Could New York eliminate traffic deaths statewide by 2050?

Plus: Uber drivers strike, NYC adds electric cars, and Penn Station is "blighted?" [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] Advocates push Hochul to expand NYC's Vision Zero statewide Plus: Uber drivers are striking amid fight over their pay raise. LIC residents don't want a new ferry terminal that'll block their view. And is the area around Penn Station "blighted?" --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [a ghost bike surrounded by flowers and candles] Scott Heins/Gothamist Street safety advocates on Thursday urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to [expand New York City's Vision Zero program statewide]( — and pointed to a 2006 plan laid out by the state Department of Transportation as evidence that New York is lagging on goals to push commuters out of cars. The plan — put forth under former Gov. George Pataki — sought to integrate and improve the region’s transit networks by 2030, with the goal of reducing car usage, traffic deaths and air pollution. With just seven years left, carbon emissions in the state are up, traffic deaths remain high, and the MTA, NJ Transit and the Port Authority all operate independent transit systems. A new report from the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives highlights how far New York still has to go to realize Pataki’s 16-year-old plan, and urged Hochul to take similar steps as she prepares to lay out her agenda for the year in next week’s State of the State address. The group’s goals center on implementing the city’s Vision Zero program statewide, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths entirely by 2050. While the bulk of Transportation Alternatives' requests focused on reducing vehicle use, the group also wants Hochul to make cycling safer and more affordable. It called for the state to offer rebates for buying an e-bike or bicycle. Secure bike parking at subway stations and other state-owned transit facilities was also part of the pitch, as was an initiative to allow low-income residents to rent e-bikes and e-cargo bikes from libraries. Additionally, advocates want the governor to require all state DOT projects to consider accessibility needs. It remains unclear to what degree Hochul will hone in on street safety issues during next week’s address, though she has said she’ll outline [new funding]( for the MTA, which forecasts a major budget crunch in the coming years. — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- NYC will buy over 900 electric vehicles in hopes of a 'greener' municipal fleet [Mayor Adams promoting electric municipal vehicles at a press conference ] Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday New York City [will add 925 electric vehicles to the municipal fleet]( — including vans, pick-up and sanitation trucks, as well as hybrid plug-in street sweepers — to replace gas-guzzling vehicles. The investment, funded by a $10 million federal grant, will also include the installation of over 300 new electrical vehicle charging stations across the city. Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city set a lofty ambition of transitioning all of its roughly 30,000 municipal fleet to electric by 2040. So far, less than 15% of municipal vehicles have made the switch. Last September, city officials reported that 4,000 vehicles were electric, though they touted the figure as three years ahead of schedule. In the case of garbage trucks, there are limitations to electric vehicles. Last month, Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch told the City Council that the electric-powered garbage trucks [cannot be used to plow snow]( because they have shown to last only four hours with each charge. The trucks, which are custom-made by Mack, cost more than $525,000 each. The mayor has not yet made the shift to electric when it comes to the SUV that transports him across the city. When asked about making the change, Adams said he would leave that decision to the NYPD, which is in charge of his security. — [Reporting by Elizabeth Kim]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's what else is happening Some Long Island City residents are concerned that relocating an NYC Ferry landing will release toxic pollution and block their waterfront views. The current plan is to remove the ferry stop at Hunters Point South Park, which is the oldest terminal in the system, and replace it with a larger floating dock at nearby Gantry Plaza State Park's main waterfront promenade. ([Gothamist]( Frank James, the man accused of shooting 10 people on a crowded N train last April, pleaded guilty this week to all 11 charges against him. In a statement he read to the judge, James said he didn’t want to kill anyone, but was aware that firing in an enclosed space could have done just that. ([Gothamist]( Uber drivers on Thursday staged their second 24-hour work stoppage in two weeks in protest of the parent company's suit against their wage increase. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance called on drivers to take the day off after Uber sued to keep drivers' 7%-per-minute raise from taking effect at the start of the year. ([AM New York]( A former New York City transportation secretary is insisting that Ubers and Lyfts not be exempt from congestion pricing tolls since they caused much of the congestion in the first place. Lucius Riccio, who led the Department of Transportation under Mayor David Dinkins, also criticized pro-congestion pricing lawmakers for not speaking up back "when 100,000 for-hire vehicles — Uber, Lyft, etc. — were allowed for almost nothing, no charge, to fill up our streets." ([New York Post]( Gov. Kathy Hochul is effectively bypassing City Council approval for her Penn Station redevelopment project by officially deeming the area "blighted." Midtown residents groups, who are fighting the governor's plan to let developers build 10 skyscrapers around the train station, took offense to the "blight" designation. ([The New York Times]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally: Not great! [a video of people walking past fallen ceiling chunks on a subway platform]( [@thecitywanderer/Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list