The protected bike lanes surrounding DC’s iconic landmarks highlight the importance of multimodal infrastructure for attracting residents and enhancing livability. Between the three bike share programs, metro trains, and a bus system, DC provides a multitude of options for those looking to get around without a personal vehicle. Pedestrian islands provide refuge for those crossing the street on foot while also providing space for turning bikers. Bus stop islands and shared bus stops allow riders to step out of the flow of traffic while maintaining awareness of cyclists.
We were struck by the decisive action of DDOT and their leadership prioritizing proven safety measures over means-testing and hesitation. Washington DC’s mayor has pushed to add 20 miles of protected bike lanes over three years to meet the demand for bicycle infrastructure for all ages and abilities without worrying about miniscule delays for drivers. Rochester could take inspiration from this approach by installing infrastructure such as two-way protected bike lanes. While this would require coordination with the county and some new traffic signal configurations, the benefits far outweigh the challenges.
We also had the chance to see DC’s Curb Extension Murals (the inspiration for Downtown SmART Streets) up close. As we prepare to break ground on this new program and review artist submissions (due March 22nd) we were eager to take notes on what has worked (and what hasn’t) for these traffic calming elements.
The Asks
The most critical part of the summit was taking our advocacy to Capitol Hill. Thank you to the League of American Bicyclists for the herculean task of organizing these meetings on a national scale. Our first ask? Fighting for Safe Streets for All grant funding—money that has already been approved by Congress but is now threatened in an unprecedented move from the Executive Branch.
The local projects funded by this grant are designed to meet the needs of each community, understanding that local governments know their streets best. In our meetings with Congressional Representative Joe Morelle, staff from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s legislative aide, we pressed them to recognize the importance of projects such as completing Rochester’s Bike Spine Network or expanding our Downtown SmART Streets program. These projects will make the streets safer for everyone—cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike. Canceling their funding will also harm our communities through the loss of local construction jobs from the projects and the long-term economic benefits these amenities bring.
As traffic dangers increase for everyone on our roads, improving safety isn’t a political issue; it’s a necessity.
Our next ask to the US House of Representatives was to support HR 1668, The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act. In 2022, Sarah Lagenkamp was killed while riding her bike after dropping off her son at daycare. Her husband Daniel made it his mission to make our streets safer.
As the League of American Bicyclists say, this bill highlights the need to fill gaps in biking and walking networks and makes it easier for states and local governments to use Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) dollars as a “local match” to build safe bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
We were proud to have a strong Rochester contingent to mingle with our fellow advocates across the country. If you want to get more involved in our incredible local bicycle community here at home, please make sure you are signed up for our Mobility Action Alerts for weekly emails with local advocacy opportunities for safer, multimodal streets.
Two immediate actions you can take to support our cause:
With federal funding for bike lanes and many important transportation projects in danger of being cut off by USDOTwe urgently need your support to show the importance of these projects for the entire community. The League of American Bicyclists have put together a petition to show how many people oppose cutting this funding. Please take a moment to sign and send it to 5 of your friends Getting as many signatures as possible is critical to the success of our upcoming projects.
On December 15th, 2018, Jean Dietch, age 95 at the time, was meeting good friends for dinner at Mario’s on a typical Sunday afternoon. Her younger son started to make a left turn off Empire into the restaurant. He didn’t see a driver coming down the hill from the east, t-boning the car and killing Jean immediately. Neither of the drivers were harmed.
After a News 8 Investigation found over 800 crashes on Empire Blvd in a five year period, Jean’s other son who lives in the Water’s Edge apartments, Howard Dietch, reached out to News 8 to share his story of turning his mother’s tragedy into action. Howard has spent the last six years advocating for New York State DOT to do something to make Empire Blvd safer, enlisting support from local officials and the County Legislator from Penfield. As of 2024, no changes have been implemented to make Empire Blvd safer, and Howard is hoping that advocates calling for multimodal safety improvements can step in and boost his message.
In 2023, Empire Boulevard was the run-away winner of Reconnect Rochester’s annual “Mind the Gap” campaign. We reached out to Howard who was happy to have community support for his safety efforts. The nomination text read:
We’re happy to provide an inspirational design rendering of the 2.4 mile stretch of Empire Boulevard to advocates for their advocacy. Click here to access the PDF. As we’ll explain below, there are low-cost changes that can be made that will not only make the space more welcoming to active transportation users, but also help mitigate the risk of more lives being lost on the road.
“Safety is always the priority for the New York State Department of Transportation, and the agency is in the early stages of design for a project to enhance safety along Empire Boulevard in Penfield, Monroe County, which is scheduled to begin in late 2025. DOT looks forward to engaging with our local partners and stakeholders to discuss concerns and areas for potential enhancements prior to the implementation of this project.”
Empire Blvd and the area it serves have a lot of unique features. As NY State Route 404, it spans the Towns of Irondequoit, Penfield and Webster and it hugs the southern end of Irondequoit Bay. Its beautiful setting has attracted new apartment buildings, restaurants and breweries as well as investments to enhance access to Irondequoit Bay via LaSalle’s Landing Park.
On the other hand, Empire Blvd is not at all unique in its speed and unfriendliness to people outside of fast-moving vehicles. It is typical of state routes where commercial and residential development has progressively been added over many years. What used to be a road whose singular purpose was to connect towns, is now a residential hub, with over 600 new housing units added over the last 10 years.
The latest, Bayview Landing, will add 60 units next to the K2 Brothers Brewing Company, just west of where Jean Dietch was killed. And yet the road design remains configured primarily to move cars and trucks through as quickly and efficiently as possible (it is the designated truck route for the area).
For people walking or biking, getting around Irondequoit Bay is a pain. The Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge operates mostly outside of bike season (we’d like to see that run all year around too). While cars have the option of traversing Irondequoit Bay over 104, bikes are limited to Empire or Browncroft Blvd. Browncroft is not an ideal option for cyclists coming from Webster as it would require a longer detour to the south. Even traveling down Browncroft in a car, one would experience higher speeds and similar hills as Empire. While both roads are envisioned for future Monroe County Active Transportation Network consideration, we believe Empire is the better option for investing in bike infrastructure.
Proposed Multimodal Improvements
We hope our vision inspires you to take action and mobilize support for a safer, multimodal corridor on Empire Blvd.
The first step in our advocacy effort was to hire a Licensed Qualified Engineer (thanks to funding generously provided by long-time cycling advocate Dr. Scott MacRae). We brought on Mode Choice Engineering, a multimodal transportation focused company in the Buffalo-Niagara region, who has experience retrofitting New York State routes for improved multimodal options.
The goal was to create a design rendering to show improvements that could be made along the 2.4 mile stretch from Winton Rd to Bay Rd that would help make Empire safer and more welcoming to people who want to travel to and through it on foot or on bike.
Together we analyzed current conditions, road design and speed, and vehicular traffic patterns. With support from Genesee Transportation Council, we also conducted independent speed data collection. Results showed that in the 40 MPH speed limit zone, the 85% percentile speed was between 52-56 MPH meaning that most people were going more than 10 MPH over the speed limit. A vehicle traveling eastbound was clocked at a maximum speed of 90 mph. We also looked at crashes from 2017-2023 and found that Empire had a higher rate of crashes during that period than similar roads in NY State.
The most recent 5 year period saw 770 crashes involving vehicles, 2 involving cyclists and 5 involving pedestrians. 72% of these crashes took place during the day so darkness wasn’t a factor. We estimate the bike and pedestrian number is low because the area is so inhospitable to people outside the car.
With this analysis in hand, we turned to what we can do within the existing “right-of-way”, meaning we wouldn’t have to change the width of the roadway or acquire land that is currently town or private property. Our big picture goal was to improve safety with a short-term/quick build solution, using low-cost materials.
We could accomplish this in a cost minimized way by:
Narrowing the travel lanes to 10 feet
Lowering the speed limit to 35 MPH
Converting the 8 feet shoulders into protected bike lanes with low-cost flexible bollards
This proposed design solution meets FHWA proven safety countermeasures and was designed by Mode Choice Engineering to be able to be done with in-house engineering from NYSDOT.
Another major improvement to the area would be to install a High Intensity Activated CrossWalK (HAWK) Crossing near LaSalles Landing Park, which would provide a traffic calming effect and safe crossing to and from key destinations.
This multimodal retrofit would provide significant benefits to residents and folks planning to access Irondequoit Bay. For cyclists, it would provide a continuous bike lane eastbound and westbound as well as protection from cars. For pedestrians, it would connect existing sidewalks to shared pedestrian space throughout the corridor and the ability to cross safely midway through the corridor.
We see this design as a stepping stone toward the future where hard curbs with fully continuous sidewalks and some sort of hardened bike lane protection can be added as part of a larger reconstruction project. Our goal in this round was to find cost-optimized ways to add the amenities outside the scope of the often decades-long reconstruction cycle.
Let’s keep up the momentum for positive changes to Empire Blvd!
If you’re inspired by this vision, we’re encouraging you to reach out to share your enthusiasm with state and local officials. And perhaps the most important thing you can do is share this blog with residents, businesses, neighbors and friends who are also concerned about Empire Blvd and ask them to take action with you.
Take Action:
Write an email or call the office.
Targets:
NYSDOT – let NYSDOT know you support improvements to Empire Blvd and you plan to reach out to Town and state officials to also share your support. Email: Region 4 Director Chris Reeve – Christopher.Reeve@dot.ny.gov or 585-272-3310
Assembly Member Sarah Clark represents the western portion of the roadway: clarks@nyassembly.gov or 585-467-0410
Assembly Member Jennifer Lunsford represents the eastern portion of the roadway: lunsfordj@nyassembly.gov or 585-223-9130
State Senate
Senator Samra Brouk represents the area: brouk@nysenate.gov or 585-223-1800
Senator Jeremy Cooney is the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee: cooney@nysenate.gov or 585-225-3650
What to ask for:
I, resident of [Town of X] and your constituent, support Reconnect Rochester’s proposal to make Empire Blvd/NYS RT-404 a safer, more welcoming place for residents and people walking, biking and taking transit throughout the Winton Rd. to Bay Rd. corridor. I believe that Empire Blvd is an important gap in our cycling network, and the current conditions are preventing residents from all over the county from accessing the beautiful and historic Irondequoit Bay and frequenting the small businesses along the road. We have lost too many people to traffic violence on Empire Blvd and we need to change the way it’s built. I would urge you to support NYSDOT adding protected bike lanes, connecting the sidewalk network, slowing speeds and narrowing the travel lanes on Empire. Thank you.
Note: if you or your family members have been impacted by motor vehicle crashes, the organization New York Families for Safe Streets exists to support you. They can provide one-on-one or group support to individuals and families. Their social worker, Bobby Preti, is available if you’d like to talk to someone and learn more about how they can support you.
On Sunday, November 17, Reconnect Rochester hosted a community conversation in honor of “World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in the US” to remember victims of traffic violence, support victims and their families, and discuss ways to improve road safety. Reconnect opened its doors to anyone who has been affected by traffic violence, directly or through a friend or family member, to listen and connect.
Attendees who felt comfortable shared their stories about loved ones lost on Monroe County roads. 19th Ward community member Farasa Brown recounted the community’s efforts to put in a crosswalk where her 6 year old son Ryan Grantham Jr. was struck and killed on Thurston Rd. in June 2023. Rochester City Council Member Bridget Monroe shared her son’s story of being hit by a driver who fled the scene.
(photo courtesy of the D&C)
According to our Monroe County Crash Map, each year, an average of 13 people are killed on Monroe County streets. Over the last 10 years more than 5,000 vehicle crashes occurred involving people walking or biking with 2,279 of those resulting in an injury or a fatality. In 2024 so far at least 10 pedestrians and 3 cyclists have died. Additionally we’ve seen some very serious crashes in the last few weeks and are monitoring their conditions.
The World Day of Remembrance is an international effort to remember, support, and act to prevent car crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Every year, millions more road victims are added to the current toll of over 50 million killed and hundreds of millions injured since the first road death. It is an actual pandemic, affecting primarily our vulnerable and our young. In addition to the trauma of injury and bereavement, it also has a devastating economic impact. Therefore, during the Decade of Action 2021-2030 the World Day has an important role of helping to achieve the 50% road casualty reduction target.
The global objectives of World Day of Remembrance 2024 are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to:
Remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads
Acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services
Draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries to push for an appropriately serious response
Advocate for better support for victims and their families
Promote evidence-based actions to stop further road traffic deaths and injuries
If you or anyone you love was impacted by a crash, the organization New York Families for Safe Streets exists to support you. They can provide one-on-one or group support to individuals and families. You can directly contact their social worker:
The event ended with a moment of silence for the victims:
On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we gather to remember the victims, support them and their loved ones, and act to prevent future tragedies on our roads. One life is too many. One injury can have lifelong consequences. We stand here to take a moment of silence for all of the crash victims who have been injured or lost their lives this year and in past years in Monroe County. Please join me in observing a moment of silence. Thank you.
If you would like to join our planning committee for the 2025 World Day of Remembrance event, please contact us at info@reconnectrochester.org
On October 8th, we hosted The Sprawl Effect, the latest edition of Rochester Street Films. We examined the costs and consequences of our current auto-centric land use and how we can grow our communities smarter to deliver access, vitality & upward mobility.
In the 1930’s the Federal Housing Administration provided loans to make mortgages more affordable yet the loans came with guidelines to standardize neighborhood design which directly contributed to sprawl and auto-centric infrastructure:
No sidewalks (hostile to pedestrians)
Minimum lot sizes (homes are more expensive to build and farther apart)
Separated land use due to exclusionary zoning (homes far from amenities and difficult to reach without a car)
When services are built far from homes this contributes to sprawl. It also costs more to subsidize auto-centric neighborhoods due to requirements such as more asphalt to support the parking requirements and more frequent road repairs due to degradation from heavy use. When we build transit oriented developments with a mix of high density residencies (instead of exclusively single family homes), along with commercial, office, and entertainment spaces in the same neighborhood; they financially outperform auto-centric suburbia every single time.
The diagram below from Urban 3 shows that cities are much more profitable and actually subsidize suburbs with their tax dollars. The revenue bars of the dense downtown area vs the expenses associated with sprawl is clear in the visual provided. While this graph is from Lafayette, Louisiana, Urban 3 found this phenomenon is true with every city they studied all over the country.
Presentation on Local Data & Stats
Cody Donahue, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Reconnect Rochester
Even if you have access to a car and all of the expenses that come with it, losing access to basic amenities in your neighborhood deprives it of its usefulness and its character. Our sprawling land use patterns have a substantial human cost in limiting the ability of too many of us to access what we need. This stands in the way of upward economic mobility.
Thanks to the resource Zoning Atlas, we see that single family homes can be built virtually anywhere in Rochester. Yet building higher density homes such as apartments, ADUs, or even single family homes on small lots is more restricted.
Irondequoit and Penfield data is currently unavailable.
We believe connecting Monroe County with robust transportation options and utilizing less restrictive land use will increase the vibrancy of town centers, reduce harmful air pollution, and allow seniors to age in place without relying on driving. While understanding that we need to build on what we have, before building anything new we recommend considering the following:
Using land that is located in town, village and city centers productively by building denser, mixed use buildings along transit corridors & filling in disused parking lots
Choosing development patterns that make the car and car storage optional, not the center of the design
Using new transit developments such as bus rapid transit or incentives to stimulate economic growth in areas well served by transit options or walkability
Special Remarks
Simeon Banister, President & CEO of Rochester Area Community Foundation
Land use decisions are often attributed to organizations instead of people but Homer Hoyt is an actual person who made decisions that brought us many of the problems that we have discussed today. Hoyt was the Chief Land Economist for the Federal Housing Administration who approached his work through the lens of his preconceived biases about people of color and immigrants rather than letting data itself inform his research. He is the architect of redlining which led to zones of deprivation in our community and all across the United States. Hoyt made a choice based on fear, and we can do the same or make a choice for vibrant neighborhoods that embraces smart growth in transit policy.
Moderator: Abigail McHugh-Grifa, Executive Director at Climate Solutions Accelerator
Panelists: Aqua Porter, Executive Director of RMAPI Kevin Kelley, Office of City Planning Manager Miguel Velázquez, CEO of RTS
Aqua Porter emphasized that building power, autonomy, dignity, and belonging is key to upward mobility and economic opportunity. Exclusionary zoning and car-dependent infrastructure are costly and restrict residents’ autonomy. By addressing land use and embracing dense, mixed-use neighborhoods, we can offer people more choices in where they live and engage with their communities. This shift can help reduce social isolation, fostering more connected and vibrant neighborhoods compared to the isolating, sprawling suburbs created by single-family zoning.
Kevin Kelley discussed the Rochester 2034 plan and Zoning Alignment Project, which aim to promote density along transit corridors and address land use issues. However, he cautioned that Rochester’s history with a struggling market could present a barrier to building high density projects. He also highlighted the need for more inclusive zoning in suburbs and rural areas, along with increased state and federal funding for public transit. Raising awareness about zoning problems and solutions is key to making progress.
Miguel Velázquez discussed how frequent service is crucial for robust public transit, but RTS has faced decades of underfunding, limiting its effectiveness. He noted that land use plays a role, as many people want to get by without needing a car but are scattered across Greater Rochester. Miguel also emphasized the importance of involving RTS when large companies plan new facilities, as many opt for highway-adjacent locations with big parking lots instead of transit-accessible downtown sites. To address this, the NYS Assembly and Senate are considering bills to fund transit services when companies receive tax incentives for building in the region: S8563/A9225.
Get Involved
We hope that this discussion resonates with you and that you will consider watching the program in its entirety on our YouTube channel. While you’re over there, make sure to subscribe!
Want to help more directly? Sign up for our weekly Mobility Action Alerts to stay in the loop with opportunities of how to advocate for safer streets, bicycle infrastructure, and transportation options.
Also please consider donating to support our advocacy work building a community connected by a robust transportation network that makes it easy for everyone—regardless of physical or economic ability—to get around.
Got an idea for a blog post about mobility? Contact Chaz to get started.
Ride and rally with us on Friday, May 3rd for the Ride for the Spine, a community ride to support building the Bike Spine Network envisioned in the City of Rochester and Monroe County Active Transportation Plans. Arrive between 2 pm and 2:15 pm at Genesee Valley Park Sports Complex to depart promptly at 2:30 pm and ride to City Hall. Please register so we can have an accurate count: bit.ly/rideforthespine
Confirmed speakers at the rally on the steps of City Hall at 3-3:30 pm:
City of Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello
Congressman Joe Morelle, NY-25
City Council Vice President LaShay D. Harris, Chair of the City Council Committee on People, Parks and Public Works
Michelle King, Black Girls Do Bike
Cody Donahue, Reconnect Rochester
We bike to get around. We bike to stay healthy. We bike with our families to play and have fun. Biking is good for our planet and our pocketbooks. Our biking community in Monroe County is diverse and vibrant. But what if everyone who wanted to bike could feel comfortable and protected doing it? They could if we made our bike network safe, low-stress and seamless. They could if our community prioritized biking as a mobility option for all kinds of people.
However, we know none of these resources can fix roads where cars travel at unsafe speeds and painted bike lanes that disappear and reappear seemingly randomly. We can’t make up for the almost complete lack of dedicated, on-road bicycle infrastructure outside of the City of Rochester. According to the Federal Highway Administration, for about 60% of people who might otherwise ride their bike, these conditions discourage them from even trying to bike to work, to school or to the grocery store. This is especially true for women, children and the elderly.
To our community’s credit, we are starting to change. Rochester’s cycletracks and Inner Loop East project have been featured in national media, Elmwood Avenue became the first County road outside of the city with bike lanes, and Rochester secured $3.2 million of federal funds to test (among other things) bike lane barriers. These projects are a down payment on what we hope will be the transformation ahead to become a more multi-modal community.
Two key transportation plans were adopted in 2023 that, if aggressively implemented, would significantly expand and transform bike infrastructure in our community. The Monroe County Active Transportation Plan and the City of Rochester Active Transportation Plan (hereafter, the “ATPs”) were completed in a coordinated fashion so that the bike network envisioned in the city would continue out into Monroe County’s towns and suburbs. The ATPs quite literally provide a roadmap for building a bike transportation system throughout Monroe County.
The City of Rochester called the main corridors of their bike network the spine and that is why we are calling our ride the “Ride for the Spine”. On May 3rd, we will Ride for the Spine with bicyclists of all ages and all walks of life and rally together with our elected official partners to demonstrate our support for the work ahead. Our goal is to show there are people from all over Monroe County who support aggressive implementation of the Active Transportation Plans, building a high-comfort and seamless bike transportation network in a matter of years – not decades. Continuing at our current pace will not get us to this goal.
To bring the ATPs’ visions off the paper to reality, our rally will ask the following of our municipal leaders:
Build 8 miles of protected bike lanes to complete the minimum grid now
Don’t wait to build the spine. We can attain a “minimum grid” of north-south/east-west axis bike facilities by installing protected, seamless bike facilities on Main Street from the Erie Canal to Winton Rd. (a 6-mile investment) and by filling in the Genesee Riverway Trail gap north of downtown (a 2-mile investment). These 8 miles are the key to success and must be completed in the near-term. Building good quality bike infrastructure is a small percentage of a repaving project and we should leverage every project to deliver it. But relying only on road maintenance cycles won’t be enough. To accelerate progress, the City and County will need to dedicate funding in their operational budgets, and/or seek dedicated State and federal funding.
Build the seamless, high-comfort bike facility every time
When a road that was envisioned in the ATPs spine is up for repaving or reconstruction, the design must reflect protected bike lanes with connectivity to other parts of the network. Painted lanes only suffice for the envisioned “supporting corridor network” for more experienced riders. Protected bike facilities make all road users safer, including drivers. Low-cost materials are available and widely used nationwide.
Build resilience in the face of opposition
City and County officials: You are doing the right thing by implementing complete streets. They make roads safer for everyone and more inclusive for people of all ages and abilities. Protected bike facilities are cost effective, reduce fatalities & injuries, and get more people biking & scooting, which lessens pollution & congestion, saves families money, attracts and retains young people, acts as a social cohesive, gets residents active & healthy, gets kids outside and results in a more equitable and vibrant community. That’s a lot of checked boxes! Certainly there are trade-offs – mostly underutilized parking spots and slowing cars down. Often we bicyclists are motorists too and we find these trade-offs acceptable. Safety for vulnerable road users must be our prime directive and override perceived inconveniences for drivers.
We can do this together, in partnership, for the betterment of our community. Once again, we hope you will ride with us Friday, May 3rd to support building the bike spine network! Please click the button below to register so we can have an accurate count!
By Jesse Peers, Cycling Manager at Reconnect Rochester
Many people in the mobility world are probably familiar with Janette Sadik-Khan, Transportation Commissioner in New York City from 2007-2013. She’s credited in many ways with starting the 21st Century bike boom in the US, which she chronicles in her stellar book Street Fight. Last summer, when I heard she was featured on the Possible podcast to talk about the future of cities, I gave the episode a listen while riding my bike, scoping out a potential route for our ride series. The episode was great and you can listen to it here.
Towards the end of the podcast episode, Sadik-Khan was asked if there was a book that filled her with optimism for the future. She immediately answered and recommended Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, her favorite book. The novel sounded so intriguing that I purchased a copy and read it last summer. It’s one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read, and though I wished it emphasized transportation, proximity and land use more, many aspects of it will keep me thinking for a long time.
The premise of the book is that things get so bad climate-wise that the United Nations creates a new subsidiary body with permanent duties to push things forward. The so-called Ministry for the Future’s job is to advocate for the world’s future generations, to defend all living creatures present and future who cannot speak for themselves. Over the course of the book, humanity gets its act together with a broad swath of sustainable initiatives.
A concept that really intrigued me was that of the Half Earth Project and habitat corridors from Chapter 72. To protect critically endangered wild animals, habitat corridors such as Y2Y (Yukon to Yellowstone) are established. When wildlife is cooped up in isolated pockets, it can’t thrive. In the book, nations establish habitat corridors, long unbroken spines for wildlife, that serve as safety zones. Animals get free passage up and down those spines, roads are given under- and over-passes to not inhibit animal movement, wildlife are protected from hunting, and disparate animal populations get a chance to connect, breed and thrive.
While I was reading this book, the City of Rochester’s Active Transportation Plan was being finalized and it struck me how similar habitat corridors are to the envisioned Bike Spine Network. Obviously, Rochester’s bike network now is disparate and piecemeal, hence it can be argued that we really don’t have a bike network yet (would disconnected train tracks all over the country be considered a national rail network?).
The idea of the Bike Spine Network is to concentrate political will, to focus investments, on a few seamless, high-comfort bike routes across the city, hopefully in the near term. I see the Bike Spine Network as Rochester’s “habitat corridor” for bike riders of all ages and abilities: safety zones allowing free passage, along which we can thrive and multiply.
Envisioned Bike Spine Network in dark blue; already completed segments such as the Genesee Riverway Trail and East Main cycletrack are shown as dashed lines
To Rochester’s credit, especially recently, the City often wants to do the right thing: reallocate street space to create dedicated bicycle facilities. But as many advocates know, some people get really mad when space for cars, for on-street parking in particular, is taken away for bike lanes. The opposition can be quite vocal and sometimes the City steps back from safer designs (remember Lake Ave?).
It’s time for bike riders (and people who would bike if they felt protected and comfortable) to be vocal.
Please join us on Friday afternoon, May 3, 2024 for Reconnect Rochester’s Ride for the Spine. More info here along with an RSVP form to help us get a headcount.
We want as many people as possible to ride to City Hall together that afternoon and surround the city with support and positive energy for the Bike Spine Network. If you have kids (or nephews, nieces and/or grandchildren), consider taking them out of school early so they can join in the fun. When we get to City Hall’s steps, we want the Mayor, County Executive, Commissioner and Councilmembers to look out upon a sea of diverse people (people of color, kids, women, seniors) supporting these changes. Together, we’ll give City Hall political capital to work towards these improvements in a timely manner. We hope to see you on May 3rd!
Photos from the People’s Climate Movement rally in April 2017
Last week, Reconnect Rochester went on our annual (virtual) trip to champion public transportation and safe streets for all of Rochester (and New York State). We spent the day speaking with legislators about the ways we can improve transportation in our region and across the state.
Presenting our best thinking on safe streets and transportation priorities with legislatures is one of the biggest ways we influence policy behind the scenes.
The meetings were very productive and we found several ways to advance the priority bills and budget investments discussed below.
One of our biggest pushes of this year has since made it into the so-called “One House budget”. The next step is to get Governor Hochul to include it in her budget. We are running a petition calling on New York State to include $15M in this year’s budget to build an intercity bus terminal as an expansion of the Louise M. Slaughter Intermodal Station. You can add your name to the petition here.
We were also curious to see this new $10 million for “Higher Speed Rail”. 🤔
We’d like to shout out Reconnect Rochester Multimodal Advocacy Committee members Bill Collins, Jason Partyka, Doug Kelley, Evan Lowenstein, and Steve Roll for devoting their time to the effort, and a huge thank you to all the legislative offices who took the time to meet with us: Assemblymembers Demond Meeks, Harry Bronson, Jennifer Lunsford, Sarah Clark, and William Magnarelli, and Senators Samra Brouk, Jeremy Cooney, and Tim Kennedy.
Do you want to get involved with safe streets lobbying? If you are interested in joining advocates in Albany on May 7th, you can sign up for the New York Safe Streets Lobby Day by registering here. If you are planning to go, feel free to drop us a line.
Check out our full list of 2024 transportation asks below:
New York State 2024-25 Transportation Priorities
Public Transit:
Historic levels of investment have been made at the federal level for public transportation. We are asking for you to support:
A 15% increase in Statewide Operating Assistance (STOA) funding for upstate transit systems
Increased capital investments into green infrastructure to reach the state’s climate goals
Dedicated sources of revenue to ensure sustainable, predictable, long-term funding streams for transit services. While economic development projects should be built on public transit lines, consider establishing transit funding for economic development projects (for example, A9225/S8563)
Expanded fare-capping and fare-free programs
Bicycle and Pedestrian (Active Transportation):
Pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities are on the rise. Reconnect Rochester is working with the NYS Safe Streets Coalition to prioritize legislation to address this silent epidemic. Consider sponsoring or co sponsoring the S.A.F.E. Streets Act which includes the following legislation:
Complete Streets Maintenance Includes, when possible, complete street design features in resurfacing, maintenance and pavement recycling projects and further enable safe access to public roads for all users. (Briefing document) S2714 (Kennedy) |A01280 (Rivera)
Defined Safe Passing Require motorists to allow at least three feet between vehicle and pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheelchair users when overtaking or passing statewide except New York City which will continue to require “safe distance.” (Briefing document) S1724 (Harckham) |A04346 (Steck)
Stop As Yield Allows cyclists to treat stop lights as stop signs and stop signs as yields, reducing vehicle conflict while prioritizing pedestrian right-of-way, and encouraging increased cyclist use of low-traffic, secondary roads. (Briefing document) S2643 (May) |A3986 (Fahy)
Complete Streets Budget Ask Increase funding in the Department of Transportation Capital Projects Budget for Complete Streets from $5 million to $10 million. (Briefing document)
Other Supporting Bills The New York State Coalition also supports several additional bills that will help make our roadways safe. (List of Additional Bills Supported)
In addition to the S.A.F.E. Streets Act package, these are additional bills related to bicyclists that we would encourage you to sponsor or co-sponsor:
Ebike Rebate (S314/A275) – Directs the New York state energy and development authority to establish a ride clean rebate program for electric assist bicycles and electric scooters.
Ebike Access (S1123/A2627) – Repeal certain provisions of the vehicle and traffic law and would allow ebikes to be ridden anywhere regular bikes can.
Right of Way for Bicyclists (S8210/A8272) – Requiring that vehicles yield the right of way to multi-use trails that cross roadways.
Relates to consolidated local highway assistance payments (“CHIPS”) (S7890/A8273) Revises the consolidated local street and highway improvement program (“CHIPS”) formula to include bicycle lane and Greenway trail mileage; allows CHIPS funds to be used for the purpose of constructing or maintaining bicycle lanes, Greenway trails, and other multi-use trails.
Train and Long-Distance Bus:
Accelerate the Amtrak Service Development Plan (SDP) implementation timeline for improving upstate New York’s intercity passenger rail service so that projects in Central and Western New York start at the same time as downstate projects.
Climate Resiliency: Co-sponsor S1981/A4120 to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 20% and expand transportation options to meet climate and equity goals. Learn more about the effort here.
As we look back on 2019, we’re amazed at what we’ve been able to accomplish together this year. The highlights below are just a snapshot of all the good work we’ve been able to do, thanks to the financial support of Reconnect members, the passionate volunteers that make our programs and initiatives run, and so many others that engaged in our work in countless ways. Thanks to each and every one of you.
Sponsored a Cornell University Design Connect project to help the Brighton community create a vision for Monroe Ave., with an improved street design and streetscape that is more vibrant and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Hosted a packed Rochester Street Films screening of The Trolley that sparked community conversation about modern streetcars making a comeback in American life, and the history and future of streetcars in Rochester.
Gave transit riders a respectable place to sit at our 30+ seasonal bus stop cubes placed around the city. We also worked with a local fiberglass manufacturer to create a permanent cube design as a year-round solution, and have plans to get the first 15 cubes on the ground in spring 2020!
…And this doesn’t count the untold number of advocacy actions we take day in and day out to advocate for the things we all care about, like a robust public transportation system, streets that are safe for everyone, and a community that’s built to be multi-modal.
As you are probably aware, RGRTA is exploring changes to the RTS fixed-route transit system in an effort to “better meet the evolving needs of the region.” The project, called Reimagine RTS, aims to improve transit service in Monroe County, including the City of Rochester. Over 11,000 individuals have participated in the process by sharing ideas with RTS via an online survey and many public meetings and the first draft was released last month.
After reviewing the draft and hearing input from many of you, Reconnect Rochester would like to formally share our assessment – including the parts we like, and a few things we’d like to see improved upon…Read more
If you recall, last fall RTS asked for the community’s help to reimagine our public transit system. Reconnect Rochester shared many of our recommendations and over 11,000 of you participated by sharing your own ideas with RTS via online survey or at one of countless public meetings. Well, today we’re dizzy with excitement as the first “Draft” proposal has finally been revealed…
As part of its new Comprehensive Plan, Rochester 2034, the City of Rochester is studying which major streets have the best potential for “transit supportive development” in Rochester. Transit supportive development encourages a mix of complementary activities and destinations (e.g., housing, work, shopping, services, and entertainment) along major streets and centers. This kind of development helps create compact, vibrant communities where it’s easier for people to walk, bike, and use public transit to get around. Read more
Last week RGRTA announced a plan to “Reimagine RTS.” Reconnect Rochester believes this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our community to get mass transportation right. We all have a stake in the success of our public transportation system and it is critical that RGRTA and its project team have access to thoughts and ideas from every demographic and every corner of our community. To help, we have compiled our ideas and recommendations, and we are asking you all to do the same.
But first, we need to understand how we got here.
Rochester’s public transportation network was originally designed to carry people between downtown and densely populated surrounding neighborhoods. As our residential population, commerce, and jobs spread outward with the adoption of the automobile, RGRTA attempted to follow this migration by extending service outward. With lower population densities in the suburbs, the stretched transit company found itself facing an impossible choice: expand service to reach fewer customers, or maintain its existing service area for a dwindling urban population.
After decades of attempting to do both, the quality of service in Monroe County has suffered. Those who rely on transit are underserved, and those who might choose to ride rather than drive do not. We hear complaints from riders about infrequent service, long trip times, perceived safety issues, and the need to walk great distances to reach their bus stop or final destination. Clearly, we need systemic changes to improve service and increase the viability of our public transit network.
RGRTA recognizes these issues and is now taking a bold step to design “a new transit system from the ground up.”
Our Top 5 Recommendations to Make Rochester Transit Great (again)
Reconnect Rochester has surveyed its members on how to improve Rochester’s public transit system to serve the greatest number of people. Our recommendations are prioritized below.
1. Make service more frequent and consistent.
Current routes and schedules are too complex and inconsistent. To build confidence and make people believe they will have a ride available when they need it:
Vehicles should run every 30 minutes or less throughout the entire system.
Vehicles should run every 15 minutes or less on key routes during peak hours.
Routes, schedules and frequencies should be consistent throughout the weekday and on weekends.
Vehicles should depart from the terminal on time.
Even spacing should be maintained between buses.
The number and placement of new bus stops should follow the recommendations outlined previously in the RTS Bus Stop Optimization Study (2014) to strike a balance between pedestrian accessibility and system performance.
Outlying routes or segments that cannot support 30 minute frequency (either with ridership or private sector funding) may need to be eliminated, or serious consideration should be given to servicing these areas by other means.
2. Make routes more direct.
Many routes currently have unnecessary turns and deviations, meaning most trips take much longer than they should. The current hub and spoke layout also makes it difficult to transfer between routes without going downtown. To improve efficiency and provide the fastest possible trip time:
Routes should be designed to take the most direct path between major destinations. Twists, turns and “zig-zags” should be eliminated.
Buses should not run into and through office complexes and strip mall parking lots. Instead, municipalities need to work to make sure transit access is provided by direct and convenient pedestrian access through a site to the edge of the public right of way.
It should be possible to switch (or transfer) between routes from any point in the network.
Adjacent routes should be placed within walking distance from each other and service staggered to make it easier for riders to switch from one bus to another on a nearby route.
Provisions should be made for other modes of travel at major bus stops or satellite hubs (i.e., ridesharing and bike share stations, safe and accessible pedestrian infrastructure, information/signage, etc.).
It should be possible to travel between the county’s four quadrants without transferring downtown.
Crosstown or orbital routes should be added near the perimeter of the city where radial routes diverge.
Work with other transit providers to make existing crosstown routes (e.g., U of R’s Orange Line) available for riders.
Work with the City and DOT to design streets that prioritize transit (as well as pedestrians and cyclists) over private motor vehicles.
Install curb extensions at transit stops (as opposed to curb cutouts) to eliminate time spent weaving in and out of traffic.
Optimize traffic signals to improve reliability by allowing buses to maintain a constant speed, and reducing time spent at red lights.
Utilize dedicated lanes to move buses more quickly through crowded streets.
3. Right-size the service.
Many routes receive high ridership near the core of the network, resulting in overcrowded, slow moving buses there and nearly empty buses for the remainder of the routes. To relieve overcrowding and improve service in high demand areas:
Some routes may require express and local access service.
Consider eliminating outlying routes or segments where demand is low.
Vehicles should be selected according to demand.
Heavily used routes within the core of Monroe County should be serviced by 40’ or larger vehicles, while lesser used routes could be serviced by vans or other systems altogether (i.e., ride-sharing).
Where necessary, transit vehicles should be outfitted to accommodate more bicycles.
4. Make transit accessible and easy to use.
In recent years RGRTA has added several systems and technologies that have made it easier and more enjoyable to use transit. These include the fully enclosed RTS Transit Center, fare kiosks, Tap & Go fare cards, digital signage, and a mobile trip planning app. The following recommendations would make RTS even easier to use and more welcoming to new customers:
Improve integration with other modes and transit systems.
Institute an integrated payment solution so that one “currency” can be used across a variety of transportation systems (i.e., one stored-value pass to pay for bus fare, rideshare, taxi, or bike share that could be replenished online or at a kiosk).
Include data from other transportation companies within the RTS mobile app.
Share data and synchronize service between other transit providers such as college bus systems, Amtrak, and intercity buses.
Work with municipal staff and land use boards in development review and site design. Employment locations, services, retail, and higher density residential development should occur within a half mile of transit corridors. The details of site design such as building placement and internal pedestrian circulation networks are critical in supporting transit.
A dynamic transit frequency map should be published for municipalities to evaluate whether transit is a realistic mobility option for a given development or not. There’s a huge difference in a site served by buses every 2 hours versus one served by buses every 20 minutes. Frequency information is not captured on a typical system route map (see for example these maps by Reconnect Rochester and this article by Jarrett Walker).
School routes (currently designated with an X) should not add complexity to the published schedules.
Provide basic amenities for transit riders at all bus stops.
Safe and accessible sidewalk connection from curb pick-up
Route map and information
Seating
Provide enhanced amenities for transit riders at heavily used stops and hubs.
Shelter
Trash receptacle
Bike rack
Heat
WiFi
Work with municipalities to enact a maintenance plan for all bus stops.
Trash pickup
Snow removal
Accountability
Provide riders with real-time information
Countdown clocks with real-time information should be installed at all major transit stops and hubs (i.e., URMC, colleges, Airport, Rochester Intermodal Station, Irondequoit Plaza, etc.).
Work with municipalities and property owners to display real-time information screens at highly visible locations such as schools, shopping centers, arenas, office and apartment buildings (i.e., TransitScreen).
Provide additional off-board and cash-free fare payment methods (i.e., kiosks at major transit stops where passengers can buy Tap & Go cards, mobile ticketing via the RTS app or a 3rd party app such as Token Transit, etc.).
Explore ways to allow boarding at both front and rear doors.
5. Stay competitive through innovation.
A business succeeds by staying ahead of the competition. Beyond the recommendations outlined in sections 1-4, it will be imperative for RTS to:
Continually monitor customer needs and local market conditions in order to identify areas for improvement, industry trends and opportunities to attract new customers.
Offer classes or seminars on “how to ride the bus.” Many people are reluctant to try the bus, in part, because they are unfamiliar with it.
Have a bike rack mock-up device so people can practice loading a bike into the rack without the pressure of a bus full of people watching.
Expand offerings by studying the feasibility of new systems and upgrades such as:
Fixed guideway and/or bus rapid transit on core routes
Smaller self-driving vehicles for local or on-demand service
Work with the City and County to manage land use in a way that complements service patterns. Future service can then be planned based on land use decisions.
Work with municipalities, key neighborhood groups, and large employers to establish Transportation Demand Management entities and co-promote public transit as a solution to congestion and costly parking.
Step up marketing efforts and always maintain a fresh image reflecting the unique selling points of RTS.
Develop example language/assistance for municipalities, event planners, retailers, employers etc. that highlight the ability to use transit to access the event. Too often events or meeting notices provide parking information without information about public transit. Rochester International Jazz Festival does a good job of this.
Share Your Suggestions
We hope our suggestions will give you a framework from which to craft your own thoughts for RTS. Please feel free to steal our list straight away. Or if you have ideas not mentioned above, we’d love to hear them in the comments section below.
We also urge you to attend the first public meeting for this project on October 25th from 6:00-7:30PM at the Brockport Metro Center. And don’t forget to visit www.myRTS.com/reimagine to submit your comments and stay updated on this important project over the next 12 months.
Several local attractions are offering discounted admission this Friday, June 16, to celebrate ROC Transit Day.
In years past Reconnect Rochester has organized the event, aimed at encouraging Rochesterians to leave their cars and instead use public transit for their daily travels. While we have no big festivities planned for this year, you can still participate in the “car-free holiday”. Simply leave your car at home this Friday, ride the bus, walk, bike, enjoy the fresh air – and wish your friends a “Happy ROC Transit Day!”
You can also take advantage of several great deals being offered at local attractions when you show your RTS bus pass (plan your trip using Google Transit or the RTS mobile app)…
Show your RTS fare card at these participating locations, Friday (6/16):
ARTISANworks
$2 off admission
Route 48 University – bus stop at Blossom and University
George Eastman Museum
$5 off general admission, $3 off for seniors, $1 off for students, $2 off for Dryden admission
Route 57 East Ave.
Show your support for public transit and a healthier community. Ditch your car this Friday, and use #RocTransitDay to tell the world why you participate in ROC Transit Day! Tweet #ROCtransitday
Bikes vs Cars premiers in Rochester this Wednesday kicking off a full line-up of events for Rochester Bike Week 2016. Starting as a Kickstarter project in September 2013, this much anticipated film tells of the modern bike revolution in cities across the world.
Posted by: Daniel Speciale, volunteer with Reconnect Rochester.
The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) is asking for public input on their Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region 2040 (LRTP 2040). The LRTP identifies the direction for the region’s transportation system and serves as the framework for future investment in highways, bridges, public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian projects over the next 25 years. The LRTP 2040 Public Review Document provides an introduction to the LRTP 2040 planning processes, a summary of customer engagement feedback, a financial analysis with revenues and costs, and draft recommendations based on regional needs and customer feedback. Here’s a summary of the document…
On Wednesday, February 24, Reconnect Rochester will bring Samuel Schwartz to Rochester. Sam is the former traffic commissioner for New York City and the man who literally invented the word “Gridlock.”
Gridlock Sam is one of the leading transportation experts in the United States today. He is currently a columnist at the New York Daily News. And his firm, Sam Schwartz Engineering, has recently produced a plan for the redesign of East Main Street here in Rochester…
Volunteers from Reconnect Rochester and Flower City AmeriCorps are teaming up to clear snow from bus stops and crosswalks in various Rochester neighborhoods this winter. We’re calling it The Great Rochester Snow Down and we could use your help on Saturday 1/23…
Record cold temperatures and mountains of snow last year made many of our sidewalks and bus stops inaccessible for weeks at a time. This year, before winter tightens its icy grip, Reconnect Rochester would like to invite you to help us defend our streets by taking part in The Great Rochester Snow Down .
Every other Saturday from January 9 – March 6, volunteers from Reconnect Rochester and Flower City AmeriCorps will gather together along one major avenue in our area to clear snow from bus stops and crosswalks…
If you weren’t in the audience this past Thursday evening at the first-ever Rochester Street Films, well, you missed one heck of a good time. Maybe you got stuck in traffic and had to turn back. We get it, life happens. While we can’t recreate the energetic live panel discussions, we can at least share a portion of the event with you here…
ROC Transit Day is next week – Thursday, June 18. Rochester will be going car-free in support of a healthier community and we’ve lined up a fun day to celebrate… bus rides for you and the family, a street dance competition , city-wide treasure hunt , music all afternoon outside Rochester Central Library. Oh, and did someone say flash mob ?
So if you haven’t already, pull together a team of friends or co-workers and hop a bus on June 18. And if you need fare cards, contact us now . See the full event schedule…
