Report finds STIP budget increased by 3.5 times than the previous STIP, with huge growth in transit spending including $15 billion from New York City’s congestion pricing program
RPA’s recommended priorities include further aligning the STIP with goals of New York State’s Climate Leadership And Community Protection Act and leveraging the opportunity for transit-investment in non-MTA regions
New York, NY — A new report by the Regional Plan Association (RPA) analyzes New York State’s 2023-2026 current and upcoming spending priorities on transportation as part of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Programming (STIP). Following the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), the report also assesses the State’s progress towards the conversion to clean transportation solutions and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
RPA’s STIP Analysis surveys transportation allocations from federal and state sources. It also contextualizes the funding to inform the public on how such investments are being utilized. A STIP is required by every state in order to be eligible for federal funding towards transportation.
RPA finds the current 2023-2026 STIP has increased by 3.5 times over the previous (2019-2022), as a result of the Biden Administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
In addition to increased federal funding, state and local investment has six times increased, in part due to the MTA’s largest-ever Capital Plan (2020-2024), which is buttressed by New York City’s recently approved congestion pricing program, the first in the nation.
“RPA’s analysis of New York State’s STIP demonstrates a massive increase in transportation funding, with an unprecedented amount of money going to public transit, thanks in part to NYC’s congestion pricing program,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of Regional Plan Association. “Our report points to a changing tide with New York leading the way to climate friendly transportation investments, but this is just the start. We must continue to deliver on the potential outlined by our analysis for a cleaner, healthier, and more reliable way of traveling and living in New York State.”
Allocation of Funds
In total, 61% of funds are designated to transit, 37% to highways and bridges, and 2% to walking and cycling projects.
The federally-funded portion of the STIP is distributed as follows: 54% for transit, 43% for auto-highway, and 3% to bike/pedestrian and miscellaneous.
RPA’s STIP Analysis notes that combined state and local funds are allocated 67% to transit, 32% to auto-highway projects, and the remaining 1% to bike/ped and other miscellaneous projects.
Compared to the previous STIP, the combined share of funds (federal and state) going to auto declined from 54% to 37%, and the share going to transit increased, from 43% to 63%. RPA’s STIP Analysis also assesses potential for transportation and infrastructure investments outside of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD).
Additional recommendations as highlighted by the STIP Analysis includes:
Continue to lead the country in transit investment by continuing to expand transit aid.
Ensure New York City’s congestion pricing program is advanced on time and revenue targets are met. With significant STIP growth sourced from congestion pricing, it is imperative that the congestion pricing program is delivered and monitored.
Further demonstrate New York State’s position as a leader in transit development by prioritizing growing transit investment in projects outside the MCTD. With most of transit STIP spending going towards the MCTD, RPA suggests that further capital allocations go to areas outside of the MCTD. Within the MCTD, investment in transit heavily outweighs auto-highway spending. However, in upstate communities, auto-highway spending outpaces other transportation spending by over 6 to 1.
Implement a statewide moratorium on highway widening. The STIP analysis notes that less than 1% of total funds go towards auto-highway projects, with the total capital allocated for auto-highway projects being less than $100 million. More information is needed on how these projects fit with federal standards and/or climate and equity goals. Research shows that highway expansion is not a solution to traffic congestion.
Continue to align the STIP with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Large and growing public transit investment is a good start towards the goals outlined in the CLCPA, but more can be done. Only 2% of funding is allocated to bike and pedestrian projects to help develop safe bikeable and walkable communities. Additionally, RPA suggests the State considers a vehicle miles traveled reduction target to further move towards climate goals.
“With revenue from congestion pricing and increased aid from the federal government on the horizon, New York is poised to launch into a public transit renaissance that will at once reduce the filthy air pollution choking our lungs and the greenhouse gas emissions warming our planet,” Said Patrick McClellan, Policy Director for the New York League of Conservation Voters. “RPA’s in-depth analysis of multiple new streams of capital to match New York’s equally ambitious transportation plan is a must-read for policymakers as it marks an important pivot in the conversation from the theoretical to the actionable.”
“Thanks to the Regional Plan Association for spotlighting the too-low investment in cycling and walking by New York State and local governments. Resources are available to create safer and more attractive communities while keeping construction jobs at a high level. A state greenway program should build out a downstate network in partnership with New York City as a complement to the earlier Empire Trail project,” said Jon Orcutt, Advocacy Director at Bike New York.
“Thanks to Congress and the Biden administration, New York has an abundance of transportation funding with few strings attached, which means Albany needs to make sure to align state investments with our robust climate law and its powerful equity mandate,” said Riders Alliance Policy & Communications Director Danny Pearlstein. “Governor Hochul and legislative leaders must give rural, suburban, and urban New Yorkers alike more ways to get around our communities and travel across the state with frequent public transit and safe biking and walking.”
“Investing in congestion-reducing, climate-friendly transit is our best path to a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future, and New York State is leading the way,” said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC). “Thanks to RPA’s analysis, we can clearly see how the influx of IIJA funding from the Biden Administration, combined with Governor Hochul’s focus on transit infrastructure and commitment to implementing Congestion Pricing, shows the priority being placed on increasing access to public transit. No other climate solution is more pressing. Still, even more could be done by flexing highway expansion funds toward transit and bike/ped infrastructure to counteract the adverse health effects of fossil fuel infrastructure, bringing us closer to achieving the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.”
“Investing in transit systems, from Buffalo to Long Island, is vital for advancing New York’s climate goals as laid out in the CLCPA,” said Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and Equity Policy at Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Redirecting funding towards public and active transit infrastructure will reduce emissions, boost our economy, and make New York State a more accessible and equitable place to live.”
“New Yorkers know what it’s like to have congested commutes, and then to be told that adding a new road or highway is the answer. Then we sit through months or years of construction, only to have that new highway filled up with the same traffic–or worse–on day one,” said Nick Sifuentes, Program Director for the Summit Foundation. “We all know adding more lanes to our already-clogged highways doesn’t work anywhere. It’s time for a smarter approach–one that gives you the flexibility to choose your car, your bike, or good transit, all based on what works best for you.”
“Regional Plan Association’s new report highlights the glaring disparity between the amount of tax dollars invested in highway spending versus other desperately needed transportation options in Upstate NY, a spending gap of over 6:1. Rural communities should not be burdened by highway infrastructure and now is the time to rethink these transportation systems with the availability of federal funding. The Route 17 project proposal is the perfect example of an opportunity for NYSDOT to rethink how to invest New Yorkers’ dollars, centering community needs over highway infrastructure,” said Taylor Jaffe, Environmental Justice Coordinator for Catskill Mountainkeeper.
“A cleaner, more reliable transportation system is possible in New York. And with a historic influx of federal funding available, there has never been a better time to invest in clean transportation solutions,” said Justin Balik, Evergreen Action state program director. “This report from the Regional Plan Association highlights a clear and pressing need to spend this funding on climate focused investments across the state. If New York wants to remain a transportation leader, these investments need to be made now to create an equitable, clean energy transportation system that works for all New Yorkers, regardless of income or zip code.”
“Thank you to the Regional Plan Association for this clear-eyed and transparent analysis of transportation infrastructure investments,” said Cody Donahue, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Reconnect Rochester. “We hear from Rochester and Monroe County residents that they want more mobility options. To do this, we need sustained 15% increases in STOA funding for RGRTA, and we need to aggressively implement our new Active Transportation Plans to increase walkability, bikeability and safety. The missing piece is investment.”
About Regional Plan Association
Regional Plan Association (RPA) is an independent non-profit organization that conducts research, planning, and advocacy to expand economic opportunity, environmental resiliency, improved health, and better quality of life in the New York metropolitan area. Since the 1920s, RPA has produced four landmark plans for the region. The most recent was released in November 2017. For more information, please visit www.rpa.org.
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