New York Transportation Journal

In the lead article for this Journal, Rachel Weinberger interviews Chris Ward, Executive Director of the Port Authority and the New York Metropolitan Region. In this interview, Mr. Ward describes his vision for the agency and the challenges for the transportation system and the strategic choices that will have to be made. Then, Thomas Wakeman III and Paul Bea Jr. point out in their article on Financing Transportation, that as various states and regions begin to jockey for their share of funding in the next bill, one of those critical strategic choices will involve the development of a regional partnering strategy. They describe what others are already doing and what needs to be done in the greater New York Metropolitan area to foster such partnerships and vision. Partnerships are equally important at the local level, especially as new models are pursued to reduce congestion and enhance quality of life. Two complementary articles touch on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) as a means to do just this. In an In the Region article by Randal Fleischer, Wendy Johnston, and Greg Sylvester, the authors describe the process of developing and implementing the TOD in Beacon, New York. Recognizing that many transit ride4rs use bus rather than rail, in a Transportation and Land Use article, Simon McDonnell reviews recent developments by New York City's Department of Transportation, and discusses the potential for Bus Rapid Transit as an anchor for TOD. When dealing with transportation and land use, and particularly TOD, pedestrians are an important focal point. In a Rudin Center Research article, Allison L. C. de Cerreño and Hyeon-Shic Shin summarize initial findings from a study funded by the Federal Highway Administration on pedestrian groups considered to be at higher-risk for involvement in crashes with vehicles. While a work in progress, the article provides some interesting glimpses into the importance of identifying such populations in order to improve overall pedestrian safety. The final article summarizes a co-sponsored event by the Institution of Civil Engineers and the NYU Wagner Rudin Center that explored the success of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in London.