October 13, 2011 Commissioner Joan McDonald New York State Department of Transportation 50 Wolf Road Albany NY 12232

Re: NYS DOT Capital Program, 2012-2014 Dear Commissioner McDonald, As a follow-up to our conversation this summer, Ive outlined below some of the projects that Tri-State would like to see emphasized in NYS DOTs upcoming Capital Plan for 2012-2014. Our focus is in line with the transportation goals and guiding principles that are discussed in the 2005-2030 Long Range Transportation Plan: Strategies for a New Age: New York States Transportation Master Plan for 2030, including the statewide priorities for economic development, energy efficiency and promoting smart growth. Smart Growth, Sustainability, and Accountability This is the first Capital Plan that will be approved after the passage of the Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, which requires all state spending to conform to smart growth principles. To meet the goals of this legislation, we urge you to: Release information about how the DOT is conforming to this legislation including details on who is on the NYS DOTs Smart Growth Committee. Continue to advance a fix-it-first approach. Preservation of roads and bridges, especially after the severe impacts of hurricanes Irene and Lee, should continue to be the DOTs priority. Provide adequate funding for public transportation operations. A possible goal for 2012 could be no service cuts or fare increases statewide. Strengthen innovative programs that link land use planning and transportation, like the GreenLITES program, and make them the norm for project selection. Giving priority to those projects that enhance modal choices in our most congested regions and promote mobility and energy efficiency will assure that the vast majority of transportation resources are directed to towns working toward smart growth visions. The current GreenLITES program has embraced a few traditional road projects that dont help New York State meet its sustainability or smart growth goals. For example, the widening of the Staten Island Expressway between Clove Road and Bradley Ave is listed as a recipient of the Gold awardalong with the SIE HOV laneeven though its little more than a traditional road-widening project.

Increase accountability in order to keep the public, the legislature and the Governor informed about what NYSDOT is doing, how they are doing it, and whether or not they are achieving their goals. Better trust should help the agency secure the funding it needs. While the 2008 Capital Plan does address performance measures to some degree, this effort needs to be expanded with baseline numbers and quarterly reports on performance measures including road, bridge and transit conditions, vehicle miles traveled, greenhouse gas emissions, and road safety. Good models include Washington State Department of Transportations Gray Notebook and NYC Department of Transportation Sustainable Streets Index.

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety With the recent passage of the Complete Streets Law, improving the walkability in neighborhoods and commercial centers should be a priority for the Department. We urge you to: Partner with the Tri-State Transportation Campaigns on educational forums in the 10 regions of the state, to assure there is an informed and coordinated approach to implementing the Complete Streets law. Maintain funding for very inexpensive yet highly successful programs like Local Safe Streets and Traffic Calming Grant program, which cost the state $3 million. Expand the successful Safe Routes for Seniors program that was initiated in Long Island in 2009. Westchester would be a good candidate for this program, as there is a strong coalition on the ground that can help make it happen. Question traffic modeling numbers that prohibit safety improvements from being made, as is the case in Smithtown, along Route 25/25A.

Capital Projects Tappan Zee Bridge: After 280 public meetings and nearly 10 years of study as part of the Tappan Zee Bridge/I 287 Environmental Impact Statement, a regional consensus developed that transit must be part of any bridge replacement. The state should stay true to the facts and findings in its own studies and ensure bus rapid transit is part of any plans to replace the bridge. Sheridan Expressway: We urge you to include funding for innovative projects such as the transformation of the Sheridan expressway in the South Bronx into parks and housing. The underused 1.25-mile highway was never completed and remains a stub bisecting an environmental justice community in the Bronx. A coalition of groups, including TSTC, has been urging the NYS DOT to remove the highway as part of the Sheridan Bruckner Environmental Impact Study (PIN X730.39) and replace it with more appropriate urban uses. Such a move could become a model of smart growth investment for the state and nation. The NYC DOT is doing its part to consider various land use scenarios, should the roadway be removed and won a

TIGER II award last year. But ultimately, project funding will have to be available if the project is going to come to fruition. I appreciate your time and consideration, Sincerely,

Kate Slevin Executive Director