NYMTC’s Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 18, 2010 from 10:30 – noon, at NYU’s Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, NYC. With a focus on Transportation and a Livable Region, the keynote speaker will be Adolfo Carrión, Director of the White House Office of Urban Policy.    

More information will be posted as it becomes available. To RSVP for the meeting contact Andrea Miles-Cole at amiles-cole@dot.state.ny.us or call 212.383.7200

February 17, 12 noon: Brown Bag Presentation on AARP New York’s Livable Communities Initiative on Complete Streets. 
Click here for more details (Calendar of Events)

February 18, 2010, 1:15 pm: PFAC Meeting (see Calendar of Events for agenda).

The meeting will include an action to recommend the draft 2010–2011 UPWP to the Council for approval at the March 18 Annual Meeting.

Download
Draft 2010–2011 UPWP (4.5MB)
Draft Management Summary (3.8MB)

Comments may be sent to Stephen Hausch at shausch@dot.state.ny.us or at NYMTC, 199 Water Street, 22nd fl, New York, NY 10038.

The public comment period has been extended to May 28, 2010 for the Federal Planning Certification Review of NYMTC.

The primary purpose of the certification review is to ensure that the federally-required planning activities are being satisfactorily implemented by NYMTC, whose planning area includes New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam. In order for transportation providers in these areas – including the state and local governments and public transportation operators – to continue to receive federal transportation funds, the FHWA and the FTA must certify NYMTC’s compliance with the federal transportation planning regulations not less than once every four years. Previously, NYMTC was certified compliant on January 10, 2007.

February 8, 2010 to February 17, 2010
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) announces a comment period for a proposed amendment to the NYMTC 2008-2012 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The proposed amendments include programming funding for a pedestrian improvement project in the Village of Malvern in Nassau County; lighting for the MTA Bus LaGuardia maintenance facility in Queens; and the deletion of one MTA Bus storage project for MTA Bus, as funding through USDOT’s Urban Partnership Program was not awarded.  Details on the proposed amendments can be accessed through the links below.  This comment period gives the public the opportunity to provide feedback to NYMTC on the proposed changes to the NYMTC TIP.

Comments should be sent in writing to the contact noted below by
4 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17, 2010.

Nassau/Suffolk Transportation Coordinating Committee:
Download: NS Proposed Change
Nancy O’Connell
Email: nloconnell@dot.state.ny.us

New York City Transportation Coordinating Committee:
Download: NYC Proposed Changes
Carl King
Email: cking@dot.state.ny.us

Proposals for Projects to be considered for funding through the Job Access Reverse Commute and New Freedom programs will be accepted by NYMTC beginning January 6 through March 12, 2010 for New York City (all five boroughs), Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties) and the lower Hudson Valley (Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties). Sub-recipients eligible to apply for the JARC and New Freedom funding are municipalities, non-profit agencies, and operators of public transportation services, including private operators of public transportation services, as well as federally-recognized tribal governments.

NYMTC will host a series of workshops in January 2010 to provide guidance to agencies and organizations interested in proposing projects for possible funding through the JARC and New Freedom funding programs. Check Calendar of Events for workshop dates.

Download
Application (70KB)
Guidance Package (131KB)

The revised 2009 CMP Status Report was adopted by PFAC on Thursday, January 21, 2010. To view the 2009 CMP Status Report click here.

The CMP provides a summary description of roadway traffic congestion, including focus on seven regional performance measures. This is the first report that offers composite route maps showing levels of congestion in each borough and county, based on ratios of demand over capacity. On the same maps, bottlenecks are identified and located.

NYMTC's planning area is a Federally-designated transportation management area. Federal planning regulations require a CMP in transportation management areas to manage traffic congestion through the integrated management and operation of the transportation system. In order to fulfill Federal requirements, the CMP Status Report is published every four years in conjunction with the release of NYMTC's Regional Transportation Plan.

On September 24, 2009, NYMTC’s Council members adopted the 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan, entitled A Shared Vision for A Shared Future, which establishes a sustainable regional framework for future transportation improvements and investments for the next 25 years.  It establishes a shared, long-term vision for the transportation system serving the New York metropolitan region – its roads, bridges, freight and mass transit facilities, and its bicycle and pedestrian networks. Updated every four years, the Plan is the product of a cooperative public involvement and intergovernmental planning process, and its approval by NYMTC’s members is required for Federal transportation funding.

The strategic transportation investments proposed in the Regional Transportation Plan are tied to a Shared Vision for sustainable growth in the NYMTC region. NYMTC’s Shared Vision consists of several components: five regional shared goals that lay the foundation for the region’s decision-making framework; 10 regional desired growth areas that represent the region’s consensus vision for guiding future growth and development; a list of strategic regional transportation investments, including four foundation improvement projects that are a first step toward improving long-term mobility in the region; and a set of 10 strategic regional policy guidelines. Taken together, the strategic transportation investments that are called for in A Shared Vision for A Shared Future may cost as much as $50 billion and $60 billion over the next 25 years, but only about $13 billion in anticipated future funding has been identified to-date.

To request a presentation of the Regional Transportation Plan at a meeting or workshop please contact Jan Khan.

click here to view the Plan

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave well received keynote remarks to a large crowd at NYMTC’s special September 24 Council meeting to adopt the 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan.  Focusing on the Administration’s recently announced Sustainable Communities Initiative, the Secretary said, “The stakes for transportation’s future here in New York, and throughout urban America, could not be higher.  The economic health of our nation and the quality of life we secure for our children will depend on our ability to achieve greater energy independence, reduce energy costs, and grow our communities in ways that are truly sustainable.”

Following the meeting, Transportation Secretary LaHood wrote in his blog Welcome to the Fast Lane, "On sustainable mobility, New York region ready to lead."  To read the post, click here

To request a presentation of the Regional Transportation Plan at a meeting or workshop please contact Jan Khan.

click here for the Secretary’s remarks
click here for event press release
click here for NYMTC executive director’s presentation

On July 31, Governor Paterson announced $11.3 million for 13 Job Access Reverse Commute and New Freedom projects in the NYMTC region that promote transportation services for limited-income individuals or improve transportation accessibility for individuals with disabilities. These projects were selected through a competitive solicitation conducted by NYMTC.
Governor Paterson said, “The New York metropolitan area has one of the greatest transit systems in the world, but many people have difficulty accessing it because of financial or physical limitations. The funding will provide assistance and additional services to thousands of individuals, supporting their careers and promoting independence.”

For project details and more information click here

NYMTC has taken a number of actions to amend or administratively modify the 2008-2012 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to enable possible funding for candidate transportation projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. For a potential project to be eligible for funding, it must be on the TIP. Candidate projects are provided both on lists and via geographical representation on Google maps, where feasible, by clicking on the links below.

Actions on additional candidate projects and/or changes to candidate projects already listed are possible and the information will be updated as necessary.

New York City Candidate Projects
Download (14kb) | Google Map

Lower Hudson Valley Candidate Projects
Download (14kb) | Google Map

Long Island Candidate Projects
Download (14kb) | Google Map

In addition, a comment period was held for transit projects proposed for ARRA funding.  The projects, which can be viewed by clicking here, have been or will be endorsed by the MPOs in the New York metropolitan area and conform to State Implementation Plan (SIP) as required by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.

On June 18, 2009, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) approved a new Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan for the NYMTC Area. This effort stems in part from SAFETEA-LU, the Federal transportation act, which requires that such a plan be in place before services and transportation providers in the region may access certain specific funding programs offered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). These funding programs involve transportation services for persons with disabilities, older adults, and persons with lower income.

One of the key components of the Plan includes improved coordination among service providers to reduce redundancies, while at the same time ensuring that the needs of the target populations are met. It is important to note that the new Plan will be the basis for decision-making for grant applications for transportation services to these three populations. The Plan can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here and is also available on a CD or as a hard copy upon request.

Contact Nancy O'Connell at Nloconnell@dot.state.ny.us.

Four ultra-low emissions “GenSet” locomotives, purchased with Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) funds programmed by NYMTC, were unveiled at Oak Point Yard in the Bronx on June 29. CSX transportation will operate the locomotives. The technology that powers the new locomotives will reduce NOX and Particulate Matter (PM) and will help reaching air quality improvement goals established in the Regional Transportation Plan.

Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the next census is in 2010. Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. The 2010 Census will determine the distribution of $300 billion annually of government funding for critical community services and generates thousands of jobs across the country. Printing of 2010 Census Forms is underway in preparation for Census Day – April 1, 2010. The forms are the shortest in census history, with just 10 questions requiring about 10 minutes to complete. Participation in the census is required by law; answers are protected by law and strictly confidential. The first Census was conducted in 1790 and has been carried out every 10 years since then.
For more information, visit http://2010.census.gov/2010census/

The Multi-State Truck Rest Stop Inventory and Assessment Study is now complete and available for downloading. An expected 80 percent increase in freight traffic in the NYMTC region will mean an increase in the demand for rest stops. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of existing truck services (official and informal) in the region, and determines the need to provide either enhanced services at existing stops or  to implement recommended regional improvements.

Multi-State Truck Rest Stop Inventory and Assessment Study
Download (14.5MB) 

A new report is now available on the characteristics of freight villages entitled, "How A Typical Freight Village Works" (click here). Freight villages are locations where all activities relating to transport, logistics and the distribution of goods ─ both for national and international transit ─ are carried out by various operators.  The report looks at existing freight villages, their operational characteristics, management practices and much more. Two European freight villages are reviewed in detail with regard to logistics, worker services, neighborhood compatibility, size and location. This report helps to set the stage for the analysis of freight villages and potential opportunities in the NYMTC region.
As part of the next phase of the project, the overall movement of freight in the NYMTC region is being mapped and analyzed. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

A total of $31.9 million in Federal Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) funds has been awarded to 16 projects in the NYMTC Region, including one project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Transportation Enhancement projects are community based projects which help strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of our intermodal transportation system, including facilities for pedestrians and bicycles, safety and educational activities, landscaping and other scenic beautification and historic preservation projects.
Click here for additional information.

“These projects will make necessary improvements to our local walkways, bicycle paths and other transportation routes while spurring economic development and job creation,” Governor Paterson said. 

NYMTC’s Title VI Policy The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council assures that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or gender, as provided in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which NYMTC received Federal financial assistance.
Further, NYMTC incorporates the principles of environmental justice into its policies, planning and project development activities to ensure that there are no inequitable impacts on minority groups and low-income groups throughout the region.