Transportation is the largest segment of New York’s climate emissions and a big issue for the Hudson Valley, where many people travel for work, education and life. The federal government is developing a program for rapid decarbonization of transportation nationally in the coming decade. Amtrak has pledged to decarbonize completely by 2045. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs MetroNorth Railroad, actually joined the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016 and has begun to install solar arrays on major train yards in New York City. However, even with the extensive funding programs that are available, these infrastructure upgrades are multi-year, expensive and complex propositions. And the central challenge of the transportation transition is not only cost – it is the disconnect between supply and demand, and in the case of transit, the difficulty of designing systems that meet the needs of a majority of the population. For larger vehicles such as buses and trucks, charging infrastructure and economics are also significant challenges.

The Climate Act addresses transportation by shifting the system from burning fuel to electricity, increasingly supplied by renewable sources. It also calls for renewably powered, more accessible transit, a vision that is especially challenging to implement in the Hudson Valley’s many small communities and rural areas.

In terms of electric vehicles, New York has established a Clean Cars Timeline that calls for all new passenger cars, pickups and SUVs sold in the state tol be electric by 2035 (and a quarter by 2026, just around the corner). The state has approved major funding for the Drive Clean Rebate to defray the cost of EVs, and is investing $175M into our charging network including 100 fast chargers. Electric trucks and buses are moving into the marketplace but are still expensive and being demonstrated operationally; New York provides financial support for early adopters of these technologies, and regulates pollution through the 2021 Advanced Clean Trucks Rule.

Federal and state funding programs especially support electric transit and school buses in communities that have been heavily burdened by air pollution. State and federal government are providing funding, incentives, technical support and policy direction to transition the transportation system to electric while transitioning the power supply to renewable.  But government alone cannot build receptivity to these new technologies. How easy or difficult this transition will be for our communities depends on the coordination, education and leadership that is mobilized. The uptake of electric vehicles requires coordination of progress and players to remove barriers and build enthusiasm. Drivers need to like and trust the technology and the availability of charging to meet their needs. Charging needs to be widely distributed and affordable, to build that confidence. Dealerships also need to understand and trust the technology and make it available, and this in turn requires customer demand.  To address these challenges in a coordinated way,  New York’s Climate Smart and Clean Energy Community programs offer incentives to local governments that install chargers, electrify their fleets and engage their communities through outreach campaigns. With staff support from the Hudson Valley Regional Council, numerous  community EV campaigns were set to begin in 2024. 

I. Electrifying the Transportation System 

There are over 40 makes and models of electric cars on the market for ordinary passenger transportation, and several of the most affordable have ranges over 300 miles on a charge. Major automakers (including GM) have made commitments to phase out internal combustion powered cars.  EVs are an increasingly common sight on the roads of the Hudson Valley, with fast growing market share from only about 1.4% of the U.S.  new car market in 2019 to 6% in 2022 and 7.9% in 2023.   

A commitment to electric vehicles is at the heart of the state’s Climate Act strategy for transportation, with a specific timeline for new car sales.  Increasing traction on the ground requires three factors:

• Education and incentives to motivate drivers;

• Widespread access to affordable charging;

• Affordable EV supply, combined with education and engagement of dealerships for effective customer education and EV sales. 

These conditions for change need to be created in a coordinated manner.  Otherwise, motivated EV purchasers may be discouraged by the lack of convenient charging – or by salespeople who don’t understand or care about the cars, or by a lack of EV inventory at the dealerships.  Dealerships are unlikely to order and feature electric cars unless customers show demand. Therefore, growth in the EV market is tied to “acceleration through coordination” among dealers, educators, and providers of charging resources.  

Charging infrastructure is one weak element in the system.  Two studies by Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, in 2022 and again in 2023, found that, as EV adoption grew, the ratio of EV owners to chargers in the region actually decreased.  Pattern suggests the following key strategies to increase charging accessibility:

• strategic placement of charging stations (with Level 3 stations available near highway corridors),

• future-proofing for quantity (installing concrete pads and/or additional infrastructure needed to install future EV Chargers now rather than in the future),

• require EV charging allotments in multi-family zoning codes (to increase accessibility for those who live in urban settings), and

• centralized mapping and operability status, suggesting that New York should create a centralized database of EV chargers that can be regularly updated, rather than having EV drivers rely on several different smartphone apps with variable information.
  

Another type of coordination is also important. EVs are only as clean as the electricity they use. If the transition to electric vehicles takes place faster than the shift to accessible renewable energy to power them, then the benefits of efficient electric vehicles will not be fully realized. Coordination of the EV rollout with expansion of renewable generating capacity can be improved in several ways. Locally, residents and small businesses can be encouraged to switch to solar and storage solutions (including community solar) along with buying or leasing EVs. Solar-EV integration can also be showcased in public spaces such as rail and bus stations and park-and-rides by installing solar canopies and/or EV charging stations in coordination. This allows EVs at public charging stations actually to provide energy storage, laying the foundation for vehicle-to-grid systems that can be expanded to  store power from renewable sources while improving the efficiency of the grid.  These steps to demonstrate improved coordination would be ideal projects for local Clean Energy and Climate Smart Community teams. 

Electric buses, light and heavy-duty trucks are maturing technologies that are becoming economically competitive to transport people and goods, especially with the support of NYS financial incentives.  Communities and transportation fleet operators are beginning to replace dirty transit and school buses with electric counterparts. While first costs are higher, operating costs are substantially lower for electric trucks and buses, which have fewer parts needing repair. The cost of charging electric bus fleets depends on utility rate structures, which were designed to manage demand from building occupants by charging more at times of day when many people are cranking on air conditioners or appliances.  Those structures add significant costs to electric bus fleet charging, which has to happen on a schedule related to the busses’ use.   In support of the Climate Law, the joint utilities have been directed by the Public Service Commission to review their demand charges to address this exact issue, but details are still being worked out in each utility’s service territory.

Electric buses, light and heavy-duty trucks are maturing technologies that are becoming economically competitive to transport people and goods, especially with the support of NYS financial incentives.  Communities and transportation fleet operators are beginning to replace dirty transit and school buses with electric counterparts. While first costs are higher, operating costs are substantially lower for electric trucks and buses, which have fewer parts needing repair. The cost of charging electric bus fleets depends on utility rate structures, which were designed to manage demand from building occupants by charging more at times of day when many people are cranking on air conditioners or appliances.  Those structures add significant costs to electric bus fleet charging, which has to happen on a schedule related to the busses’ use.   In support of the Climate Law, the joint utilities have been directed by the Public Service Commission to review their demand charges to address this exact issue, but details are still being worked out in each utility’s service territory.

Electric school buses are already in use in several Hudson Valley communities. The process of procuring them shows two other primary needs:  financing resources, and a new way of thinking that focuses on lifecycle economics rather than only up-front costs.  Because schools are administered locally, and changes in their technologies will be seen and experienced by children and families, early promotion of electric school buses will have high  leverage in educating communities. And there are additional resources specifically for disadvantaged communities, such as a program for low- to no-cost electric school buses from the U.S. EPA.  It is important to make sure that eligible communities know about these resources and have the technical assistance to take advantage of them. Increasingly, conversion of existing fleets rather than purchase of new is becoming a viable solution for electric school buses with two companies in New York providing these services.  Both for school districts and for the work force of drivers and dispatchers, climbing the learning curve has been an individualized process with limited support. Recently, the World Resources Institute and Workforce Development Institute have developed an introductory curriculum which should be widely distributed to ease this learning process.

Not Just Cars: Bikes

Electric-assisted bicycle technology is advancing rapidly. Although it’s convenient to think of E-bikes as bicycles with electric motors that make it easier for older adults to continue cycling, in many communities they are replacing traditional bicycles in bike share programs. E-bikes can offer a realistic alternative to cars in Hudson Valley communities where safe bike routes exist. They are particularly attractive in many low to moderate income neighborhoods and for a wide range of users because:

• E-bikes?make the challenging hills of the Hudson Valley less daunting, enabling folks of various physical ability to cycle more easily for business or adventure;

• E-bike users can usually park closer to their destination than drivers. Parking lots often take up more land than the corresponding building associated with it, roughly 270 square feet per parking spot. A bike only requires a sliver of land;

• E-bikes are a practical option for people who cannot or choose not to own a car -- or cannot have  a driver’s license for any reason. Households with limited income are more likely to afford an e-bike because they are cheaper to buy, more reliable than used cars, and don’t require registration or insurance.

However, without sufficient safe bicycle infrastructure confidence that they can use an E-bike, and in some cases financial incentives, people will remain reluctant to shift their habitual reliance on cars. A pilot project which focuses on an area where people have short commutes to work, and appropriate cycling infrastructure (bike lanes, charging stations, secure bike racks) linked with financial incentives (a tax credit system like one now operating in Vermont for participants who take an e-bike to work) could create press and social media buzz and begin to change the way suburbanites think about using E-Bikes for more than weekend recreation for older adults.  Several municipalities have recently created “lease to purchase” programs for E-bikes.  Ultimately, popularizing E-bikes and ensuring their safe use will require a sustained campaign.

Separated bicycle lanes are rare (though increasing) in the region, despite the fact that many west-of-Hudson communities have been recreational cycling destinations for a long time. The challenge is to build on this recreational use and provide a bicycle network that 1) makes casual, errand-oriented local cyclists feel safe to cycle around town and 2) connects people and places efficiently, without significantly increasing travel times (e.g. by paralleling existing roads without re-routing cyclists into less convenient and longer routes); and 3) makes it realistic and safe for people without cars to use bicycles as a primary mode of transportation.

Side by side with increasing motivation to walk, cycle and use transit, is improvement of these systems to optimize bus routes and build out microtransit for community needs and upgrade the system for increased rider comfort and convenience. This includes connections and design for safety.  Ulster County and the City of Kingston have recently experienced tragic pedestrian fatalities, leading to new efforts to crack down on distracted and impaired driving and to improve street designs for safety.

Not Just Cars: Boats

An exciting opportunity for reducing the emissions of shipping and long distance transportation is renewed use of the Hudson River for solar-powered and sailing vessels to move people and goods.  Water-based transportation is dramatically more energy-efficient than land-based alternatives and is free of the monumental costs associated with highway maintenance.  The European Union has invested substantial research and development funding into large-scale solar and wind powered vessels as a mainstream alternative to fossil powered ships for ocean transportation.  The Federal Maritime Administration has also begun to fund these technologies. New York, with its network of waterways connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson, New York Harbor and the ocean, has a leadership opportunity in growing a low-carbon shipping  industry.  Recent concerns about cargo vessels idling along the shores of the Hudson may support the creation of renewably powered freight shipping options for non-perishable items.  If solar powered ferries could displace demand for even 10% of the current rush hour traffic crossing the Hudson, they would meaningfully reduce the carbon footprint of commuting. 

On the Hudson, two proof-of-concept vessels are already active:  Solaris, the first Coast Guard inspected, solar powered passenger boat -- operated by the Hudson River Maritime Museum -- and Schooner Apollonia, a sail freight vessel that makes regular runs of agricultural and craft products to and from the Hudson Valley.  These partners are exploring the possibilities to expand docking and ferry service. The Center for Post-Carbon Logistics, based in Ulster County, has extensively studied the potential for renewably powered shipping on the Hudson, and - with a group of naval architects -  has identified a short list of priority vessels to be prototyped by Hudson Valley shipyards, including clippers, schooners, barges and ferries.

If a vision of renewably-powered river transportation is eventually brought to life, it requires more than investment in vessels; river-based transportation of people and goods needs to be supported by  working waterfronts with docking and the ability to support the loading, unloading, processing, and sale of diverse goods – and with first-and-last-mile connections to the land-based transportation system.  Communities up and down the Hudson have cleaned up their shorelines by creating parks and tourist districts, and in some cases are invested in recreationally-oriented waterfronts.  But to support a revitalized Hudson River with revitalized fisheries and creating alternatives to carbon-intensive land-based shipping, it is crucial to consider what low-impact, mixed-use waterfronts might look like – especially designs that improve flood and storm resilience and increase biodiversity.  Where sustainable shorelines are being developed for climate resilience, attention should be paid not just to landscape and shoreline management but to resilient architecture for low-impact commercial uses.  The entrepreneurial economies of Mid-Hudson riverfront communities might eagerly embrace creative waterfront development as they have other green building innovations.

There are potential federal, state and private funding sources for these major investments.  To qualify for some federal opportunities via the US Maritime Administration, a waterway must be designated as a federal Marine Highway. This is a designation that transportation planners should understand and pursue, in close collaboration with environmental agencies and organizations that can help to set standards for low-impact, sustainable use. 

Case Study: Renewably Powered Boats on the Hudson 

The Center for Post-Carbon Logistics is an audacious, sophisticated organization that is committed to helping decarbonize the shipping and logistics industry - if this sector were a country, it would be the sixth largest emitter! [fuels.]  CPCL has driven the creation of the first proof-of-concept solar and sail freight vessels on the Hudson, Solaris and Schooner Apollonia. They are part of the Blue Highways Coalition which aims to help New York Harbor to reduce the carbon footprint of its entire transportation and logistics system.  

An EV Conversion Industry

As more and more drivers trade in their gas powered cars for EVs, those trade-ins have to go somewhere. They are most likely to be re-sold in places with less rigorous environmental goals.  To prevent the exporting of our pollution to our neighbors in less ambitious states or abroad, we need a disruptive strategy for getting those internal combustion engines out of circulation.  Until recently, vehicle conversion has been a boutique industry for enthusiasts, mainly for luxury and vintage cars. It is still prohibitively expensive for the mass market, but the economics are changing as standard designs are created by companies likeZero Labs Automotive. For bus electrification, there are already two companies operating in New York State. 

It may be possible to seed an ICE-to-EV conversion industry on a small scale, building technical capability and a market, through entrepreneurial efforts that focus selectively on a handful of strategic vehicle types with high value and visibility and with substantial financial incentives available from government programs. These certainly include school buses, and might include micro-transit shuttles, food trucks, or municipal fleets.  

To achieve the full potential of EV conversion most likely requires multi-year cooperation among industry, research institutions and government.  The first major automaker to announce converted product was Mini in early 2022, setting an exciting precedent.  The legal principle of “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) – requiring that products are designed to be taken apart and reused or remanufactured - is well established in consumer product industries (e.g. electronics); but getting internal combustion engines off the roads by applying EPR comprehensively to automakers is not yet part of the EPR conversation.

II. Expanding Mobility Choices and Shifting Demand to Sustainable Options

Passenger Rail and Bus Access 

Along the east side of the Hudson, MetroNorth and Amtrak are well established commuter rail systems.  The MTA, operator of MetroNorth, actually joined the Paris Climate agreement as an institution and has begun the work of shifting to solar power by installing significant solar arrays on the largest train yards.   Amtrak made a commitment in 2022 to decarbonize its system fully by 2045.  Solar powered trains are beginning to operate in Europe, providing proof of concept for adoption here in due time. 

Still, the majority of destinations people need to get to are not along the rail line.  The economics of rural and suburban transit are daunting.  The small cities, towns and rural areas of the Hudson Valley share challenges in providing viable, affordable bus transportation.  Designing  bus transit services along winding, decentralized routes made it difficult before the pandemic, which curtailed most of the bus use that existed. This is a national challenge, and it is spurring national creativity.  Ulster and Westchester Counties have experimented with free bus service to reduce barriers - including in Ulster’s case a free “Nature Bus” taking residents to outdoor destinations on the weekends. They have seen modest ridership increase, but there is significantly more need. 

An additional resource  is micro-transit - including dispatchable shuttles that may be electric and can easily be summoned with apps, and smaller vehicles including e-bikes, scooters and pedicabs.  These include commercial modes such as Uber and Lyft, and municipal or nonprofit versions.  These systems can be designed to coordinate with bus service and help people get to central bus routes, improving the efficiency of bus systems.

Nationally, micro-transit is a fast growing option. However, it is most economically viable in dense population centers.  An analysis of Ulster County’s suitability for micro-transit in 2021, by the service provider Via, concluded that only the population centers of Kingston, New Paltz and Ellenville could be cost-effectively served under a commercially-oriented business model. Grant funding can help for short periods, but to create accessible micro-transit systems that work in the long run, potentially a cost-share model should be considered – for example, involving government alongside employers and educational institutions in cost-sharing. In 2022, NYSERDA funded an ambitious Clean Transportation Prize in 2021 to invest in demonstrating new models.  Two micro-transit programs were funded in the Hudson Valley and New York City.  Dollaride, based in Queens,  is a franchise model for business ownership designed to support entrepreneurs in low income and vulnerable communities with access shuttle vehicles converted from internal combustion to electric.  Project Mover in Ossining combines village-owned micro transit shuttles with a bike share program.  As additional planning funds are becoming available from the Department of Transportation and NYSERDA, these and future models will provide important documentation of the possibilities, pitfalls and strategies.

Case Study: Dollaride

Dollaride is a tech-enabled ride-sharing platform focused on providing affordable, reliable transportation for underserved communities in New York City. The platform connects commuters in transit deserts—areas with limited access to public transportation—with local dollar van drivers, offering an alternative to traditional transit options. Dollaride aims to improve mobility, reduce transportation costs, and support local economies by leveraging technology to streamline the ride-sharing experience. This initiative also contributes to reducing carbon emissions by optimizing routes and increasing vehicle occupancy.

Case Study: Re-Imagining an Urban Highway

I-787 in Downtown Albany

The I-787 redesign project in Albany, New York,  is one of the first federally funded efforts to reverse the damage to neighborhoods done by the last generation’s highway planning decisions.  The project will reimagine and redesign  the highway - which now divides the downtown and isolates residents from the river - to reconnect the city with its waterfront, improve traffic flow, and enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety. Through community input and modern urban design principles, the redesign will create a more accessible, vibrant, and sustainable urban environment.

Another aspect of improving the use of our existing rail and bus transit networks is upgrading amenities, transparency and modernization of timetable data, and creating capacity to run more frequent service with lower headways by reviving old right-of-ways and rail service for passengers and freight. Mid-Hudson counties should work to expand access on the west side of the Hudson, for example by means of ferry service.

To make transit more desirable and financial resources more available, it is not enough to build up  transit systems. It is equally important to view roadway improvement plans through the lens of carbon reduction so that resources can be shifted away from growing highways and toward transit expansion and connectivity improvements.  The range of options under consideration by transportation planners is extreme.  At the car-focused end of the spectrum, Orange and Sullivan County stakeholders are debating a $1B proposal to widen a 30-mile section of NYS Route 17 between Harriman and Wurtsboro, or to invest that money on repairing local roads, train stations, transit stops and related services.  Meanwhile, Albany County has been awarded Federal funding to redesign Route 787 along the city’s waterfront, so that it no longer cuts neighborhoods off from the Hudson and is better integrated with the city’s neighborhoods.   

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has released rules prioritizing  federal highway investments that align with climate benefits, while allowing the states flexibility in implementing their own parallel rules. New York  State - and counties - could choose a carbon standard to guide public works and roadway investments, such as the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Road Map and GHG Transportation Planning standard.  This kind of approach will allow increased attention to climate impacts whenever there are decisions to be made about  transportation widening roadways and designing infrastructure.

Certainly, experimentation is taking place in making transit more accessible, from bus rapid transit to E-bike lease-to-purchase programs. But these options are still at the demonstration project scale.  A 2024 round of planning grants from NYSERDA has supported multiple communities, colleges and partnerships in planning for micro-mobility. Successful applicants are poised to coordinate and align strategies as their projects develop.  While Federal transportation funding and policymaking are actively supporting climate goals, there is a timely opportunity for local governments and transportation planning organizations to think collaboratively about how to scale up these innovations and pay for them at scale.  Potentially the model of “community-supported agriculture,” in which those who benefit share the costs, could be adapted so that costs are shared not only by transit riders – who in many cases have limited ability to pay -  but the wider community including the employers and service providers whose work forces and clients depend on transit.  In any event, there is a need for more systematic, solution-oriented work to break through on making transit and non-motorized transportation a realistic choice for a much wider segment of our communities.

Walking and Cycling Via Improved Sidewalk and Trail Systems

The Hudson Valley is blessed with an extensive network of trails that can be used for more than recreation – often for commuting and commerce. The region connects in many directions via the Empire State Trail, which runs from New York City to the Canadian border and from Buffalo to Albany. More locally, it is possible to cycle the length of Ulster County, or from Croton into New York City.  Communities are increasingly paying attention to “first and last mile” connections between trails and population centers – for example, in Kingston, where a trail extension has connected the low income neighborhood of Midtown with the local supermarket for easy pedestrian access. The extensive network of connecting, well-designed trails throughout the Hudson Valley is part of what makes the region such a destination for recreation and tourism.

Trail use for time-sensitive movement such as commuting,  is still limited.  But increased work is being done to change this. Orange County Government publicizes all its non-motorized transportation options, not just hiking and recreational trails but on-road bike routes that can support commuting.  And community volunteers have stepped up to address a problematic lack of pedestrian and bicycle access, the need for connection between Newburgh’s residents and the Beacon MetroNorth station, as well as connection more generally between the two vibrant communities.  They have conceived and designed a Regional Connector trail system that can safely bring pedestrians and cyclists to, and across, the Beacon-Newburgh Bridge. Residents of both communities are at work with local governments on the pathway to implementation.  

Transportation planning is almost universally the responsibility of government. But this example shows that the role of citizens and nongovernmental organizations should not be dismissed.  These processes can provide extra expertise, data and ground knowledge on what actually matters in the communities.  

Reduce Travel Demands with Transit-oriented Development and Remote Work

Commuter rail and bus lines and stations are the most obvious locations to support transit-oriented development, providing areas where housing and residents are accessible to the city and neighboring towns by train instead of relying on cars.  In practice, however, both the transportation infrastructure and its surrounding land use patterns are already well established and not easy to change significantly.  The region’s housing crisis has been pressing local governments to think creatively about where greater density is acceptable in the community; in downtowns east of the Hudson, this is often near train stations. West of the Hudson, bus stations tend to be located in mixed-use neighborhoods, which means that the path to more transit-oriented development would be to build more housing near these hubs, which is only sometimes realistic.   

The lowest-cost way to reduce the Hudson Valley’s transportation footprint is to reduce the need for travel.  Remote or hybrid work has become a well-established option in suitable fields, and it should be encouraged as an option where it is realistic.  One scalable approach is coordinated outreach and education to employers to be sure they are prepared and confident in making remote or hybrid work a part of their HR programs.

Public Outreach and Education

Across the range of sustainable transportation options, public outreach and education at a greater scale is essential. Implementing these recommendations will require cooperation among local, county and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, employers and the public -- a more energized and inclusive version of the collaboration that is already underway in transportation planning by Metropolitan Planning Organizations and major transit agencies.  It is standard practice for agencies to open up public engagement processes to inform major transportation planning decisions, but in this case the public has an opportunity to lead.  Every aspect of this process requires the engagement of networks of communities and stakeholders; these can move nimbly to identify useful and desirable projects and priorities to implement the recommendations laid out here.  

At a minimum, the next 2 - 3 years’ work in planning and coordination for sustainable transportation should include the following priorities:

• Counties and municipalities should make use of the Inflation Reduction Act, NYS Climate Act and other near-term funding in a coordinated manner, to close gaps in connectivity to make transit, bike and pedestrian options easier to access connect terrestrial and waterborne transportation; and make transit-oriented development a more widely desirable option; coordinated planning with NGOs that serve transit-dependent constituencies and that promote smart growth will optimize use of these funds.

• Design and fund a high-profile, multi-year campaign to inspire commuters and other drivers to reduce their transportation footprint, potentially beginning in population centers where walking and cycling are realistic, and especially where the local government is already committed to climate goals.  This could include installing amenities for cyclists like lockers, creating bike-share programs, “bike to work” campaigns as well as cooperative EV campaigns involving dealers, charging station owners and grassroots marketing components, and coordinated with the marketing of rooftop solar and battery storage. As small groups begin to adopt new technologies and behaviors in a visible way, this social proof of possibility can establish the foundation for further change - just as we have already seen with rooftop solar systems as they have stopped being rare in neighborhoods. 

To some extent, these processes of behavioral change and coordination of local services will be decentralized and emerge through grassroots efforts, similarly to the opening of the home renewable energy and heat pump marketplaces. Designing workable transit systems in the small to medium communities of the Hudson Valley will require extended engagement with stakeholders.  As the adoption of sustainable transportation measures scales up beyond early adopters, there is likely to be a need for marketing in the form of a high-profile, multi-year marketing campaign, of “I LOVE NY” magnitude.  Certainly there are opportunities within  the operations of established agencies and take advantage of their reach to drivers – for example, for  the New York DMV to promote transit and cycling as options, and to include basic bicycle knowledge into its driver’s license exam to both inform cyclists of their responsibilities and teach drivers how to share the road responsibly with bicycles, E-Bikes and pedestrians.

While shifting transportation systems and practices toward clean and sustainable choices will be a multi-decade process, the current climate of federal and state support calls for strategic collaboration to achieve systemic change that can be built upon.