Presenters and panelists at the New York State Public Transit Industry’s annual spring conference agreed that sound public transportation will be an increasingly “heroic” contributor to sustainable communities.

“No other public service has as broadbased an impact on sustainability as public transit,” said Scott Sopczyk, New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) president and transportation director of the Greater Glens Falls Transit System. “From environmental stewardship to economic vitality to social equity, public transit is an indispensable asset for developing livable communities for today and for future generations.”

The conference, entitled “Transit Supportive Development and Sustainability,” was held in Rochester, N.Y. from June 68, 2007, and brought public transit providers together with environmental, development, and marketing experts to explore in depth the important relationship of transit and sustainability. In addressing the group, Association leaders and speakers described public transit as an important positive element of a modern development pattern and challenged attendees to develop a collective vision with communities in which good mobility choices would be available for everyone.

Highlights of the conference included case studies of successful transitoriented community development projects that demonstrated how mobility options can be meaningfully integrated into both largeand smallscale undertakings.

Project presentations included:

• Route 5 Bus Rapid Transit linking Albany and Schenectad
• University Hill in Syracuse
• West Hill Development in the Town of Ithaca
• Petrillo Plaza in Mount Vernon
• Second Avenue Subway in New York City
  

“The key lesson learned from all these projects,” noted Sopczyk, “is that an early alliance between mobility advocates and community development professionals can yield results that embrace and promote the principles of sustainability. Providing smart mobility choices to community residents ultimately has positive impacts on congestion relief, air quality, energy independence, access to jobs and the wellbeing of the entire community.”

In fact, a full transit bus can take as many as 60 cars off the road, and a commuter rail car can take as many as 200 cars off the road. And, mass transit’s impact on job access and, ultimately, the state’s economy is no more apparent than in New York City where four out of five commuters travel to the city’s business district via buses and subways.

NYPTA represents transit systems across the state, as well as private sector manufacturers, consultants and state government agencies. Members provide nearly all of the public transportation services in the state and nearly 40 percent of the public transportation services in the nation. For more information on NYPTA and the proceedings of the spring conference, please visit the website at www.nytransit.org .

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