Syracuse - New York State Department of Transportation



NYS Advisory Panel on Transportation Policy for 2025

Syracuse, NY, Meeting Notes

June 24, 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. SYR-062404)

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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

June 24, 2004 Meeting Notes

New York State Fairgrounds Art and Home Center, Syracuse

Notes prepared by University Transportation Research Center, Region 2

Panelists: Joseph Boardman (chair), Dennis Fitzgerald, Pat Gilchrest, Jim McGowan, Jim Melius, Jim Newman, Janette Sadik-Khan, Lee Sander, Tom Tranter, Jim Tripp

Guest: Michael Fleischer, NYS Thruway Authority Executive Director (co-chair), Senator Raymond A. Meier

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

• Economic competitiveness is a key policy issue that needs to be effectively improved for the future of the transportation system; determining what will be the cost of transportation for businesses and individuals.

• The Transportation Services Index (TSI) shows that economic recovery is underway.

o TSI leads the onset of recessions and recoveries from growth slowdowns with consistent regularity

o TSI outperforms other coincident indicators in dating troughs of U.S. business cycles

• Change in global economy is affecting change in the U.S. economy:

o Increasing trade of goods and people (international)

o Massive increases in truck and air freight

o New York is a major hub for freight

• Syracuse is connected to Downstate:

o Biggest trading partners: Buffalo, NYC, Eastern Long Island

o NASTO is its own largest trading partner

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

A speaker stated that New York State's main industries of agriculture, finance, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade are dependent on our highway system. Ninety-two percent of the $290 billion dollars in products are shipped to and from sites in New York State annually are transported on highways. Currently, the federal government is working to approve a new six-year transportation program. New York’s share of funds from the federal government has declined by at least six percent.

Speaker comments:

• Can make NYS focal point of all of Northeast

• China-market to sell

o Need to export to China

• Need to make it easier/faster/cheaper for companies to import/export goods, and move around workers

o Canada is capturing this market

• Container traffic on rails need to be sustained

• Need to reduce transit time

• Increase load limits, which will decrease cost per unit for companies

The transportation industry is a major contributor to the state's economy.

A speaker put emphasis on transportation as a critical link in the federal, state and local economy.

A speaker stated that policy should focus on movement of goods and people.

Influence of Metropolitan Regions

New York State’s metropolitan regions account for 93.5% of the state gross domestic product. Within the state, 87% of the population and 92% of the jobs are located in areas served by New York State’s MPOs.

Need for Increased Cooperation and Coordination between Agencies

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are regional catalysts that are centered on transportation. MPOs provide a planning process to reach local communities for their perspectives and participation on transpiration planning, including other related areas. Local transportation is crucial for understanding the transportation needs beyond the macro scale of interstates, thruways and state road systems. MPOs should be a valuable partner and asset to the State in formulating the State Master Plan for Transportation. The statewide master plan should authorize local and regional transportation planning, which includes the MPO's Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs). The implementation strategies of the LRTPs should be analyzed and considered during the development of the statewide master plan.

Mandates and Regulations That Agencies Must Work Under

Finance

There is a need for solid and safe network of highways to get New York State goods to market. This speaker feels that transportation policy and investment must work to enhance NYS economy. In addition there should be a focus on local roads and infrastructure. The majority of the roads in the state are local and they require adequate funding.

One speaker brought up these funding issues:

• Funding for roads and bridges that are structurally deficient and obsolete

• Decrease dependence on federal government for transportation funding

• NYS has "exploited" dedicated highway trust fund

• Decreasing revenues due to increasing expenses

• Need to increase capital project expenditures

• Recommendations:

• Stop "diverting" funds to non-capital costs

• Raise necessary revenue to pay existing bonds, e.g.: adjust gas tax, sales tax, driver registration fees, toll roads

Another speaker feels that the local government funding stream from the state has been in a steady decline for the past five years and the state must develop a new innovative method to address the needs and safety of the motoring public at the local level.

The Transportation System Itself

Resource Scarcity

The Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) has benefited local governments by allowing them to cope with the increasing demands and costs of maintaining the New York State transportation infrastructure. Funds from this program have helped local officials use preventative techniques and products to drastically reduce the long-term costs of maintaining the transportation system, significantly reducing costs while increasing workforce productivity substantially. Unfortunately the funding structure for CHIPS is complicated, with various sources of funding from Albany that are hard to identify and allocate efficiently. In recent years, the amount of CHIPS allotted to local governments has not increased. County government funding has decreased over the past several years, resulting in a significant budget cut. A new and improved CHIPS fund must be enacted, eliminating the political delay in allocating funds. This fund must become a stable program that is regulated by an economic growth indicator, such as the Consumer Price Index. By doing this, local governments can rely on a steady funding source and prepare scheduling ahead of time. As a result, there will be more efficient maintenance programs and substantial savings of tax dollars.

One speaker feels that New York has reduced the amount of state funds being spent on the highway system. The state has also "exploited" the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund, through which mostly all highway transportation dollars flow. The highway system is in disrepair. Expenses not intended to be paid by the fund have been shifted from the state’s general fund to the dedicated fund. Since 1995, over $1.8 billion dollars have been shifted from the General Fund to the dedicated fund. In addition, 85% of roads are under local jurisdiction. The speaker highly recommends that the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund be restructured immediately and recommends an increase in funding from state, local and federal governments. The speaker also advises the use of the federal aid program to reduce bridge deficiencies. Existing funds should be managed more efficiently. The speaker also recommends user fees to fund highways through innovative taxation. The speaker recommends that dedicated funds no longer be diverted to non-capital spending. Lastly, the speaker encourages a fundamental increase in revenue to pay off existing bonds and necessary investments in the state’s system through toll roads, increasing registration fees and increasing the sales tax.

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

One speaker commented that a lot of transportation is based on weather, but there is not even one weather related road-building specialist in NY State. For instance, in North Carolina, bricks are all salt resistant, yet in NYS/Syracuse there are no such measures

Transportation Mode Specific Issues

Speakers noted that the rail freight service system helped develop the state economy. It serves many key employers. Public policy is supported by public sector investment. The state should establish a permanent funding program for the rail system. Intermodal funding would help make transportation industries more competitive through the rail system. In addition, rail passenger travel is very important, but has been neglected. Recommendations:

• More coordination between rail, transit, and highway systems; eradicate funding competition between these transportation modes

• A more integrated transportation system

• More reliability

• Improve rail tracks, rail terminals, and travel information

Transit is flexible infrastructure. Transit makes a huge difference by improving the economy, environment, security, safety, and reliability. Transit helps the workforce and lowers social service costs. But, the transit system is facing certain challenges, such as:

• Shifting suburban/urban markets

• Fare levels

• Technology

Mobility and reliability are the keys to resolving these issues. Transit benefits both riders and non-riders. The transit system should continually adjust service to meet mobility needs. Transit may also help decrease road congestion.

One speaker had these comments on transit issues:

• Two major problems in getting people self-sufficient

▪ Child care

▪ Transportation

• Onondaga County eliminated a transportation hurdle with the establishment of “Mobility Management Center”

• Goal of the center is to be the central place for transportation for those working in county, and have families on public assistance or within 200% of poverty

• Recommendations

• More flexible transit system

• Flexible bus schedules (on call as needed basis - e.g., for someone getting out of work at 2 A.M.)

A speaker talked about finding means to utilize water and subsidizing water movement/sea shifting. Other systems will not be able to handle the load (example of personal experience with 4 miles of backup near Canadian border). Ferries must be included in transportation planning.

A speaker commented on regional airports needing runaway extensions of 40-60 feet because of new carriers and their new equipment.

Crucial Role of Security

The Impacts of Transportation Investments

Transportation Planning and Land Use

Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council’s Long Range Transportation Council’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is focused on maintaining the existing infrastructure, transportation systems management, and promoting alternatives to the automobile through appropriate land use development policies.

Economic Development Resulting from Transportation Investment

Speakers noted that aviation is a critical component of the transportation network. It has a tremendous impact on state and local economies. Aviation has the ability and potential to attract businesses, which is significant for tourism. Since aviation is a powerful economic engine, there is a critical reliance on aviation services. Businesses are increasingly becoming dependent on aviation services to operate efficiently in the global economy. Aviation is the only transportation mode that can effectively meet the global demands of today’s businesses. Therefore, more support is needed from state and local governments to promote the beneficial effects that aviation has on the economy.

Local Quality-of-Life Impacts of Projects

Investments to improve local roads, especially rural roads, can pay big dividends in terms of lives saved.

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