Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Complete Streets

Gantt Reversal Revives Strong Complete Streets Bill in Assembly

2:44 PM EDT on June 30, 2010

S._Geddes_and_Seymour.pngThe corner of Syracuse's S. Geddes St. and Seymour St. is the most dangerous intersection in Albany, Broome, Erie, Monroe, or Onondaga County. Image: Google Street View.

A strong complete streets bill is back on track in Albany. Two weeks ago, Assembly Transportation Committee chair David Gantt amended the bill so that it only covered a tiny subset of roads, effectively eviscerating it. Yesterday, however, Gantt revised the bill again, this time to match the stronger Senate version. That creates the opportunity for this important bill to pass the legislature before the end of the session.

If passed, the legislation would require most new and reconstructed roads to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and people with limited mobility. The Senate's version includes all roads built with state or federal funding; Gantt tried to limit that to only those streets directly run by the state DOT. If Gantt had gotten his way, only three of the 49 most dangerous roads in five large upstate counties would have been covered by the bill.
"The good news is that Gantt amended his bill," said Bill Ferris, the legislative director for AARP, a lead advocate for the legislation, "but now we need the Assembly to pass it." The bill is currently in front of the Ways and Means Committee; it has already passed the full State Senate.
What changed Gantt's mind? "We don't know," said Ferris. "We're just happy that he did."
Noah Kazis
Noah joined Streetsblog as a New York City reporter at the start of 2010. When he was a kid, he collected subway paraphernalia in a Vignelli-map shoebox. Before coming to Streetsblog, he blogged at TheCityFix DC and worked as a field organizer for the Obama campaign in Toledo, Ohio. Noah graduated from Yale University, where he wrote his senior thesis on the class politics of transportation reform in New York City. He lives in Morningside Heights.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Canal Street

Friday’s Headlines: Canal Street Follies Edition

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine isn't happy. Plus other news.

April 26, 2024
Daylighting

Daylight Again: Bronx Community Board Backs Parking Ban at Intersections

The Boogie Down is down with daylighting!

April 26, 2024
Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Community Board Wants Protected Bike Lane on Empire Blvd.

Brooklyn Community Board 9 wants city to upgrade Empire Boulevard's frequently blocked bike lane, which serves as a gateway to Prospect Park.

April 26, 2024
Streetsblog USAPodcast

The Brake: Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police

Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?

April 26, 2024
Carnage

Report: Road Violence Hits Record in First Quarter of 2024

Sixty people died in the first three months of the year, 50 percent more than the first quarter of 2018, which was the safest opening three months of any Vision Zero year.

April 25, 2024
See all posts