Nine days after the joint press rally between the NY League of Conservation Voters, Riders Alliance, and Transportation Alternatives, the City Council, Senate and Assembly have passed a bill to expand the operating time on city speed cameras to include nights and weekends for three years. This news comes on the heels of the “potential fourth straight year of increasing traffic fatalities in NYC- a first since 1990,” showing we need enhanced pedestrian safety measures now more than ever. At the rally more than thirty people stood up for the principle that New York City should be able to control how it deploys traffic cameras on its streets. Many attendees held signs and pictures of loved ones lost to traffic violence and shared heartbreaking stories of loss and grief caused by reckless driving. Speakers included state legislators, New York City Council members, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and street safety advocates, all of whom criticized, pushed, and rallied in support of the bill. 

The New York City bus system is the largest in the nation, but also the slowest and most inefficient. An MTA bus has an average speed of 7.9mph, and spends 43% of its travel time sitting at traffic lights or bus stops. Outdated infrastructure and technology leads to constant delays and unpredictability that inconveniences those who rely on it every single day. Our bus system is in dire need of updates, especially as ridership bounces back to pre-pandemic levels. We must invest in making our buses faster and more efficient to ensure all members of our community can rely on them each and every day. 

We’re all familiar with the yellow school buses of our childhood: the rattling sounds of metal, the squeals of our peers, leather seats that had seen better days. Their presence was an integral part to so many childhoods – so what’s being changed? Transportation is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York, accounting for a third of total overall emissions. Not only are these emissions harming the planet, but research has shown that they are also harming New York’s children, leading to higher levels of asthma. 

Late last week City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced her appointees for committee chairs. The most important chairs to keep an eye on for sustainability, and building a greener city, are those for environmental protection, transportation, parks, sanitation, and resiliency. Housing, health, and finance are also important chairs that can help facilitate environmental legislation. 

As New York City begins strategizing for the new year, our new administration and Council Members have the opportunity to start making transformative investments in our environmental infrastructure and resiliency. NYLCV’s newest Policy Agenda lists what issues should be made top priority in the transportation, energy, public health, conservation, and environmental justice sectors, and highlights the legislative opportunities that will get us there. We hope to build upon our progress made last year and continue making bold policy decisions for the good of our community. Below are some of the main points made in this year’s Policy Agenda.

Read more about The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) and NYLCV Education Fund (NYLCVEF) 2022 State Policy Agenda.