Dive brief:
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul reviewed recent accomplishments and outlined her priorities for improving public transportation in New York City during her annual State of the State address on Tuesday.
- Extension of metro lines; add new rail service to the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens; and reducing traffic fatalities were among the goals outlined in a 181-page document that accompanied his remarks.
- No dollar amounts for these proposed projects were included in the document, but they will be included in the governor’s upcoming executive budget proposal.
Diving knowledge:
While Governor Hochul covered many issues in her 2024 speech, from crime to housing, education and climate resilience, infrastructure was the focus of her transportation initiatives. “We will continue to advance transformative infrastructure and transit projects like the 2nd Avenue Subway Extension, Interborough Express and the I-81 Viaduct, creating thousands of good-paying union jobs along the way,” he said. say Hochul in his statements.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority completed Phase 1 of the Second Avenue subway in 2017 and is now planning Phase 2, which will extend the line from 96th Street to 125th Street in Manhattan, an area that has been a metro desert for decades. Hochul wants to extend the line west along 125th Street to serve residential areas and make connections to other existing subway lines.
“A westward expansion of the Second Avenue subway through Harlem is a sound investment to connect the Q Line with seven additional lines, relieve congestion at 125th Street, and better connect East Harlem to the rest of the District,” said Tom Wright , president of the non-profit Regional Plan Association, in an emailed statement.
The Interborough Express project envisions using existing commuter and freight rail lines in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens to connect up to 17 different subway lines serving 900,000 residents. Using existing infrastructure means the transit line could be built more quickly and efficiently, according to the MTA.
Hochul’s plan also referenced the Penn Station Access Project, which will add four local stations along Amtrak’s existing line through the Bronx to be served by Metro-North commuter trains. “The project will expand access to jobs, education and entertainment for communities in the East Bronx and will substantially reduce travel times, provide reverse commuting opportunities and provide a second critical route into Manhattan for the first time through of Metro-North,” the governor’s plan states. .
Another of Hochul’s priorities is to make “New York the safest state in the country for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.” Last year, he signed a law to allow local governments to deploy cameras to monitor traffic signs and speeding violations in school zones. Hochul is asking the state legislature to allow New York City to lower its speed limit to 20 mph.
“Keeping our streets safe, protecting families and saving lives, requires New York’s leaders to keep drivers honest,” said Danny Pearlstein, director of policy and communications for the public transportation advocacy group Riders Alliance. , in an email statement.
In response to the governor’s State of the State address, MTA President and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement that “today’s announcement is a vote of confidence in the future of the public transportation and New York City.”
