The time to start building the transportation system of tomorrow is today.

My plan to expand transportation options can protect our climate, connect our communities, and grow our economy.

Whether they live in cities like Brooklyn and Buffalo, the suburbs of Long Island, or the rural Adirondacks, all New Yorkers deserve safe and reliable options to get around. 

Planners of the past invested in roads and highways at the expense of other forms of transportation that better meet our communities’ needs. In many neighborhoods, including my district, these highways have divided us, instead of connecting us. Most New Yorkers have been left dependent on a transportation network that doesn’t deliver on its promise.

Now, with billions in federal infrastructure funding, we have a unique opportunity to better connect New Yorkers to work, school, healthcare and other essential services.

We’re facing a climate crisis, and transportation is the largest source of emissions in the US. New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires us to shift from car dependency to create more options that offer New Yorkers genuine freedom of mobility. As we do so, we can also create economic opportunity for communities by better connecting them to jobs, schools and other resources.

My legislation sets a bold but achievable target to reduce the total annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in New York State by 20% by 2050. In doing so, we’ll usher in more frequent public transit, more accessible streets for walking and cycling, new greenway trails, and more. Here’s how it works:

• State, county, and town projects that expand roadway capacity must undergo a VMT assessment prior to approval. If a project doesn’t align with our climate and transportation equity goals, we’ll require changes to align with those goals or to mitigate impact. There are many ways to do this, including expanding public transit, improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure, creating more micromobility options, and designing transit-oriented development.

• The bill also establishes a technical advisory committee and VMT assessment working group to ensure assessments are done right, projects deliver on impact mitigation, and municipalities have the resources they need. We’ll require the State Department of Transportation to issue a report on this work every two years. 

A study by the Rocky Mountain Institute found this approach can avoid billions of dollars in energy, healthcare, and vehicle costs; save lives; and prevent huge amounts of pollution. In New York, that amounts to:

• 227 million metric tons of carbon emissions avoided over 25 years (the second-most of any state).

• Average annual household savings of $3,750 in fuel, vehicle maintenance and depreciation (the second-most of any state).

• 4,940 fewer deaths per year in reduced traffic crashes, improved air quality and increased physical activity (the second-most of any state).

We can improve transportation options for every New Yorker, whether they live in cities, suburbs or rural areas. In cities, we can create faster, more reliable bus routes, and safer connections for walking and cycling along heavily-trafficked streets. In suburbs, we can invest in improved public transit, more pedestrian and bike access; better options for short trips can free parents from schlepping their kids everywhere and give those kids more independence. In rural communities, we can build more sidewalks, bike paths, and accessible ramps; expand connections to greenway trails; and offer transit and paratransit that better serves outlying communities, and connects neighbors.

We know this approach works because we’ve seen other states do it. Last year, Minnesota made history by requiring its DOT to cut vehicle miles traveled. One analysis found the state would see up to $91 billion in benefits from climate-smart transportation investments. States like California and Colorado are taking action too. Read the new report from the statewide coalition “New Yorkers for Transportation Equity” to learn more about this transformative approach.

Let’s shift the gears of transportation policy in favor of greater sustainability, freedom, and access for New Yorkers. The time to start building the transportation system of the future is now.