Sen. Gounardes Calls on State DOT to Prioritize “Safer, Cleaner, and Greener” Transportation in Master Plan

In new testimony, Sen. Gounardes calls for DOT to shift from prioritizing polluting highway projects to more sustainable infrastructure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 5, 2025

Read the testimony here.

Brooklyn, NY — In new testimony, New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes called on the New York State Department of Transportation to prioritize safer, cleaner, and greener transportation infrastructure in its upcoming Master Plan 2050 document.

Senator Gounardes called on NYSDOT to shift away from transportation planning that prioritizes improving level of service (LOS), an outdated metric that measures the maximum number of cars that can fit on a roadway. Instead, he encouraged the agency to formally focus on measuring and reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a step that would “reward projects that create a safer, cleaner, and greener grid for all road users.”

This seemingly small change could have outsized implications for the state’s climate, safety and transportation goals. While the plan mentions VMT reduction as one of the yardsticks DOT can use to track progress towards its goals, it stops short of committing to actually measure it, let alone take stops to reduce it. 

This decision, Senator Gounardes writes, is “a missed opportunity” that is “both antithetical to the landmark 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and deeply misaligned with virtually every other goal of the 2050 Master Plan.”

Senator Gounardes is the sponsor of the Get Around NY Act (S4044/A4230), would set a goal of reducing the total number of vehicle miles traveled in New York by 20% by 2050 and require proposed highway expansion projects to undergo a “VMT assessment” before proceeding. Projects that expand reliance on harmful, polluting infrastructure would be altered or required to fund mitigation measures like transit, transit-oriented development, bike lanes or other sustainable infrastructure.

One study found this approach could reduce carbon emissions by 227 million metric tons over 25 years; save the average household $3,750 annually in fuel, vehicle maintenance and depreciation; and reduce deaths by 4,940 per year in reduced traffic crashes, improved air quality and increased physical activity. Another recent report faulted New York for a lack of effective transportation planning and prioritization, ranking it 49th out of 50 US states. 

“What's measured matters. Right now, we’re measuring the wrong things, and that makes it harder to fight climate change, build safer streets, and  improve public transit,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Our current approach only measures moving as many cars as fast as possible. It doesn’t take into account safety or pollution, and doesn’t consider pedestrians, bikes or public transit at all. If we measure VMT, we can work to reduce it. But that doesn’t mean people have to travel less—it means creating better options to help New Yorkers travel to work, school and everywhere else.”

Press Contact:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

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