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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, on DOT Funding and Staffing
5:59:37
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Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, testified in support of a fully funded and staffed Department of Transportation (DOT). He emphasized the critical need for resources to implement the streets plan and improve safety on New York City streets.
- Highlighted DOT's failure to meet legal mandates due to insufficient funding and staffing
- Cited statistics on traffic fatalities and the need for community-building programs like Open Streets
- Called for ending the hiring freeze across all DOT divisions to expedite safety projects
Ben Furnas
5:59:37
Good afternoon.
5:59:38
Thank you chair Brooks Powers and the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for holding today's hearing and for your leadership on these issues.
5:59:44
My name is Ben Furness and I'm the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, an organization that fights for safe, livable, and accessible streets across the five boroughs.
5:59:53
We're here to testify in support of a fully funded and fully staffed Department of Transportation.
5:59:58
As you all know, DOT does critical life saving work, but it can't be successful without the resources that it needs.
6:00:04
When the city council passed the streets plan, it laid out a bright vision for the future of our city.
6:00:09
The city council demanded serious investments in expanded pedestrian space, dedicated bus lanes for fast and reliable service, and a high quality bike network for people of all ages and abilities from all walks of life.
6:00:20
And while DOT has been doing some noble work with the resources available, they have failed to meet most of these legal mandates partially because they don't have sufficient funding and staffing.
6:00:29
According to the New York City Independent Budget Office, DOT does still not have the necessary resources to make the streets plan a reality.
6:00:36
DOT staffing has remained stagnant since the bill's passage.
6:00:39
Its vacancy rate is twice the citywide average and its budget has grown only to keep up keep up with inflation, but not with new resources and new capacity necessary to meet the ambitious goals that the council set.
6:00:51
Hiring freezes, delays, and underinvestment have limited progress, and New Yorkers are paying the price.
6:00:56
Last year, tragically, two hundred fifty three New Yorkers were killed in traffic crashes including 16 children, and more pedestrians were killed than the year prior.
6:01:04
This is more than just safety.
6:01:06
DOT funding supports community building programs like Open Streets, an incredibly popular program that is in desperate need of more funding from DOT, and organizers are asking for $48,000,000 over the next three years to keep these vital neighborhood programs in place.
6:01:20
When DOT goes underfunded and understaffed, intersections remain deadly, bike lanes don't get built, and bus lanes don't get painted.
6:01:27
It's dangerous for everyone in every neighborhood from all walks of life.
6:01:30
DOT has lifted the two out one in hiring freeze for engineers which is an important first step, but the department needs to end the hiring freeze for all divisions and get these safety projects moving.
6:01:40
Thank you for your leadership.