Proposed New York Bill Would Align Transportation Projects With Driving Reduction Goals

Writing in Streetsblog NYC, Kevin Duggan outlines the findings of a report from  New Yorkers for Transportation Equity that claims that New York State “must reduce driving by 20 percent and boost public transit in order to achieve its climate and productivity goals.”

The group argued in support of a proposed state bill that would add reducing vehicle miles traveled in the state by 20 percent by 2050 to its climate legislation. “Under the proposed law, any state highway project would undergo an assessment to see if it aligns with the goal for fewer car trips. If it does not, the state would have to revise it or find ways offset the impacts, such as building more public transit options or encouraging development near transit itself.”

Advocates say the state won’t reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050 without shifting its priorities away from roadbuilding and toward transit and multimodal transportation. “The law is modeled after a similar measure in Minnesota, where officials adopted a goal to reduce vehicle miles traveled by that amount over the same timeline.”