Gantt Reversal Revives Strong Complete Streets Bill in Assembly

2:44 PM EDT on June 30, 2010

The 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

More from Streetsblog New York City

Congestion Pricing

The Explainer: What’s Next for Congestion Pricing?

Let's run through the major issues still looming over New York City's first-in-the-nation congestion toll.

David Meyer

December 4, 2023

Congestion Pricing

Monday’s Headlines: Congestion Ahead Edition

Good news: We're not going to start our week with our typical ascent on our long-legged steed to criticize the Times for its flawed, car-centric coverage. Plus other news.

Gersh Kuntzman

December 4, 2023

Streetsblog USA Op/Ed

Elon Musk’s Cybertruck is the Perfect Killing Machine

The Cybertruck represents a lot of what's wrong with the U.S. transportation system — even as it purports to address those problems.

December 4, 2023

Streetsblog USA Highway Boondoggles

Highway Boondoggles 2023: Salt Lake Shenanigans

Plans for a major freeway expansion based on over-inflated traffic projections are a wrongheaded way to deal with the region’s rapid population growth.

December 3, 2023

Cycle of Rage

Cycle of Rage: Mayor is Failing the Leadership Test on Congestion Pricing

Purely for political and self-serving purposes, Mayor Adams is attacking congestion pricing — and, in doing so, is undermining the implementation of a program that he has long claimed to be a "strong" supporter of.

Gersh Kuntzman

December 1, 2023

See all posts