Did you know Mayor Adams pledged to create 150 miles of new bus lanes within four years while he was campaigning for your vote, but, at the end of the third year, is on track to accomplish around just 30 miles?
This week's installment of the New York Times Street Wars series explored the Adams administration's failure to make good on this desperately needed boost to top-side transit. And these 150 miles are more than a mere promise, they are legally mandated by the Streets Plan, passed by City Council in 2019. Every weekday, three million bus rides crawl through congested, chaotic streets while our elected officials break promises and laws meant to make our lives better.
Adams isn't the only one. Governor Kathy Hochul chose to "indefinitely pause" congestion pricing in June - a move that she's not legally authorized to make. And one that is now damning New Yorkers to an ongoing crisis of escalating gridlock, pollution, and traffic violence.
Every day that our elected officials treat these legally mandated projects as optional, New Yorkers suffer. When our bus service is dismal, people opt to drive. That driving creates more congestion and chaos on the street (even further delaying buses). More chaos and congestion make neighborhoods feel less welcoming and hamper New Yorker's ability to build community near their homes. It also deters many New Yorkers - especially vulnerable riders - from choosing cycling as a mode of transportation, which would get some people out of cars and help alleviate congestion. It's a never-ending, compounding cycle of harm and car dependence that our leaders are actively catalyzing.
These laws are passed for a reason and flouting them has real and dire consequences. We need leaders who acknowledge and boldly address the harms that cars cause to walkability, safety, active transportation, and public space. We'll keep advocating at Open Plans, but advocates can only do so much. Our elected officials have a responsibility - and mandate - to follow these laws and make these changes. It's time they get on board.
