What to know
- On Tuesday, Governor Hochul announced next steps to plan and design greater access to public transportation in New York City, introduced a new infrastructure hub, and proposed new measures to improve traffic safety and combat toll evasion and fees as part of his 2024 State of the State address.
- “Every New Yorker deserves a safe and efficient ride, whether you’re a pedestrian, a driver or a walker,” said Governor Hochul. “We continue to move full speed ahead on transformative infrastructure projects that will change the way New Yorkers get around. And at the same time we fight for safety, so that New Yorkers get home safely no matter how they choose to get around.”
- Since 2017, New York has used open road tolling, allowing for easier traffic flow on major bridges, tunnels and highways.
NEW YORK — On Tuesday, Governor Hochul announced next steps to plan and design greater access to public transportation in New York City, introduced a new infrastructure hub and proposed new measures to improve traffic safety and combat crime. evasion of tolls and fees as part of his 2024 State of the State address.
These actions build on Governor Hochul’s legacy of expanding connectivity across the state, making historic investments in infrastructure, and enacting legislation to protect pedestrians and drivers. These actions will increase opportunities for millions of New Yorkers while improving equity and keeping New Yorkers safe.
“Every New Yorker deserves a safe and efficient ride, whether you’re a pedestrian, a driver or a walker,” said Governor Hochul. “We continue to move full speed ahead on transformative infrastructure projects that will change the way New Yorkers get around. And at the same time we fight for safety, so that New Yorkers get home safely no matter how they choose to get around.”
Second Avenue Subway West Extension
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, Phase Two of the Second Avenue Subway went from a dream to a fully funded project ready for construction. Looking ahead, the MTA will assess, evaluate and plan another extension of the Second Avenue Subway westward along 125th Street, adding three new stops on Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue and Broadway in Harlem. This extension would create connections with seven existing lines and serve 240,000 daily customers, of which more than 90 percent would come from capital communities. It would also significantly reduce bus congestion along 125th Street, where more than 30,000 people ride buses along this corridor every day.
This project scored well on the MTA’s 20-Year Needs Assessment, particularly for its cost-effectiveness. Prior to environmental review and preliminary engineering, the MTA will evaluate the feasibility of conducting the initial tunnel construction work as a continuation of the Phase Two tunnel construction work and extending the TBM’s run westward beyond Park Avenue to Broadway. If feasible, this approach could save more than $400 million over the life of the project.
Interborough Express Engineering
In 2022, Governor Hochul laid out the bold vision for the Interborough Express: a new service in Brooklyn and Queens that would utilize the existing Bay Ridge Branch right-of-way, connecting ethnically and socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods such as Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington , Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. This project has the potential to provide connections to up to 17 metro lines, reduce travel times between the two districts by 30 minutes and serve 40 million passengers a year. Following Governor Hochul’s direction, the MTA will now begin formal engineering of the IBX.
Local Hiring for MTA Capital Projects
Under an existing pilot program, the MTA requires contractors working on the new Jamaica Bus Station, Rockaway Line resiliency and rehabilitation, a group of four citywide ADA station upgrades, and bus revitalization projects. Broadway Junction station to commit to targets of 20 percent of work hours to be performed by workers who live near the construction site or in low-income communities. Given the success of this pilot program, Governor Hochul is directing the MTA to expand the pilot program to include the Second Avenue Subway Phase Two project, providing more jobs to workers in East Harlem.
Fight against toll and fee evasion
Since 2017, New York has used open road tolling, allowing easier traffic flow on major bridges, tunnels and highways. Since this implementation, the incidence of defaced or obstructed license plates has increased significantly, with more than five percent of license plates being unreadable. Additionally, fare evasion on subways, buses and railroads has increased significantly, with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority estimating an annual loss from tolls and fare evasion of more than $700 million per year.
Governor Hochul is announcing a series of proposals to limit fare and toll evasion and ensure that everyone who uses public infrastructure pays their fair share. These actions include:
- Increase in monetary fines for fare evasion and intentional alteration of license plates;
- Increase toll control activities and prohibit the sale of “missing license plates”;
- Allowing police officers to confiscate license plate covers designed to make them illegible;
- Designate intentional toll evasion as a misdemeanor theft of services.
Governor Hochul’s plan also ensures equitable implementation by requiring the following reforms:
- Allow police officers to issue written warnings instead of citations to first-time fare evasion offenders;
- Allow the MTA to allow first-time offenders to have their fines waived if they enroll in the Fair Fares program;
- Allow the MTA to refund up to 50 percent of the first fine (if paid on time) to the customer using a fare card;
- Grant the MTA the same authority to enforce fare evasion on commuter rail that currently exists within New York City Transportation.
Reintroducing Sammy’s Law
In 2023, Governor Hochul called for the passage of Sammy’s Law, named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy who died after being hit by a car in 2013. This law would allow New York City to reduce its speed limit. at 20 miles per hour, greatly reducing the risk of death or life-threatening injuries in an accident. Governor Hochul will reintroduce this legislation as part of the FY 2025 Executive Budget.
Promoting the safety of lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have become an essential part of the transportation landscape, powering electric bicycles and mopeds. However, the proliferation of its use has led to dangerous fires and a significant gap in product quality across the industry. To protect New Yorkers, Governor Hochul is taking the following steps to promote the safety of lithium-ion batteries:
- Increase Office of Fire Prevention and Control training for local fire departments on how to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires;
- Expand online public service announcements about lithium-ion battery safety;
- Require delivery companies to take greater responsibility to ensure their contractors use safe devices;
- Introduce legislation to prohibit the sale of devices not certified by accredited security testing organizations.
2024-01-11 05:37:06
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