by Taylor Jaffe, Environmental Justice Coordinator at Catskill Mountainkeeper
From Saugerties to Middletown to Roscoe, most residents in New York state want a cleaner and more connected state. Public transit options — like trains, buses, dial-a-ride services, and accessible walking and bike routes — provide healthy, clean, and affordable transportation for everyone to get where they need to go. Despite this 21st century reality, New York State’s Department of Transportation remains entrenched in antiquated thinking that prioritizes highways above all else. They continue to waste billions of our tax dollars on highway expansion projects that pollute our air, increase traffic and create urban sprawl, instead of funding sidewalks, safe biking routes, and robust public transportation options. This has resulted in a system where most people in our state must drive for every trip to meet their daily needs.
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stave off the worst impacts of climate change, we must address transportation. The transportation sector is the largest source of U.S. climate pollution — and 80% of transportation emissions come from the cars and trucks on our roads. It’s one of the only major sectors where emissions are still rising. Given that the vast majority of federal transportation funding flows through states, Governor Hochul and NYSDOT have enormous power to deliver better transportation outcomes for New Yorkers while complying with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (CLCPA) mandates. The CLCPA is New York’s landmark climate law that sets legally binding emissions reduction standards to get the state completely off of fossil fuels by 2050. Currently, NYSDOT has no internal guidance to meet these mandates.
Addressing transportation presents a huge opportunity because a successful shift in transportation funding priorities will not only clean our air, it will also improve our lives in nearly every dimension. A new analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that by funding real transportation choices and reducing the amount New York state residents need to drive, we can create healthier, more connected communities while reducing harmful emissions.
Earth Day gives us the opportunity to step back, imagine our future, and commit to the changes that get us there.
In New York, for example, here are some of the benefits we would see if, by 2050, our state expanded transportation options and reduced the amount that people need to drive by 30%:
This change would free up money in our wallets to spend on the things we need. On average, a 30% per capita reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) would save each household $4,186 a year from reduced fuel, maintenance, and depreciation costs. If better transportation choices allowed families to go from owning two cars to one, it would save them $12,000 per year!
It would keep us safer. Reducing VMT by 30% would prevent 703 crash fatalities and 10,543 crash injuries yearly. It would also improve crash outcomes and reduce mortality risks from air pollution and inactivity, saving over 5,842 lives annually.
It would also reduce strain on our electricity grid, enabling it to provide more reliable service! VMT reduction would reduce energy demand by 422 TWh due to the reduced need for electric vehicle charging.
And last but certainly not least, it would clean our air by reducing harmful emissions. Cutting VMT by 30% would reduce GHG emissions by up to 143 megatonnes. That’s the same as preventing emissions from 359 natural gas-fired plants!
All state residents will enjoy these benefits, not just city residents. And redirecting money from highway expansion projects to transit, walking, and biking projects could finally bring real, accessible transportation options to communities across the state; including environmental justice communities that have been historically overburdened with the negative impacts of highway and vehicle infrastructure. With this freed-up money, we could fund projects like:
- A new Bus Rapid Transit project in Middletown would mean that 1199 SEIU member Laura Bines-Mosca could get to doctor’s appointments and work without having to rely on her friends for a ride
- The new dial-a-ride service in Sullivan County would allow retired residents to give up car ownership and still get to the grocery store, pharmacy, friend’s houses and community events
- New bike paths could expand the O&W network and provide a safe, alternative mode of active transportation
A movement is catching fire across New York state, comprised of people who recognize that our transportation status quo keeps us disconnected, unhealthy, and confined. This Earth Day, we’re raising our voices together to demand our state leaders fully fund transit, biking, and walking instead of expanding highways. This will connect and improve our neighborhoods, have a positive economic impact, and protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we call home, for generations to come.
