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Q&A
DOT's shortfall in meeting annual targets and implementation challenges
2:22:33
ยท
3 min
Council Member Brooks-Powers questions DOT about falling short of annual targets for protected bus lanes, transit signal priority, and protected bike lanes. DOT officials discuss challenges in implementation and factors affecting their ability to meet goals.
- DOT built 13.5 miles of protected bus lanes (short of 30 miles required)
- 766 TSP intersections completed (short of 1,000 required)
- 29 miles of protected bike lanes installed (short of 50 mile benchmark)
- Challenges include funding, equipment, personnel, and community support
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:22:33
In DOT's most recent report which was released last week, the department admitted that in 2024 it only built 13.5 miles of protected bus lanes which once again is far short of the 30 miles required annually.
2:22:48
The Department of Transportation was also required to install transit signal priority also known as TSP at 1,000 intersections annually but completed only 766 last year.
2:23:01
The report noted that the Department of Transportation installed roughly 29 miles of protective bike lanes in 2024 which is an improvement but still less than the 50 mile benchmark required by the legislation.
2:23:17
Now I do appreciate, commissioner, in your testimony which we received yesterday.
2:23:22
Thank you for that again.
2:23:23
I'd like to acknowledge that, that there is more funding that's needed.
2:23:28
I just wanna get a sense as how much funding is needed to be able to meet the goals.
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:23:33
Yeah.
2:23:33
I I I I will pass it to both Eric Beaton as a planner and Paul to add more details about 50 miles of bike lane is not realistic unless everyone is on board.
2:23:47
Unless each council member come and say I want bike lane in my district.
2:23:51
20 miles of bus lane is not realistic unless council member also supports
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
2:23:57
But we're working on a bus lane.
Ydanis Rodriguez
2:23:58
I get it.
2:23:58
I get it.
2:23:59
I'm both.
2:23:59
I'm I'm approaching both.
2:24:01
So I guess I'm more than happy.
2:24:03
I think that we start a conversation very productive, you know, with you and your team.
2:24:07
I think that we should have another follow-up conversation with more details to revise those ambition goal that we have.
2:24:14
Definitely, you know, as we work you work in B and T and and you get the $700,000,000 and you have to spread that amount for different need that each council have, the same thing that we also have to maximize every single dollars.
2:24:28
So we proud that in 2022, Mayor increased our budget by 17% in '22 and then he added close to $300,000,000 in 2024.
2:24:40
As you can see, the budget in 2022 fiscal year was only 1,100,000.0.
2:24:45
Today, this budget is 1.5.
2:24:47
So definitely, we've been getting a lot of support from mayor Eric Adams and city hall and you guys at the council and we appreciate that.
2:24:55
And we will get to you into more details.
2:24:57
Definitely more money allow for us to go further.
2:25:00
There's all all other challenges about hiring staff.
2:25:03
It's about facility.
2:25:05
But I want to pass it to Eric to get into more details and then Paul to bring some pieces related to budget.
Eric Beaton
2:25:13
Sure.
2:25:13
And as the commissioner said in his testimony, it's just about the money.
2:25:17
It's about all these things that need to move together.
2:25:20
And I think we've been very fortunate, as the commissioner said, that OMB has given us money and worked with us as we've been able to line up projects.
2:25:28
So as we've been able to bring more equipment online and more personnel in more yards, we've been able to move all of these things together.
2:25:35
I think putting money in the budget just to say it's there while we're still working on these other things is a reasonable choice for OMB not to make.
2:25:43
So we are working closely with OMB.
2:25:44
We're working closely with the mayors.
2:25:47
And we are on all of these things, the money, on the facilities, on the hiring, all the steps that are needed to be able to better meet those goals.