In This Issue:

– Second Avenue Subway: Pavlovian Giggles No More

– Not Your Father’s Tolls in CT

– Regional Partnerships Towards a Bright Green Future

– Calendar

Second Avenue Subway: Pavlovian Giggles No More
Last week, a crowd of elected leaders and public officials – surrounded by reporters and civic representatives – filed their way through the rain down into the tunnel beneath Second Avenue at 99th Street for the momentous third groundbreaking of the Second Avenue Subway. “Why is this groundbreaking different from all other groundbreakings?” asked MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow, recognizing the start-and-stop history of the project.

For those of us who have planned, advocated, and dreamed of this new edition of the Second Avenue Subway for more than a decade, it was a bright, shining day. Rather than huddle in a tunnel, I spent the morning on WNYC fielding calls to Brian Lehrer’s radio program. Sharing the airwaves with Gothamist reporter Jen Chung, we parried the usual litany of complaints and comments from New Yorkers. “Why are the yuppies on the Upper East Side getting a fancy new train while we have to suffer in (insert your favorite outer borough here)?” “How can you promise it will actually be built this time?” It was a reminder of the wonderful attitudes – stubbornness, realism, fatalism – that make our city so infuriating, yet so great. These are valid questions, and one of the things we all love about New York is that everyone has an opinion.

But to answer Chairman Kalikow’s question, this time it is different. Unlike 1929 or 1970, we have dedicated funds, solid plans, and committed public officials, starting with the new CEO of the MTA, Elliot G. Sander. And our need for the subway has grown tremendously, along with the prosperity of the city. On the first day the Second Avenue Subway opens, it will serve over 200,000 daily riders – about as many people as currently use the entire PATH system. And that’s just for the portion from 96th to 63rd Streets, with a connection to the Q line running down west Midtown.

With the next three phases extending the line to 125th Street to the north and Lower Manhattan to the south, the daily ridership will climb to 500,000. This will provide relief to commuters from the Bronx and Queens who now ride the hopelessly overcrowded Lexington line or transfer at Grand Central Terminal. The federal government reviewed over 100 “new starts” programs across the country. While Second Avenue was the most expensive project on the list (did I mention that New Yorkers are also ambitious?), it was also among the most effective, measured in terms of cost-per-travel benefits. Put simply, the Second Avenue Subway is a winner.

Also, people seem to forget that the new line – to be called the T line – will not be your parents’ subway system. Modern cars, spacious platforms, and other amenities will raise the bar for all New Yorkers and just maybe begin a new generation of transit investments, similar to the boom years of 1904 to 1937, which saw the construction of 200 miles of subway lines throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.

In 1996, Regional Plan Association made the Second Avenue Subway the linchpin of its Third Regional Plan. As Jeff Zupan, our Senior Fellow for Transportation, explained it to a somewhat skeptical RPA Board of Directors, the subway line created benefits throughout the regional network by providing new capacity across the metropolitan region. It made possible and supported investments in other systems – a LIRR connection to Grand Central, a 7 extension to the Far West Side, a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River – that could not be sustained otherwise. Moreover, the Second Avenue line in Manhattan will serve as the spine to a new subway network RPA has dubbed MetroLink (see our website), tentacling out to fill the transit gaps in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Zupan admitted that it would be a heavy lift to build a broad base of support for even the Manhattan portion and raise the enormous capital funds necessary ($3.8 billion for this first phase alone). Perhaps the greatest obstacle was overcoming what Zupan dubbed “the Pavlovian giggle” that occurred whenever you told someone that New York needed the project – “Second Avenue Subway? It’ll never get built.”

But many years of work by committed elected officials – Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver deserve special mention here, although the list of supporters is long – brought us to last Thursday, when our elected leader trudged down into the tunnel to herald a new groundbreaking. Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff pointed out very aptly that throughout the almost 100-year history of the project, “as goes the Second Avenue Subway, so goes the City.”

In a couple weeks, the large machinery will appear on the Upper East Side. As the tunnel boring machine is put into position and starts churning its way underground and south towards Midtown, the reality of the new subway line will hit home. At that point, maybe finally the naysayers will believe that this project is becoming reality. And we can all look ahead to the first ride on the Second Avenue Subway – a project which ushered in a new generation of prosperity and growth for New York.

- Tom Wright, Executive Vice President, RPA

Not Your Father’s Tolls in CT
No one likes tolls, but the state of Connecticut, which has been toll-free since the early 1980s, had a particularly tortured history with this funding mechanism, for both mundane and more significant reasons.

The more mundane reason has to do with the deep memory, imbedded into the psyches of every Connecticut driver over a certain age, of digging into their pockets for a few coins every 10 to 12 miles along the 112 mile portion of I-95 that runs through the state. The tolls appeared as the highway opened in the early 1950s, causing many drivers to find alternative routes around them, to avoid throwing a quarter into the basket every 12 minutes. Then the tolls increased to 35 cents, pushing drivers to the double-irritant of having to find a quarter and a dime.

For these and other reasons, by 1982 there was already a move in the legislature to remove the tolls in the state. Health reasons played a big part. There was an elementary school and its playground adjacent to I-95 in Stratford where kids were being exposed to the exhaust of thousands of idling cars every day as they waited to pass through the toll booth.

Then disaster struck. In January of 1983 a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the waiting cars and the toll booth in Stratford, killing seven, including himself.

Partially in response to the Stratford tragedy, the legislature, in its wisdom, removed the tolls. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I was a member of the State House of Representatives at that time, and did support the removal.) But in spite of the tragedy, it wasn’t an easy battle. The bill passed the House of Representatives easily, but was stalled in the Senate by upstate legislators concerned about the loss of revenue. Finally, on the last day of the legislative session, at the 11th hour on June 8, 1983, the bill to begin the removal of tolls passed, and by 1987 there were no more tolls on I-95. Later legislation called for their removal on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways.

Now, Connecticut is a toll-free state. Which makes it all the more significant that some state officials are actually considering instituting a new and improved version of tolls in some places in the state. These aren’t your father’s tolls. They would have no baskets or booths. Vehicles would pass at highway speed under overhead gantries. This technology has been used successfully in this country, and around the world in places like London, Singapore and Stockholm. It’s also in use at Port Authority facilities in New York, like the George Washington Bridge, and on almost every other toll road in the Northeast. E-ZPass type transponders would transmit to the overhead transceiver, and the driver’s account would be debited. And in situations where the vehicle does not have a tag, a photo would be taken of the license plate through a video recognition system. Toronto 407 in Ontario is an example of this technology…when you enter and exit Route 407, you drive under an overhead gantry, which automatically records the beginning and end of your trip, and the driver is billed.

And there is another enormous advantage of this toll collection technology, and that is the concept of congestion pricing, also called “dynamic,” or “time of day” pricing. This concept allows the operator to set a different price for the toll depending on congestion levels, which in turn results in freer flowing traffic during rush hour.

While the interest in a new generation of tolls is growing, it so far has lacked a definitive mission. There was hope earlier this year that the Federal Highway Administration would provide $4.5 million to study the issue here in Connecticut, but that request was ultimately rejected by the FHWA. One reason, ironically, is that FHWA wanted the study area to be in a jurisdiction that already had tolls, and was making use of E-ZPass or other electronic toll collection technology.

But in Hartford the legislature is strongly considering providing the study dollars so that this technology and revenue can come to Connecticut. State Sen. Donald DeFronzo, (D-New Britain), co-chairman of the Transportation Committee is quoted in a recently published article as saying "I do think we should be prepared to use state money...and to not continually put this off." This is good news, because boothless toll technology, and the ability to implement congestion pricing in Connecticut, will mean less congestion during peak times, and more revenue to be put into transit.

Tolling may be a dirty word in Connecticut, but given improved technology, and a well designed plan, there’s every reason to expect that paying a toll could become a relatively painless act while providing badly needed funding for the state’s transit and transportation needs.

– John Atkin, Connecticut Director, RPA

Regional Partnerships Towards a Bright Green Future
Whether it’s changing a light bulb or changing who gets our vote, if you’re anything like us, all the press surrounding the threat of climate change over recent months has inspired you to take some actions in your personal, public and professional life.

And while this is all well and good, it also leaves one wondering just exactly what to do and what should take priority. Should we change all the light bulbs in our apartment, or buy a new energy star appliance? Should we support wind and other renewable sources of power, or fight for cleaner coal generation and better nuclear power standards? And does this metropolitan region, where we live and work, have any special role to play in this battle to adapt to, control, and even profit from climate change?

These are the questions that we hope to answer at RPA’s Regional Assembly on May 4th at the Waldorf-Astoria. The 17th Annual Regional Assembly, A Bright Green Future: Climate Change, Energy, and Growth for the Tri-State Metropolitan Region, will bring together researchers, business leaders, politicians, and civic advocates to outline the action strategy that will be necessary for us to design a metropolitan region that can continue to prosper despite uncertainty surrounding the impacts of climate change and energy security. The Assembly will feature a keynote address by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who will outline several elements of New York City’s action plan for addressing both the risks and opportunities of climate change as the metropolis grows into the mid-century. Other speakers include John Llewellyn, Senior Economic Policy Advisor, Lehman Brothers and author of the report, “The Business of Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities”; Jami Miscik, Global Head of Sovereign Risk at Lehman and former Deputy Director of Intelligence at the CIA; Paul Roberts, the author of The End of Oil; and Majora Carter, a Macarthur Fellow and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx.

Quietly working the back channels of public policy, the Mayor’s Office of Long Range Planning and Sustainability is tackling the very serious challenge of balancing New York City’s growth with continued prosperity and sustainability. This bold move by the City is encouraging, and hopefully will prove to be a model for the region, nation, and globe. It also raises the question of how such efforts can encourage or coordinate with efforts taking place – or which should take place – beyond the city’s borders.

As with every challenge that RPA has tackled in its eighty-five year history, the solutions are not the responsibility of any single municipality, level of government, company, or civic group. As regional planners, we tend to focus on the regional aspects of these issues. But if we are going to succeed and continue to prosper on this warming planet, we’re going to need a combination of strategies that span the personal, local, city-wide, regional, state, national and global scales of the problems we face.

We hope you will join us at the Waldorf=Astoria on May 4th to hear from experts and practitioners from around the globe, share your experiences, and partner with us on the first step to develop and implement a regional action agenda to balance climate change, energy security, and continued prosperity in the Tri-State metropolitan area.

– David Kooris, Senior Planner for Regional Design, and 2007 Regional Assembly Coordinator, RPA

Questions or comments on what’s in this issue? Send them to the editor of Spotlight On The Region, Alex Marshall at alex@rpa.org

April 21, 10:30 am - 2:30 pm
Electric Railroaders Association. Tour, 207 Street IND maintenance facility shop & yard, view subway equipment. Photography permitted. $15.00, advance registration required. Proper photo I.D. needed. Wear proper footwear. Info: Larry Furlong 718 784-3643, furlong@erausa.org, www.erausa.org select NY division.

April 21, 2:00 pm
Gallery Tour. Laura Rosen, photographer, author and the administrator of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Special Archive, will discuss the extraordinary previously unseen models built by Robert Moses, including the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge and the Mid-Manhattan and Lower Manhattan expressways. The models are on loan to the Museum of the City of New York from the MTA Special Archive and are on view in the exhibition. Free with museum admission. Info: www.mcny.org.

April 24, 6 pm - 8 pm
Tri-State Transportation Campaign Garden State Gala. Honoring outgoing NJ Transit Executive Director George Warrington and former NJ DOT Commissioner Jack Lettiere. Mompou Wine Bar, 77 Ferry Street, Newark. Info: Damien Newton at 212-268-7474 or Damien@tstc.org.

April 26, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm
Center for Legal Policy at the Manhattan Institute hosts a conference on “The Future of Wall Street: Can New York Stay on Top?” The Manhattan Institute is convening a panel of businessmen, academics, policymakers, and journalists, leading figures in the financial world, to address the litigation and regulation risks that threaten to demote New York's status in the global financial market. Luncheon Keynote Speaker is Robert Steel, Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of the Treasury; opening remarks by Byron R. Wien, Chief Investment Strategists, Pequot Capital Management. Other panelists include Stephen Bainbridge, Professor, UCLA School of Law; James R. Copland, Senior Fellow, Center for Legal Policy, Manhattan Institute; Nicole Gelinas, Contributing Editor, City Journal; Walter K. Olson, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute; Michael A. Perino, Professor, St John's University School of Law; Larry Ribstein, Professor, Illinois College of Law; Peter J. Wallison, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute. Location: Down Town Association, 60 Pine Street, New York, NY 10005. No fee. To RSVP, please call 646-839-3380, or visit www.manhattan-institute.org/events/clp_04-26-07.htm.

May 2, 6:30 pm
We Got Park: The Biggest Park Expansion Since Moses. Robert Moses had a profound and lasting effect on the parks and recreational facilities of New York City. Under the present Commissioner of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Adrian Benepe, New York's parks are undergoing an unprecedented transformation and expansion. Commissioner Benepe will present an illustrated talk about how the NYC DPR is reinforcing the positive elements in the legacy of Robert Moses and reinventing the parks system for the 21st century. He will be followed by Bronx Borough President and Urban Planner, Adolfo Carrión, who will join landscape architects James Corner, Director of Field Operations for the DPR, and Michael Van Valkenburgh of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, in a discussion moderated by Charles McKinney, Chief of Design for the DPR. Presented in conjunction with Robert Moses and the Modern City: Remaking the Metropolis. Reservations required. Info: www.mcny.org

Friday, May 4th, 8 am to 2 pm
Regional Plan Association's 17th annual Regional Assembly: A Bright, Green Future: Climate Change, Energy and Growth in the Tri-State Metropolitan Region. The Waldorf-Astoria, New York. Information on RPA website at www.rpa.org. Or, download a complete registration brochure here, and a PRINTABLE, faxable one here.

May 23, 6:30 pm
New York Neighborhoods and the Impact of Development Since Robert
Moses's time, there has been a paradigm shift in the way development
takes place in New York City. This panel will address the nature of that
shift and discuss how present-day developers and public agencies address such key issues as the design and scale of projects, local participation in decision making, and the role of historic preservation in the future of our communities. Richard A. Kahan, Winner of the Robert Moses Achievement Award, and President, The Urban Assembly, will be joined by Paul Goldberger, author and architecture critic for The New Yorker, Michael Kwartler, principal of Michael Kwartler and Associates, and founding director of the Environmental Simulation Center, and Robert Tierney, Chairman, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Reservations required. Info: www.mcny.org

Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 8 am to 7 pm
Our Towns, Our Land, Our Heritage: Sustaining NJ's Legacy: The 2007 Annual NJ Historic Preservation Conference. Drew University, Madison, NJ.
LINK: www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/4sustain/Conference2007/postconf2007.htm