Sign-On Letter to Support Funding for Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure in the NYS Budget

February XX, 2016

The Honorable Speaker Carl E. Heastie
Legislative Office Building, Room 932
Albany, NY 12248

The Honorable Majority Leader John Flanagan
Legislative Office Building, Room 909
Albany, NY 12247

Re: Funding for Pedestrian/Bicycling Infrastructure

Speaker Heastie and Leader Flanagan,

At some point in the day, almost everyone is a pedestrian, whether they are walking to their car, to the bus, to work, or to school. Unfortunately, amidst the recent calls for funding parity between transit, roads and bridges, those who walk or bike to their destinations are often left out of the conversation.

We are requesting that, in your one-house bills within the $22.1 billion proposed for the NYSDOT Capital Plan, the House and Senate include a minimum of $20 million in increased spending, each year for the five years of the Capital Plan. This money would supplement the federal dedicated dollars for pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure (formerly known as the Transportation Alternatives Program). Additionally, the final budget should include language that prioritizes funding of projects that incorporate pedestrian, bicycling, and transit components.

By some measures, New York State is considered to be the nation’s most dangerous place to bike and walk, with 29% of the people dying on our roads being someone who is either biking or walking to their destination.1 Moreover, motor-vehicle transportation accounts for the single largest share of our State’s greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of the State’s larger, more high-profile transportation infrastructure needs, the importance of projects that make it safer and more accessible to ride a bike, walk and take transit get lost. Additionally, there are declining and inadequate resources to meet the growing demand for this infrastructure. The two most recent federal transportation laws (MAP-21 and the FAST Act) have dedicated money to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, but over the years, these funds have been reduced by more than 30%. These declining resources inhibit the ability to implement the NYS Complete Streets law.
By making this additional $20 million annual investment in bicycling and walking infrastructure, we will improve safety, help stimulate local economies, address challenges posed by climate change, and give New Yorkers access to healthy, low-cost transportation options to improve quality of life for the residents of our state. As New York State makes significant overall investments in our transportation system, please assure we are building a national model for a truly multi-modal transportation system that improves the health,