NY Kicks Off Public Engagement for Transportation Master Plan Development
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
(NYSDOT Photograph)
Public engagement efforts are now under way for the development of the New York State Transportation Master Plan 2050, which will allow the state to determine how well the transportation system is working today as well as priorities for the future.
“The New York State Transportation Master Plan will establish a long-range vision and priorities to guide coordinated, forward-thinking planning for transportation,” according to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), which on Sept. 11 launched a website to help the public to learn more about and provide input on the plan for New York’s freight and passenger railroads, highways, trails, airports and ports. Public participation will also occur through virtual meetings and events held throughout the state.
Required by federal and state law, the plan is slated to describe New York’s existing transportation system and how it’s performing; discuss key trends and issues affecting transportation in New York state that are anticipated to be important in the future; identify transportation goals, objectives and performance measures for tracking progress; and define strategic directions, policies and priorities for New York state’s multimodal transportation system.
The Transportation Master Plan will also provide strategic direction to, and will be informed by, other statewide, regional, local and agency-specific transportation plans. These include metropolitan transportation plans developed by the state’s 14 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), as well as plans developed by local agencies, transit agencies, port authorities, regional coalitions and others.
Ultimately, the Transportation Master Plan and associated transportation plans “will inform the selection of investments, including in capital programs and operating plans,” according to NYSDOT. “A key product of this process is the New York Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which is updated periodically and includes a comprehensive list of all transportation projects or project phases in New York state proposed to receive federal funding over a four-year period.”
NYSDOT said it recognizes that transportation is about more than infrastructure; it is about people, places and experiences. “New York’s highways, railways, airports and ports support the movement of essential products and goods and connect communities across the state and the world,” it reported. “Decisions about transportation today will have long-lasting impacts. At the same time, rapid change is occurring, and there are new challenges and issues to consider—such as travel behavior changes following the COVID-19 pandemic, new technology advancements, and more extreme weather resulting from climate change. As a result, there is a vital need to look beyond specific transportation projects today and create a holistic vision for the future of transportation in our communities.”
