Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets Unveil Transportation Platform for Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State Legislature
Platform has more than 50 legislative solutions to reduce traffic violence and improve pedestrian, bicycle, public transit, and micromobility infrastructure for New Yorkers.
Advocates call on governor and legislators to take urgent action to meet the critical goals of the state’s own multimodal transportation agenda by 2030.
NEW YORK — Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets today released their transportation platform for Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature as the legislative session begins. Seven Steps for New York State’s Leaders to Transform Our Streets provides actionable steps New York State leaders can take to make New York City’s streets safer, encourage sustainable modes of transportation, and address racial and economic inequities.
“To achieve our climate goals, prevent traffic violence, address inequities, and support our economic recovery, we must put our streets to higher use,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Using our Seven Steps platform, state lawmakers can ensure that New York’s streets live up to their full potential by putting people, not cars, first. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul and the state legislature to advance this policy agenda and improve the lives of New Yorkers.”
“Governor Hochul and the state legislature have the power to protect the lives of New Yorkers on our streets this session,” said Families for Safe Streets member and Policy and Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Julie Huntington. “By implementing the solutions in Seven Steps and passing the full SAFE Streets Act, we can save lives across New York State and be a nationwide leader in the fight to end traffic violence.”
The seven steps to build a greener, safer, and more equitable New York State — each of which include specific legislation and policy proposals — are:
Convert car space into space for people
Make our streets fair
Reduce the number and size of cars in New York City
Build self-enforcing streets
Scale the successes of Vision Zero
Put bus riders first
Get more butts on bikes
The agenda also includes the SAFE Streets Act, a package of bills endorsed by a statewide coalition of more than 100 organizations. The life-saving package includes legislation to fund complete streets redesigns, allow lower speed limits in New York City, and mandate safety features in new vehicles.
Key proposals from Seven Steps include:
End traffic deaths by 2050. Commit to a statewide goal of zero traffic deaths by 2050 and adopt a vision that sets annual statewide goals for reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
Build streets that prioritize people over cars. Enact a new law requiring the state DOT projects to include ADA accessibility, bike lanes, bus shelters, crosswalks, and transit-priority infrastructure by default.
Allow New York City to control its own speed limits. Pass Sammy’s Law and give New York City the authority to lower speed limits as needed.
Seven Steps builds off TA and FSS’ policy platform for Mayor Adams and the New York City Council released in November 2021. The platform is a blueprint to achieve NYC 25x25, a TA campaign supported by more than 200 labor, community, and business groups, to convert 25% of car space in New York City to space for people by 2025. The City of New York has taken steps to implement several of the proposals, including committing $904 million to the NYC Streets Plan, piloting speed governors on certain city vehicles, and working with state legislators on the historic expansion of speed safety cameras.
What elected officials are saying:
"The need for safe and sustainable transportation in New York is higher than ever. More than 3,000 New Yorkers are injured and over 200 are killed each year in preventable traffic crashes in New York City. As always, the organizations leading the way towards safer and cleaner streets are Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. I fully support their updated transportation platform, which includes three of my bills: Sammy’s Law, Vehicle Safety Standards Act, and Crash Victims Bill of Rights,” State Senator Brad Hoylman said.
“I’m excited to support the 7 Steps for Safe Streets platform and further the fight for improved streets for our communities. I’ve advocated for many of the policy solutions presented in this comprehensive platform, such as safer street infrastructure and investments in public transit, which I will continue to support during this legislative session,” said State Senator Julia Salazar. “New Yorkers everywhere deserve safe, accessible, and walkable streets made with people in mind.”
"Ensuring our streets are safe and accessible for all New Yorkers must be a key goal for all legislators in 2023, from Brooklyn to Buffalo," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "I'm proud my bill to add ratings to vehicles according to their pedestrian safety is included in this crucial 7 Steps for Safe Streets platform, and I look forward to working hard alongside my colleagues to get each and every one of these bills passed into law."
“I want to commend Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets for setting forth this ambitious and necessary agenda. I look forward to working with them and my colleagues in the Legislature to pass legislation that will make our streets safer and our communities healthier and more livable for everyone,” said Assemblymember Robert Carroll.
“Astoria is home to buses that crawl at five miles an hour, trains that often take 10 minutes to arrive, and constituents who are on the brink of being priced out by looming fare hikes. The Seven Steps platform recognizes these crises, addresses them, and in doing so, puts the needs of working class New Yorkers first - as it is those New Yorkers who are disproportionately failed by our current policies. I am excited to support every aspect of this package,” said Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
"Safe streets are the cornerstone of a livable, healthy, prosperous city. We have work to do to address the devastating increase in traffic crashes and part of the solution is increasing the use of public transportation and bikes. I am proud to ally with the bill sponsors of this important package and look forward to working with them, Transportation Alternatives, and Families for Safe Streets to transform our streets," said Assemblymember Harvey Epstein.
What advocates are saying:
"State lawmakers have the power to make our streets safer, more efficient, and more joyful. Now is the time to harness that power for transformative change. Transportation Alternative’s seven-point platform lays out simple, yet significant, ways our decision-makers can build a better future. We look forward to amplifying these ideas and being an ally to this life-saving, life-changing work," said Sara Lind, Chief Strategy Officer at Open Plans.
"Millions of bus riders are counting on Albany to put us first on busy city streets," said Riders Alliance Policy & Communications Director Danny Pearlstein. "That means much more frequent service, a sustainable revenue model for the MTA, and automated camera enforcement at bus stops and along bus routes, not just within red painted bus lanes. Streets for bus riders are fairer and safer for all New Yorkers and long overdue. We're grateful to Transportation Alternatives for pushing such a robust platform forward this session."
“The transportation sector is of critical importance to the environment and to public health, and we thank our partners at Transportation Alternatives for showing elected officials the path to achieving safer streets–which everyone deserves–as well as a more efficient public transit system and more expansive micro-mobility options for New Yorkers. If enacted, these recommendations would mean fewer traffic accidents, cleaner air, and a healthier planet,” said Patrick McClellan, Policy Director for the New York League of Conservation Voters.
"These seven steps provide tangible, common-sense actions that can be taken now to save lives and cut the greenhouse gasses we're producing in New York State. We're looking forward to continuing our work with our elected leaders and the Safe Streets Coalition to get this done and watch our community safety and health improve as a result," said Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo.
“This plan creates a clear and workable template for redesigning our streets and infrastructure in ways that would significantly improve our communities, the environment, and save lives,” said Felicia Park-Rogers, Director of Regional infrastructure, Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “In particular, creating regional rail in NYC, redressing the wrongs of the Cross Bronx Expressway, and building the long delayed Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel are all projects that would move our region economically and competitively into the next century rather than being mired in the car-centric, polluting, dangerous, and congestive planning of the 1950s.”
