TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, CITY & REGION
While 2.3% of Lower Manhattanites drive to work, the vast majority of Downtowners use public transportation. Silver's backroom deal on congestion pricing cost Lower Manhattanites too many urgently needed transportation improvements:
· Reconstruction to complete the Broadway-Lafayette/Bleecker Street transfer;
· Escalators at the Whitehall Street, East Broadway and Bowery Stations for the elderly of our community who ride the RW, JMZ and F lines;
· Subway station elevators for the disabled;
· 30 additional buses for the lines that serve Lower Manhattan;
· Nearly 1000 new subway cars--nearly fifty of which would have been dedicated to the E and F lines;
· Public safety and information address system at the Grand Street station on the BD lines;
· Fire-safety station upgrades with the addition of five new ventilation facilities for the JMZ and 4/5 lines at the Stone Street, Cedar Street, John Street, Spruce Street, and the South Ferry stations.
By killing Congestion Pricing, Silver turned down over $350 million in federal money that could have come to New York City and the MTA. With the MTA now looking to raise its fares and make even further cuts to cover the gaping hole in its finances, it is clear we do not have the right person representing us in Albany.
As your Assembly member, I will fight to reduce congestion, make our streets livable and strengthen our public transportation system.
REDUCE CONGESTION
Our streets are clogged and our air is unhealthy to breathe. An air sample taken by the Daily News last June found that the air on Canal Street at rush hour had 500,000 particles per cubic centimeter, the highest of any sample taken by that survey. News reports indicate that roughly 1-in-5 children enrolled in the P.S. 124 after-school program have been diagnosed with Asthma. Asthma is a major city-wide health problem, driven by air quality and congestion, affecting the children and adults of New York City. This amounts to an ongoing public health disaster with long-term negative quality of life and economic impacts. Reducing congestion is the best hope to combat the terrible epidemic of asthma affecting the children of our district.
Congestion Pricing
There is no community in New York State more directly impacted by traffic congestion than ours and Sheldon Silver's failure to even schedule a vote on congestion pricing shows his contempt for both the democratic process and concerns of Lower Manhattanites. In order to reduce congestion, we have to end the free ride that our state has given to the automobile for the past 70 years. Our current tolling system on our bridges and tunnels is inconsistent and doesn't begin to cover the costs of maintaining our roads. The revenue generated from a congestion pricing package would begin to plug the hole in the MTA's budget and bring the needed infrastructure improvements to the busses and trains serving Lower Manhattan. While there is not one solution that will solve these problems alone, there are concrete steps we can take to reduce congestion and get people out of their cars and onto public transportation. Congestion pricing is this first step, and is too important an issue to be swept under the rug by Sheldon Silver.
LIVABLE STREETS
Reducing congestion is only part of the answer. We also have to improve our infrastructure for the growing numbers of people walking and biking on our streets every day.
Expanded Sidewalks
Canal Street has one of the most heavily trafficked sidewalks in the nation. Unfortunately, the lack of adequate space for people and cyclists results in an unacceptable number of pedestrian injuries and deaths every year. Widening the sidewalks would give visitors and residents alike the ability to safely navigate our neighborhoods without having to walk in the street--where pedestrians are forced to compete with automobiles.
Expanded Bicycle Infrastructure
With more people biking to work every year, the time has come to invest in bike infrastructure. This includes expanding the network of protected bike lanes and racks into Lower Manhattan and forging community partnerships that ensure residential and office buildings allow for indoor bicycle parking.
Sensible Nightlife Solutions
Over the past few years, the State Liquor Authority (SLA) has become far more responsive to the concerns of our community. However, there continue to be problems with noise that cannot be solved by blanket regulations alone. The 500 foot rule is not comprehensive solution because it fails engage nightlife establishments, and does nothing to address the exiting problems of noise and late night crowding--which exist whether there are 2 bars or 20 bars.
SLA Reform: The SLA needs more enforcement officers. As of last year, the SLA had only twenty-eight enforcement officers--hardly enough to effectively respond to the needs of our community--let alone the entire state. Additionally, current SLA liquor licenses are too generic and often do not fit the variety of establishments they intend to regulate across the State. Bars, clubs, late-night restaurants and lounges could all have distinct licenses that hold establishments accountable for the promises they make during their negotiations with the community boards.
Taxi Honking Enforcement: Taxi honking and vehicle congestion create a lot of noise for our sleeping neighbors who live on the narrow streets and share the neighborhood with some of New York's most popular bars. We need to hold drivers responsible for the impacts they have in our community.
INVESTING IN OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The future health and quality of life in our community depends on our leaders in Albany forging transportation solutions that get commuters out of their cars and taking public transportation. I support Congestion Pricing, but also see the need to make public transportation as accessible as possible--without the carrot, the stick is only mean.
As your assemblyman, I will work to fully fund all MTA capital improvements and bridge the existing gaps in our transportation that continue to force people to drive into our neighborhood everyday. Some of the other initiatives I am proposing include:
Better Transit Connectivity
Many commuters still find it prohibitively costly and time consuming to rely solely on public transportation to get to work. We need to offer Park-and-Rides at LIRR, Metro-North, and NJ Transit stations. We also need to better integrate these systems with the NYC MTA service--including exploring fare transfers.
Expanding MTA Capacity
As your Assembly member, I will work to expand the network of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes on major Manhattan and outer-borough routes. I will also work to fully fund the completion of the 2nd Avenue Subway.
Promoting mass-transit and discouraging automobile use is one of the most important tools in NY State's arsenal against global warming. Long term, mass-transit not only reduces total vehicle miles driven, but promotes less carbon intensive lifestyles. As your Assembly member, I will fight to put our transportation, quality of life and public health concerns at the top of New York's agenda.
