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NYSDOT Announces Statewide Transportation Advisory Panel
12-Member Committee To Seek Input On Statewide Transportation Plan

July 9, 2004

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman today announced the creation of the New York State Advisory Panel on Transportation Policy for 2025, a 12-member committee that will assist the department in gathering advice and insight from the public, transportation industry, and other stakeholders during the development of the next statewide transportation master plan. The panel, to be chaired by Commissioner Boardman, will hold nine public hearings throughout the state during June, July and August.

"Effective planning and management of New York State's transportation system is key to moving people and goods throughout the state efficiently, helping to fuel our economy, tourism and job creation," Commissioner Boardman said. "This new advisory panel will help us gather information on ways to improve our transportation network for the future, and evaluate the comments we receive from our stakeholders and customers across the state and help us set transportation policy direction for the future as we develop our master plan for 2025."

The panel, comprised of individuals with government, the transportation industry and business backgrounds, will provide a forum for the presentation of testimony and discussion of New York's transportation system needs and policy issues. Following the public hearings, the panel will review its findings and prepare a report that is expected to be published later this fall.

The Statewide Transportation Master Plan, last prepared and updated by NYSDOT in 1996, in accordance with requirements of New York State and Federal Transportation Law. The plan identifies trends in economics, the transportation industry and capital improvement needs to help the state establish and meet transportation goals. The master plan is used to assist transportation agencies — including Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), NYSDOT, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state Thruway Authority, transit providers and local governments — in devising their multi-year capital plans. The capital plans of NYSDOT, MTA and the Thruway Authority expire during state fiscal year 2004-2005.

Governor Pataki's directive to better integrate statewide transportation services, combined with the need to develop new, multi-year plans, presents an opportunity to seek consensus in the creation of a new master plan that will set the direction for a more unified and seamless statewide transportation system.

The plan itself, with the assistance of the panel, will identify significant changes that have occurred during the past decade and future trends to which transportation policy makers must respond in order to meet the needs of the public. It will emphasize the importance of an integrated approach to improving transportation, and will also investigate new approaches for developing future transportation plans and programs for major corridors.

Members of the new advisory panel include: