The New Transportation Planning Environment

The regulatory framework fashioned by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) opens the door to rapid, government-supported proliferation of bicycle transportation in New York City. These acts mark a major shift in thinking at the federal level, giving cities and states an opportunity to develop innovative, environmentally-sustainable transportation strategies. For New York — a transit and walking city staggering under the twin burdens of cars and smog — the potential for revitalization through auto-reduction is tremendous. Such a departure will require strong City leadership, however.

ISTEA's bicycle provisions are already leading some cities to adopt ambitious plans for bicycle promotion. For example, the City of Chicago's extensive, goal-oriented plan outlined above undoubtedly owes much to the fact that cycling is eligible for flexible federal transportation funds under ISTEA. Moreover, the Clean Air Act Amendments have closed loopholes in clean-air mandates by putting urban areas on strict but achievable pollution-reduction schedules. Public officials who short-change non-highway transportation options and thereby miss air quality goals risk high political costs for provoking cutoffs of federal funds and curbs on new development.

Several sections of the ISTEA legislation explicitly provide for funding bicycling projects and programs. Each state must appoint a bicycle program manager to develop a long-range plan for bicycle transportation. Using ISTEA funding, NY State DoT hired its bicycle program manager in early 1993. Metropolitan Planning Organizations — locally the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) — are charged with developing biennial transportation improvement plans, which also must include a bicycling component.

To date, NYMTC has solicited general ideas pertaining to bicycle transport to include in its planning documents. [20] Still, it is unclear how extensive or specific its bicycle plan for the metropolitan area will be. Neither NYTMC nor the New York State Dept. of Transportation has committed to making bicycle planning a high priority, or of combining planning efforts with the City DoT. In contrast, the New Jersey Dept. of Transportation recently let a contract for a comprehensive study of means to increase bicycle use in that state; the contractors include experienced bicycle planners.

ISTEA provides the opportunity, and the Clean Air Act the responsibility, for New York City and State to move forward with innovative transportation strategies. Planned and administered intelligently and with the involvement of the cycling community, bicycle plans and programs that enable New Yorkers to use bicycles for transportation can play a meaningful part in improving the city's economy, environment and overall quality of life. But absent a strong commitment to bicycle transportation, even the new clean air-transportation opportunity could be fumbled away.

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