not Highways. Today’s policy decisions will set the stage for a more equitable and transit-rich tomorrow. Building and expanding highways is regressive, so we want to see New York State acknowledge that these projects only create additional demand for cars and gobble up valuable public space. Investing resources — both financial and spacial — into highways precludes the investment in livable, walkable and healthful municipalities. Rather than newer, wider highways, we want to see new transit options between cities, not just trains from New York City to Rochester, but trains from Canton to Cortland and from Albany to Oswego.
Support the Interborough Express. New York City’s subway system was designed to transport people to and from Manhattan, leaving interborough travelers with slow buses or cars. The Interborough Express would begin to rectify that problem by providing train access between Brooklyn and Queens (and ideally into the Bronx as well). While the Governor expressed support in her 2022 State of the State address and conducted a feasibility study, there has been little substantive action since. She should reiterate her support and lay out concrete actions to actually implement this critical investment in interborough public transit.
Other bills we’d like to see mentioned:
E-Bike Rebate Program (S314/A275): E-bikes are now the norm for most food delivery workers and they’re also gaining popularity among commuters. New York should celebrate and encourage this new transit alternative by passing this bill that covers half the cost of new e-bikes up to $1,100. Currently, only electric cars are eligible for this rebate, further entrenching car culture. This bill would allow the state to use the same funds to encourage green mobility.
Automated Enforcement: New York City does not currently have the ability to use technology-based enforcement in its curb lane — creating dangerous conflicts among users, rampant illegal parking, and chaos at the curb. The Governor should give New York City home rule authority to use automated enforcement at the curb.
Eliminate Parking Mandates Statewide: Parking mandates increase the cost of housing, further entrench car culture, and destroy walkable neighborhoods. The Governor should support S162, the bill that would eliminate parking mandates statewide.
New York State can be a pioneer of the future and people-centered municipalities. But to do that, we need to put a stake in the ground now. New York State needs decisive leadership like this to begin to build the future. Creating a more livable state starts today, with every incremental choice. We hope Governor Hochul will take a bold stance, establish a culture of prioritizing people and place, and set the state up for great things ahead.