Transportation

The transportation system in the tri-state New York Metropolitan Region has been the driving force for its economic growth throughout its history. This is no less true today. While our transit and highway systems were the finest when they were first built, they are aging and were not designed, in many cases, for changing travel demands.

The goals of RPA's mobility program is to present and advocate new ideas (and some old ones that maintain their relevance) that can transform the existing transportation systems for the 21st Century, that can help to knit together the many transportation systems across the three states planned operated by many agencies, that can support sustainable center-based land uses, and to explore opportunities for raising the needed resources to operate, maintain and expand our transportation systems.

Featured Projects

MCNY event: Access to the Region's Core: The Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel

December 19, 2008
RPA's Jeff Zupan will be speaking at the Museum of the City of New York on Thursday, January 22 at 6:30 pm. More below:


One of the most important but unseen elements in building for the future is the plan for a new commuter train tunnel that will tie the current Penn Station/New Jersey transportation network to a new station under West 34th Street. The proposed tunnel will double commuter rail capacity, meeting projected demand for the next 20 years. Join Art Silber, Chief of the Access to the Region's Core Project, NJ Transit; Susan Bass Levin, Deputy Executive Director, PANYNJ; Daniel Biederman, President, 34th Street Partnership; and Jeff Zupan, Senior Fellow for Transportation, Regional Plan Association, for a discussion of the project moderated by Kate Slevin, Executive Director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. Reservations required.


MTA Service Cuts, Coming to a Neighborhood Near You

December 17, 2008
The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved their 2009 budget, which includes plans for a 23% fare increase and major reductions in service.  RPA has released comprehensive maps by borough of each of the 193 cuts. Check to see if you are affected.

Bronx (PDF 749K)
Bronx Map
Brooklyn (PDF 773K)
Brooklyn Map
Manhattan (PDF 700K)
Map Manhattan
Queens (PDF 1MB)
Queens Map
Staten Island (PDF 563K)
Staten Island Map

MTA Board Approves Doomsday Budget

December 17, 2008
The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority today approved major fare hike and service cuts to close their 2009 operating budget deficit of $1.2 billion. The board approved the gap closing actions, which include raising fares by 23% and reducing or eliminating services on several city subway and bus routes and commuter rails, while appealing to the legislature for assistance in staving off the drastic measures. Here is what Kevin Corbett, co-chair of RPA's transportation coalition, the Empire State Transportation Alliance, had to say.

America 2050 Calls on New Administration to Invest Wisely

December 17, 2008
A coalition of leading civic, business, environmental organizations and transportation officials convened by America 2050 released a statement today calling on the incoming Obama administration and the U.S. Congress to invest wisely in the proposed economic stimulus plan focused on infrastructure.

Responding to President-elect Obama's video address on December 6 announcing the "largest investment in infrastructure since the National Highway System," the group urged the President-elect to get this investment right with a five-step program: Fix, Phase, Green, Train and Count.

Read Full Article - America2050.org

12.16.08: Testimony to the NYC City Council on the Ravitch Plan

December 16, 2008
Christoper Jones, Vice President for Research at RPA, testified today before a joint New York City Council Transportation and Finance Committee hearing, held at City Hall, on the findings of the Commission on MTA Finances, headed by former MTA chairman Richard Ravitch. At the hearing several advocacy groups testified.

RPA's testimony includes a comprehensive list of the proposed cuts.

Publications