Day To Co-Chair NY Metropolitan Transportation Council

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County Executive Ed Day has been named co-chair of an advisory committee focused on transportation issues around the tri-state metro area. Day's priorities include corridor studies of Routes 303 and 304 in Clarkstown.

Day will serve as co-chair of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council for 2020-21, along with NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.

Since the 1970s, federal transportation law has mandated that urbanized areas with populations over 50,000 have a designated metropolitan planning organization in order to qualify for federal transportation funding. NYMTC, which serves as the MPO for NYC, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, is comprised of nine voting member agencies and seven advisory members.

According to the council's work program, a two-year study of New York State Routes 303 and 304 in Clarkstown was prompted by the number of vehicular and pedestrian accidents, some fatal, along the two roads.

"Both roadways continue to experience development and re-development, an increasing amount of heavy truck traffic and an increased demand for both transit services and bike and pedestrian infrastructure. A comprehensive analysis of both safety and land use will be conducted throughout both roadway corridors. Existing traffic safety studies and data would be analyzed to develop a baseline view of existing conditions along these roadways," the council's program project list says.

The studies would focus on the six miles of Route 303 from the town line to Route 9W and the seven miles of Route 304 from Route 59 to Route 9W.

"Through public outreach and workshops focal points isolating problem-areas along Route 303
and 304 would be identified and specific solutions proposed for these areas. Computer
simulation modeling of proposed solutions to issues along these roadways would be utilized to
better visualize the benefits of such proposals. Existing development trends along Routes 303
and 304 would be examined, and options for improvements along these roadways would also
include suggested for land-use (zoning) alterations.

"The study of the two corridors would be conducted sequentially," according to the report.

Day's priorities also include the Gateway Program, which includes repair and replacement of the North River Tunnel under the Hudson River, which has deteriorated due to age, intensive use, and damage sustained from saltwater exposure during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

The Trump administration has said it will not help fund a new tunnel. Now Amtrak has proposed using its own funds for repairs, which U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said last week was a good idea, Politico reported.