Rochester - New York State Department of Transportation



NYS Advisory Panel on Transportation Policy for 2025

Rochester, NY, Meeting Notes

July 1, 2004

A Report for the New York State Department of Transportation

Prepared by University Transportation Research Center

UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER

The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031

(Report No. ROC-070104)

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New York State Advisory Panel on Transportation Policy for 2025

Mission Statement

The New York State Advisory Panel on Transportation Policy for 2025, formed in 2004 by the NYSDOT and chaired by NYSDOT commissioner Joseph H. Boardman, is a 12-member committee that seeks to aid the department in gathering advice and insight from the public, transportation industry, and other stakeholders during the development of the next statewide transportation master plan. The panel plans to accomplish this by holding nine public hearings throughout New York State throughout June, July and August. The panel is comprised of individuals with government, transportation industry and business backgrounds, and will provide a forum for the presentation of testimony and discussion of New York State's transportation system needs and policy issues. Following the public hearings, the panel will review its findings and prepare a report this fall.

New York State Advisory Panel for Transportation Policy 2025

Wednesday, July 1, 2004 Meeting Notes

Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester

Notes prepared by University Transportation Research Center, Region 2

Panelists: Joseph Boardman (chair), Dennis Fitzgerald, Dick Garman, Pat Gilchrest, Jim McGowan (co-chair), Jim Newman, Janette Sadik-Kahn, Lee Sander, Jim Tripp

BACKGROUND/FACTS

Positioning NYS

Trade, Technology and Traffic (primarily truck traffic) are factors reshaping our future and will effect how the State’s transportation system performs in five priority result areas:

• Mobility & Reliability – providing choices and predictable travel times

• Safety – reducing deaths and injuries

• Environmental Conditions – improving the environment through transportation actions

• Economic Competitiveness – the economy depends on transportation costs in New York State being competitive with our neighbors and large economic centers throughout the country and worldwide.

• Security – strengthening our ability to prevent, mitigate and recovery

There have been fundamental changes in the flow of world trade and the nature of freight (logistics – just in time deliveries) that have caused truck traffic to increase and the recent growth is expected to continue. The northeast is its own economic center contributing to travel demands as well. Congestion downstate has a financial cost upstate. Rail systems may provide some relief to highway congestion, but new policies and approaches will be needed. Without change, the impacts of trade, technology and traffic on the northeast will increase the cost of doing business, making us less competitive and lowering our quality of life. To improve our quality of life we need to win Public Trust through Environment and Energy Practices.

Regional Issues

• Rochester trades a great deal with New York City region

o Congestion downstate affects the economy upstate

• Problem of suburban sprawl

• People want to create quality communities

o Revitalize downtowns

o Promote Agriculture

o Other issues of community development and preservation

o Context sensitive solutions

▪ Attention to environment, culture, etc.

▪ Community involvement in planning

• Arterial access management

• Incorporate transportation into land use management

• Promote public transit, biking, walking, alternative fuel vehicles

• Develop policy that enhances communities

POLICY ISSUES RAISED IN TESTIMONY

(Written testimony submitted by meeting participants is part of the meeting record and is supplemented by the summary)

The Environment in Which Transportation Policy/Investments Are Made

Global Nature of the Economy

One speaker had these comments:

• Must look at transportation in a holistic way

• Must look at links between local businesses and global economy

• Reliability is crucial

Need for Increased Cooperation and Coordination between Agencies

One speaker mentioned the need for more coordination when planning.

State transportation plans should support local transportation plans. It is important to improve coordination between State and local agencies. This is particularly important as the Genesee Transportation Council strives to deal with being in a non-attainment for ozone.

Finance

Speaker comments:

• Invest 100% of transportation funds back in transportation.

• Discontinue tax based on ton-mileage and replace it by something else.

• Revise thruway tolls downward in order to be competitive with other states.

• Revise gas tax downward. NYS is higher compared to surrounding states.

• Local Transportation: Keep the CHIPS program. Create greater equity to funding for upstate counties.

• Continue to invest and maintain highways, roads and bridges.

• Use of user fees to raise funds for transportation investments.

One speaker made the comment on the deteriorating infrastructure in NYS:

• Only 32% of transportation industry tax revenues going into capital investment

Need a dedicated and predictable source of funding for transit.

Another speaker had these comments:

• NY taxes hurt business

• NY infrastructure is old, and “Band-Aid” solutions don’t solve deteriorating infrastructure problems

• Use user fees to fund infrastructure

• Need predictable funding levels

One speaker talked about how Rochester housed the vast majority of the Monroe County minority population, and funding of many roads favors suburbs (wealthy) over cities (poor).

A few speakers noted how CHIPS has been a big help, but funding to local governments has dropped and is not keeping up with the rate of inflation. Predictability of funding is also important. The asphalt industry will not make investments in equipment unless they are confident in the size of future programs. One speaker suggested redirecting some of New York City's CHIPS money upstate.

Another speaker talked about funding concerns:

• Need to focus on local roads

• Expansion of CHIPS funding

• Dedicated highway and bridge trust fund must be used for capital improvement

• Currently heavily leveraged due to bonding

A speaker commented on problems of funding and financing:

• Rochester receives less state spending than any other upstate metropolitan area

• Dedicated trust fund has been “exploited”

• New York spends 2X national average on debt service for highways

• Need for new revenue streams:

▪ Increase fees: Registration, Licensing, Gas tax increase

• Concentrate dedicated funds on capital investment

• Pay off bonds

Environmental Issues

In order to mitigate congestion, protect the environment, one speaker suggested thinking about transit and rail. Create a dedicated source of funding for transit in NYS. Encourage reusable energy; work with farmers for green, reusable energy; think of building smart cities. Infrastructure must be looked at in a holistic way.

It is important to improve coordination between State and local agencies. This is particularly important as the Genesee Transportation Council strives to deal with the region being in non-attainment for ozone.

Another speaker commented on energy and environment:

• Sustainability

• US Army Corps of Engineers: Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT) Program

• Focus on redeveloping downtowns

o Bikeable

o Pedestrian friendly

• Use of power from green energy sources

• Example: animal waste to produce energy

o State could buy energy to generate a market

The Transportation System Itself

Competition between Logistics and Commuters for Capacity

One speaker commented on the importance of logistics and the easy movement of goods.

Suggestions:

• Allow tandem trailers on all NYS expressways

• Lower or eliminate taxes and tolls on trucks

Resource Scarcity

• Provide an interstate highway along Route 15 to Pennsylvania to respond to increased truck traffic.

• Disseminate and market EZ-Pass. Create more highway speed EZ-Pass toll booths.

Physical Components (Infrastructure) versus Inter-Agency Integration (Management)

Farmers need to move goods faster and more efficiently. Build roadways and support permitting for larger trucks to use rural roads. Address agricultural problem across borders.

Another speaker's comments on farming issues (infrastructure and regulation):

• Farms need good infrastructure

o Must move product quickly

o As farm trucks grow, run into constraints due to regulation and (local) infrastructure

• Rail can help move large amounts of products quickly

• Focus on local transportation needs

o Establish regional advisory groups

• Create a permanent source of funding (trust fund)

Transportation Mode Specific Issues

Transit/Paratransit

In order to mitigate congestion and protect the environment, one speaker talked about transit and rail. The speaker said there should be a dedicated source of funding for transit in NYS. Encourage reusable energy; work with farmers for green, reusable energy; think of building smart cities. Infrastructure must be looked at in a holistic way.

The state must think of public transit when thinking about congestion mitigation. There is a need for a dedicated and predictable source of funding for transit.

Potential projects:

• Exits 50 – 53 on Thruway (a transit solution)

• High Speed Rail

Disability: Increase rural transportation service for elderly and disabled; Equitable distribution of transportation system within the state; Advocate for regional service rather than existing fixed routes service which do not cross region borders.

Pedestrian Concerns: Build greater walkability in design of roads and bridges. Build safe, walkable roads with easy community access to services and commercial businesses. Think of traffic calming. Remove, hold funding, or maintain escrow accounts for transit agencies in order to deal with transit agencies not in compliance with ADA regulations.

One speaker commented on design for the disabled:

• Focus on walkability of roads and bridges

o Improve economy as well as help disabled people to walk

• Increase use of Audible Pedestrian Signals

• Lack of connectivity of transportation system for disabled

Another speaker talked about the problems of paratransit systems:

• Communities subsidized for providing paratransit systems

• Subsidy should be put in escrow if a system is not ADA compliant

Another speaker mentioned that transit authorities are not responsive to needs since they are not beholden to any constituency.

Rail

One speaker suggested building a high-speed rail system between Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo that would connect with Canadian system to Toronto, using Federal and State funds for the project. Another speaker suggested that the state should achieve a high-speed rail system through incremental investment. High-speed rail service has an advantage because riders can be productive with their time on the trains. The state should also provide grater support to Amtrak.

Comments by various speakers on the freight rail system:

• The State needs to review regulations and railroad law.

• Inspections by Federal & State inspectors duplicate each other

• Grade crossings need money

• Trespassing law needs to be strengthened to protect railroads

• The Industrial Access Program should be broadened to include more railroad projects, for example, relocating and improving public delivery tracks that do not accept larger trucks.

• Railroads remove trucks from the highways

Trucks

One speaker commented on trucking issues:

• Ton-mileage tax is labor intensive to collect - discontinue it

• Increase registration fees of all trucks by $200-$300

• NYS Thruway tolls are too high, so truckers avoid it

• Fuel taxes in NYS are too high

Airports

A speaker commented that the state should not become involved in mandating security for small (cat. 3 and 4) airports.

Crucial Role of Security

A speaker commented that the state should not become involved in mandating security for small (cat. 3 and 4) airports.

Regional airports need help with modifying airports to meet TSA requirements as well as recruiting new carriers.

Importance of Demand Management

Must think of public transit when thinking about congestion mitigation.

The Impacts of Transportation Investments

Transportation Planning and Land Use

• Increase compatibility of land use and transportation.

• Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) and public involvement.

• Incorporate context sensitive design projects.

Transportation and land use: Planning must be integrated with other government policies; support maintenance of existing facilities; Initiate incentive for local smart growth; support population who do not have access to automobile.

The state should promote proactive use of planning and new technologies.

Economic Development Resulting from Transportation Investment

One speaker commented that infrastructure investment creates jobs.

Transit helps the economy in not so obvious ways: Transit purchases buses from NY manufacturers; transit provides employers with an expanded labor pool; and transit helps tourism.

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