The Tri-State Transportation Campaign and its allies claim to have achieved their goals of changing transportation planning and policies—particularly in reducing funding for road widening—over the past 13 years. In New Jersey, the organization was a key proponent of the New Jersey Department of Transportation's policy of connecting land use planning with transportation projects and has opposed many road improvements. In New York, TSTC has consistently promoted additional funding for transit services, especially suburban bus systems, obtaining grants from the New York State Department of Transportation for the same purpose.
TSTC has persuaded elected and appointed officials to cancel or scale down plans for Route 92 in Middlesex County, NJ, the Cross-Westchester Expressway in Westchester County, NY, the Long Island Expressway in Queens, the Goethals Bridge, the Staten Island Expressway, and Route 206 in Byram, NJ. TSTC has argued that the planned expansion of the Garden State Parkway between exits 30 and 80 will not provide long-term congestion relief and sued the NJ Department of Environmental Protection in 2009 over its approval of environmental permits for the project.[1] TSTC opposed NYSDOT's Route 347 widening project on Long Island. This project is now being recast as a suburban boulevard with a greenway as originally proposed by the Committee for a New 347.
TSTC seeks to convince policymakers to maintain and increase subsidies for mass transit operations and construction projects. It opposed a planned 2010 fare increase for NJ Transit[2] and plans to cut service on New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority-run transit systems.[3]
TSTC works with community groups in Newark, advocating for streets that are more walkable and more attractive for development. In Trenton, TSTC supports the city's plan to convert a portion of Route 29 into a waterfront boulevard. Working with groups in the South Bronx, TSTC succeeded in inserting plans for removing the Sheridan Expressway into New York State Department of Transportation studies for the area.[4] In Connecticut, TSTC is working to build support for a removal of Route 34 in New Haven and its replacement with a boulevard and mixed-use development.[5]
Consistent analysis of spending and project priorities in New Jersey resulted in a significant diminution of spending for new highway capacity in the state. In the mid-nineties, the NJDOT was spending over 50 percent of its capital dollars on new or wider highways. In 2008, that number had decreased to 1.5 percent. The New Jersey DOT is adopting transportation-efficient land use planning, which seeks to reduce the heavy car trip generation that characterizes sprawl development. The Connecticut Department of Transportation and New York Department of Transportation are now also considering ways to incorporate land use into project design and planning. In 2008, NYSDOT announced a GreenLITES program to incorporate sustainability into transportation projects, and made the redesign of Route 347 on Long Island a model project for the program.
The TSTC helped advance New York City's 2007 congestion pricing plan, which was approved by the New York City Council but failed to pass through the New York State Legislature. In 2000, TSTC worked to persuade the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to implement time-variable tolls that charge drivers more to travel during congested periods. Both agencies report reductions in growth of peak-hour traffic. In 2008, the peak/off-peak differential was increased. In Connecticut, a state without tolls, TSTC is pushing for congestion pricing as a way to manage traffic and pay for transportation projects.[6] TSTC also advocated for cashless, all-electronic tolling on the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway and helped to secure studies on cashless tolling at the Port Authority and MTA.
TSTC broadcasts projected truck traffic increases throughout New Jersey and New York City and works with environmental justice groups and neighborhoods to win better management of truck traffic.
TSTC advocated for CTfastrak, which is the first true bus rapid transit system in the region. In Long Island, Tri-State worked with civic groups to provide support for bus riders calling for adequate funding and reliable service. And for over 10 years, TSTC has been advocating for improved bus service over the rebuilding of the Tappan Zee Bridge, and was a member of the Transit Task Force that developed specific recommendations for implementation on the new bridge.
TSTC advocates for Complete Streets, not only for communities to adopt policies or ordinances, but to fund their implementation as well. In 2014, TSTC worked with the City of Stamford, Connecticut, to draft a Complete Streets ordinance, and partnered with BikeWalkCT on Connecticut’s first ever Complete Streets Forum. In 2012, TSTC was a lead advocate for the successful passage of New York’s Complete Streets law. TSTC advocated for local Complete Streets policies throughout New Jersey: Cranford, Newark, Trenton, Fanwood, Linden, Mantua Township, Camden, and Woodbury. TSTC's advocacy contributed to half of the Smart Growth America's top eight NJ Complete Streets policies in 2013 [Trenton, Linden, Camden, and Cranford]. In New York, TSTC successfully campaigned for a Complete Streets implementation fund for Suffolk County, which was created in June 2014, a year and half after the County adopted a Complete Streets policy. Also, in conjunction with regional partners, TSTC developed a “Complete Streets in a Box” toolkit to help local legislators and advocates advance safer streets policies in their own communities. In 2013, TSTC developed two webinars (1,2) demonstrating how to successfully implement Complete Streets after policy adoption.
