Open Plans responds to Governor Hochul's Disappointing State of the State
Statement from Sara Lind, co-executive director of Open Plans on Governor Kathy Hochul's disappointing 2025 State of the State:
“Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State initiatives show that, despite some promising steps in the right direction, the Governor is not leading with the ambition and vision needed to create a truly livable state. Her plans for transit and infrastructure fail to provide for the millions of New Yorkers who need fast buses, accessible subway stations, and safe micromobility lanes. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe during their commutes, but achieving that requires far more than increased police presence. To truly support New Yorkers, Governor Hochul must embrace a people-first approach that celebrates transit and density and invests in a future that is walkable, bikeable, and livable for all.
"To start, New York just made history as the first state in America with a congestion tolling program, but you wouldn’t know it from watching Governor Hochul’s address. It’s disappointing that Hochul, who claimed to love transportation, would not take the opportunity to celebrate the start of a hard-fought program that’s already showing benefits for drivers, pedestrians, and transit riders alike. This should be a watershed moment for New York but our decision makers must take ownership of congestion pricing’s potential to transform commutes and rethink the way we’re allocating street space in a city that runs on pedestrians and public transit.
"While we’re in agreement that e-micromobility is a crucial issue facing New York, the solutions Hochul has identified are not adequate for developing the emerging mode in a safe, holistic way. The proposed regulations raise more questions than they answer: how will bike lane speed limits be enforced? How will we build the infrastructure that allows New Yorkers to choose this option confidently? How will police tell the difference between an ebike that must be licensed and one that doesn’t have to be? Regulation is surely needed, but it must aim to create more opportunities for safe micromobility and be paired with abundant solutions for improved infrastructure.
"We’re encouraged that daylighting is on the Governor’s radar. Two years ago, when Open Plans started talking to communities about daylighting it was relatively unknown; this is huge progress and shows just how compelling the issue is. Schools are a fantastic area for prioritizing daylighting because the streets surrounding them are so dangerous, but ideally, the Governor would simply stop allowing New York City to opt out of this important safety requirement. That being said, mentioning daylighting as a key State initiative is an exciting move in the right direction and we hope it’s just one step towards getting the universal implementation that New Yorkers need and want.
"New Yorkers are facing overlapping crises in affordability, safety, and climate change and we need solutions. But any approach that doesn’t celebrate a historic success like congestion pricing, and embrace the possibilities it creates, is not nearly ambitious enough for our state. We look forward to working with all our state leaders to push for a bolder vision for people-centered streets and more investment in transit infrastructure that keeps all New Yorkers safer."
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