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| Volume 1, Number 1—Fall 1997
In this issue...
LITP 2000 Begins! Transportation congestion is not a new problem - it has been a fact of life for Long Islanders for some time. Everyone who lives or works here has experienced delays and even gridlock while trying to get around on the Island's roadways, especially during rush-hour periods. The bad news is it will get worse if we don't address the problems now. The good news is that if we work together to integrate all modes of travel, we can improve the movement of people and goods. With input from you, Long Island's residents, and businesses, the Long Island Transportation Plan to Manage Congestion can really work to improve transportation on Long Island now and in the future. Current levels of congestion are the price we pay for the tremendous growth in automobile travel that began decades ago. While Long Island's resident population has grown by only 2% since 1970, the number of registered vehicles has risen nearly 60% and the vehicle-miles traveled on Long Island have more than doubled. This growth adds up to a major traffic headache, resulting in lost economic opportunity, wasted fuel, and degraded air quality. It is predicted that by the year 2015, the number of employees traveling to work on Long Island will increase by 30% compared to 1990 levels.
What can be done? A long-range and results-oriented transportation plan to manage traffic congestion and improve the movement of people and goods throughout Long Island is being prepared. LITP 2000 is Long Island's portion of the broader regional planning efforts of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC), the federally designated body responsible for coordinating transportation planning and decision-making in the region (Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Putnam, and Westchester Counties and New York City). The comprehensive, two-year study will identify a variety of solutions; some will be implemented in the short term and some over the next 20 to 30 years. The goal of LITP 2000 is to provide efficient, safe, economical, and multimodal transportation choices that best accommodate local needs, as well as the needs of all Long Islanders. And with the help of Long Islanders in planning it, LITP 2000 will become reality.*
What's an MIS and Why Do We Need One? The Long Island Transportation Plan to Manage Conges-tion will be created through a Major Investment Study, commonly referred to as a MIS. The LITP 2000 effort will follow federal MIS guidelines for finding solutions to transportation problems. A MIS is required when federal funds are being considered for major transportation investments. The Study's ultimate purpose is to provide decision-makers with focused and more complete information on available options so that improved and defensible transportation infrastructure decisions are made. Instead of looking at just one type of transportation solution, for example a highway or transit improvement, the MIS will identify and evaluate all reasonable alternative strategies for dealing with the identified transportation needs, including low-cost options and combinations of strategies. Using quantitative and qualitative information, each alternative will be evaluated to determine its: ability to reduce congestion and improve the movement of people and goods; likely social, economic, and environmental effects; cost and cost-effectiveness; and likely financing sources. Among the most important federal requirements for the MIS is that it be carried out in an open and cooperative process that actively involves the public, as well as elected officials; local, state, and federal agencies; and operators of the existing transportation systems. The collaboration of all of these interested and affected parties is crucial to successfully move from identifying the transportation problems and needs of Long Island to deciding on the most appro- priate solutions. As Long Islanders, we are part of the congestion problem; and, as Long Islanders, we have an opportunity to take part in shaping the solution.
Like the weather, we all talk about traffic on Long Island; unlike the weather, there's something we can do about traffic. The New York State Department of Transportation recently initiated a study to comprehensively address the problem of congestion on Long Island. Working jointly with government, business, community leaders and the general public, NYSDOT intends to identify the most appropriate and effective solutions to improve the movement of people and goods. The Long Island Transportation Plan to Manage Congestion will be long-range in perspective yet results-oriented to satisfy Long Island's mobility needs both now and well into the next century. The Major Investment Study for LITP 2000 represents state-of-the-art transportation planning, using transportation modeling and forecasting, a geographic information system, and other technical tools. But the true key to a successful planning process and to the creation of congestion management strategies that will be endorsed and adopted by Long Islanders is input from the general public, interest groups, the business community, and other members of the fabric of Long Island. It is this human element contributed by the many diverse public participants which can really shape and energize the planning process. Numerous opportunities to become involved in the planning process are available. This is the first LITP 2000 newsletter; we hope it sparks your interest and convinces you to join us in this effort. By working together towards common goals, we can successfully support expansion of Long Island's economy by providing for improved movement of people and goods, while protecting the Island's cherished quality of life. Please feel free to direct any comments or questions to the LITP 2000 24-hour hotline at 1-888-670-LITP; visit our web site at www.LITP2000.com; put your name on our mailing list (see the enclosed mail-back survey form); and participate in our first public teleconference on November 19th! We look forward to working with you for Long Island's future. Wayne Ugolik
Potential Solutions for Managing Long Island's Congestion The discussion about potential strategies for effectively managing traffic congestion no longer begins and ends with "build more highways." Innovative thinking, realistic planning, and fiscal responsibility have become bywords of transportation planning. This is due, in large part, to widespread recognition of issues common to most localities: scarcity of developable land, environmental and other local concerns, and limited transportation funding for large-scale capital investments. One of the key steps in developing the Long Island Transportation Plan to Manage Congestion is to identify all strategies which may be, upon evaluation, viable solutions to the challenging congestion problems on Long Island. An initial list of types of potentially reasonable strategies for evaluation in the LITP 2000 MIS includes: Travel Demand Management (TDM) actions and policies that encourage people to modify their travel behavior, for example, by traveling at less congested times of the day, using a different transportation mode (such as shifting from driving to riding a bus), or increasing the number of people in a car for the ride to work. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology-based improvements that can increase the efficiency of existing roads by methods such as INFORM, a computerized system for routing traffic around accidents or traffic jams. High-Occupancy-Vehicle (HOV) lanes as part of the roadway system can induce more people to ride-share, rather than drive alone, and thus reduce traffic congestion. Physical improvements to the highway system, such as wider shoulders and interchange upgrades, can help improve roadway efficiency and safety by reducing bottlenecks and traffic hazards. Transit system improvements, for example, new or expanded transit service between major activity centers, additional/expanded park-and-ride lots, signal priority or bus-only lanes, and better connections with other modes, can increase transit ridership and reduce the number of cars on the road. Improvements in the movement of cargo, which is currently almost exclusively by truck, would benefit all roadway travelers. Providing safe and accessible facilities for non-motorized travel, meaning pedestrians and bicyclists, can reduce reliance on the automobile for trips that could, instead, be made on foot or by bike. Public/private policy initiatives, such as changes in land-use controls, use of flexible work hours, employer-provided carpool/transit incentives, congestion-based pricing, and telecommuting, are some of the many ideas which may be explored to improve transit system attractiveness and/or encourage people to change their travel habits.* The success of certain congestion management strategies is already evident on Long Island. For example: Analysis of a January 1997 survey indicates that more than 10,000 Long Islanders have decided to start sharing rides for some of their trips so they can use the Long Island Expressway (LIE) high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes between Exits 49 and 57. INFORM, the nation's largest and most advanced traffic information system for motorists, detects traffic slowdowns and emergencies via electronic traffic surveillance so that any needed emergency response can be coordinated and information about traffic conditions can be provided to travelers. Since January 1996, the 110 Clipper express bus service has provided commuters living in mid-Suffolk County and working near Route 110 (LIE Exit 49) in Melville with a low-cost, reliable alternative to driving to work. By calling (516) 737-CARS, Long Islanders can find fellow commuters with whom to carpool. Since 1996, the Great Long Island Rideshare Program has provided free assistance to Long Island employers to set up programs to help their employees reduce drive-alone commuting by carpooling, telecommuting, or traveling to work by bus. The State DOT's H.E.L.P. service (Highway Emergency Local Patrol) assists drivers of disabled vehicles on the parkways and the LIE, free of charge, to clear them from roadways, thereby reducing delays to other traffic. *
How To Get Involved! You drive Long Island's highways and use its mass transit. You sit in traffic and wish you could get from Point A to Point B more quickly, efficiently, and reliably. Don't just sit there... Get involved in LITP 2000 to solve Long Island's congestion problems. Here's how to speak up and be heard! Opportunities for receiving information and for actively participating in the study are already available. Technical SubcommitteesThe Study's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) includes representatives of: Long Island's county and town governments; State Senator Norman Levy and State Assemblyman Robert Sweeney; state and federal agencies; business associations; and transportation providers. The TAC, created to provide technical guidance and direction for LITP 2000, will be assisted by six subcommittees which include both technical experts and local volunteers. The subcommittees will meet monthly, each one focusing on a different aspect of Long Island's transportation needs and the Study. The subcommittees which have been formed will address:
If you would like to volunteer for any of the subcomittees, call the LITP 2000 Hotline. Call us at the LITP 2000 Hotline Ask questions, offer your comments, voice your opinions on the Study by calling the 24-hour hotline at 1-888-670-LITP. Visit the LITP 2000 web site For information about the Study and related upcoming public events, visit the web site at www.LITP2000.com. Take Part in the Study's Public Teleconferences Meet with your fellow Long Islanders at the first public teleconference to learn more about the Study, join in the discussion, and hear what other Long Islanders have to say. Watch WLIW -- Channel 21 MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW FOR * WLIW-TV Channel 21, Channel 21 Drive, Plainview ? Studio *Best Western MacArthur Airport, 1730 North Ocean Avenue, Holtsville ? Brookhaven Room Keep your Eyes and Ears Open for periodic radio and TV announcements and information in your local newspapers. Throughout the course of the MIS, we'll keep you abreast of the Study, seek your input, and announce upcoming events. Read about the Study As the MIS progresses and Study milestones are reached, you'll learn about it in the LITP 2000 newsletters. Read them...think about the issues...and give us your comments and suggestions. Add your name to the Study Mailing List. Fill out the enclosed questionnaire and mail it back to us. Share the newsletter with your friends.* LITP 2000 |
A Message from the Project Director