Report Offers Tools for a More Affordable NYC

When Mayor-elect Mamdani takes office on January 1, he will control over 6,300 miles of streets throughout the five boroughs. Overnight, he’ll have the power to build bike lanes, bus lanes, public plazas, and more — the exact kind of design changes that make it easier for New Yorkers to sell their car (or use their car less) and get by walking, biking, and riding public transit. Owning a car costs nearly $9,000 annually, while taking transit costs just $1,500. Mayor-elect Mamdani has the power to save millions of New Yorkers thousands of dollars just by building the streets New York City deserves. 

Transportation Alternatives' new report, The Road to Affordability: A Streets and Transportation Agenda for the Next Mayor of NYC, includes over 80 ideas to transform New York City into a more affordable place to walk, bike, ride the bus, and live. Building a city where it’s possible for New Yorkers to sell their car, or use their car less often, could save a household nearly five figures each year.

The report includes the following recommendations:

• Implement universal daylighting.
• Commit to building a citywide bike network that reaches within a quarter-mile (a one-minute bike ride) of every New York City residence.
• Develop a plan for marquee bus rapid transit on at least five key routes. BRT is distinguished by center-running bus lanes, busways, off-board fare collection, level boarding, and a subway-like experience on the streets.
• Announce a plan to expand Summer Streets to every Sunday, with an all-day program that includes a continuous route that connects at least four boroughs. 
• Announce a plan for dramatically expanding pedestrian spaces, including building on existing community-led plans for FiDi, Broadway, and SoHo.
• Finish the job: Un-pause all existing bus projects, bike lane projects, and street safety projects that have already been presented to community boards but then stalled or implemented and then removed.
• Implement Sammy’s Law by committing to lowering speed limits to 20 mph on all eligible roads across the city, and beginning to change signage within the first 100 days.
• Go bold with the NYC Streets Plan 2.0 and commit all necessary funding in the mayor’s executive budget to fully implement the Streets Master Plan, as required by law; end the safe streets hiring freeze; and increase DOT staff to meet the measure of this legislation.