The New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA), which represents over 100 transit systems across the state, called for an annual investment of $100 million to meet transit infrastructure needs of upstate and suburban downstate transit systems. “There is an urgent need to invest $500 million over the next five years to improve transit infrastructure upstate and in the downstate suburbs to support the growth of our communities,” said Bill Carpenter, Vice-President of NYPTA, who testified before the Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation.

New York will receive a $1.57 billion increase in federal highway, bridge and transit aid over five years under legislation President Obama signed Friday. The transportation bill that cleared the House and Senate will boost highway funding by 9.7 percent and transit funding by 11.7 percent, which should ease upstate-downstate tensions over how state officials distribute federal money.

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) supports the call from the New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) for an annual investment of $100 million to balance the announced aid package for the MTA. “The Governor has committed to providing $8.3 billion to fund the MTA capital program,” said Carm Basile, CDTA CEO and President of NYPTA. “We applaud that action and encourage the administration to commit to providing appropriate funding to the rest of the state’s transit systems.”

RTS is applauding Congress’s passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which fully restores the 5340 High Density States Program transit funding. “The passage of the federal transportation bill this week is great news for RTS and the State of New York,” said Bill Carpenter, CEO of RTS. “The five year, fully-funded bill provides a level of stability we haven’t seen in many years.

New York City is the best city for public transit in the U.S., according to the 2016 Transit Score ranking by Walk Score, a Redfin company.  Other New York cities on the list of the top 350 include Mount Vernon at #36, Hempstead at #48, Yonkers #50, Albany #52 and Buffalo #62. “Urban dwellers today want convenience,” said Redfin chief economist Nela Richardson. “Particularly in congested urban areas, a car may be the slowest way to get around the city.

A car from the last train that was underneath the World Trade Center and miraculously survived when the twin towers collapsed on 9/11 will be taken from an airplane hangar at JFK and displayed to the public in the Trolley Museum in Kingston. Since early 2002, the Port Authority had stored the cars in a massive plane hangar at JFK.

After cobbling together resources to fund the first long-range transportation bill in more than 10 years, U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster said it is important to begin identifying sustainable funding sources for future bills as soon as possible. Mr. Shuster is head of the House Transportation Committee and chaired the joint House-Senate committee that produced the first long-term bill since 2005, which President Barack Obama signed Friday. Mr. Shuster said it is important to begin talking with the trucking industry and others about a sustainable funding mechanism as soon as possible for the next long-term bill so there is agreement before this one expires.

Rochester, NY -- New York will pay $8 billion over the next five years to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, but upstate should have its own funding stream to fix roads and bridges, leaders testified Thursday. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks and county leaders urged lawmakers to create a similar fund that would put the rest of the state on par with the downstate region for infrastructure upgrades.

TRANSIT AWARENESS DAY 2016

NYPTA’s 2016 Transit Awareness Day will be here before you know it. Plan now to join us at the Capital in Albany February 2 to bring lawmakers a unified message on the importance of investing in transit infrastructure.

The Governor and Legislature need to take the lead on securing resources to fund critical infrastructure investments necessary for safety and meeting increased public demand.

We need to be heard…with a unified voice…and we need you make it happen!
Our industry partners can play a key role, too. Become a Transit Awareness Day sponsor and secure a prominent position on Transit Awareness Day 2016!

Mark your calendars. Be in Albany on February 2nd. More details to come.