Of 35 recommendations presented in the state’s climate scoping plan, just one has been implemented so far.

The suspended congestion pricing plan that would have charged drivers entering parts of New York City is just one of the climate policies the state has backpedaled on in recent months, writes Colin Kinniburgh in a piece for New York Focus.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has not required certain trucks to be zero-emissions. The Department of State has not updated the manuals that cities use for street design. And the state legislature has not taken any of the actions that the scoping plan pushed it to. Most haven’t even been introduced as legislation.
The state’s climate scoping plan “recommends ‘historic investments’ to expand public transit and promote ‘smart growth,’ a form of urban planning that revolves around dense, walkable city centers.” Yet of the 35 policy recommendations laid out in the plan, just one has been completed. “Just over half have seen some signs of progress, ranging from lawmakers introducing (but not passing) bills to agencies administering small grants.”
While the state has made some progress on electrification in the transportation sector, little has been done to reduce overall driving, which the plan admits is crucial to achieving a net-zero future. “Modeling by the clean energy research group RMI found that a 20 percent reduction in driving would not only shave emissions, but also save the lives of thousands of New Yorkers each year by reducing crashes, improving air quality, and promoting exercise.”
FULL STORY: New York Idles on Green Transportation Plan

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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