New York State Climate Plan Stalls

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.”