PRINCIPLES

Planning and investment principles guide decision-making at CDTC. As statements of principle, they provide a framework for funding decisions, project selection criteria, and corridor-level planning. Each of the nine original New Visions task forces proposed planning and investment principles to guide CDTC's decisions during "Phase 2" of plan development. Some task forces found this an easy task because a great deal of agreement existed. Others discovered that careful "wordsmithing" was necessary to create a statement that all of the participants could buy into. The principles crafted by the task forces were intentionally broad in order to lead to convergence rather than divergence of opinion among New Visions participants, the public, and elected officials. The full set of 58 proposed principles were circulated for public comment in the New Visions Workbook, stating that re-organization and consolidation to better reflect overlap and points of consensus between task forces would likely occur.

Public comment on the proposed principles was wide-ranging, including suggestions for specific wording changes, as well as several pleas for simplification. Overall, the general direction and emphasis of the principles received support from public reviewers. The comments blurred the distinctions of task force origin and highlighted common themes as well as some contradictions between different issues. The principles were subsequently shortened and revised to provide internal consistency. This reorganization "cuts to the chase" of what CDTC participants are able to agree upon in terms of where we should be spending our limited planning resources and transportation dollars.

Four basic themes emerged from the public review of the principles. Organizing the specific principles around these themes and eliminating redundancies allowed the substance of the hard-earned task force consensus to be preserved, while simplifying the presentation. The principles provide a framework for transportation investment in the Capital Region over the long term. After their adoption in 1997, they have quickly had significant impacts on how transportation planning is approached and where public transportation investments are made.

The principles are organized under four broad themes:

1. Preserve and Manage. CDTC's highest priority is preserving and managing existing investment in the region's transportation system. Capital investments will be directed by the CDTC based on function and need. The priority for improved design and condition of major facilities should not depend upon whether the facility is owned by the state, county, city, town or village.

2. Develop the Region's Potential. The Capital Region is a single economic unit containing a rich heritage, historic communities that cannot be replicated elsewhere, vibrant suburban areas, abundant open space and recreational opportunities, great natural resources and a highly educated work force. This region can grow into a uniquely attractive, vibrant and diverse metropolitan area. CDTC will consider community and economic development plans as essential factors in making transportation investment decisions.

3. Link Transportation and Land Use. Local land use decisions impact the function of the transportation system -- and vice versa. This relationship is paramount to all transportation planning and programming decisions. Achieving the plan's goals depends as much on achieving unprecedented success in the land use area as on improving the transportation system.

4. Plan and Build for All Modes. Transportation planning and project design need to consider and accommodate more than cars. Pedestrians, bicyclists, delivery vehicles, long-distance trucks, rail crossings and intermodal terminal access are among the modes and modal considerations elevated by the plan.

The principles state when and how CDTC believes transportation investment is warranted, and when it believes such investment is not warranted.

Preserve and Manage

CDTC's highest priority is maintaining our investment in the existing transportation system. Strategically improving system performance, managing congestion, and balancing access concerns with safety are part of an overall principle that treats the transportation system as an asset and an investment. Continuous improvement to the planning process must be coupled with improvements to project design and delivery. Future transportation investments must be wisely and carefully chosen in a fair process that results in timely project implementation. Improving the way we do business provides a limitless opportunity and a daunting challenge.

Improve System Performance

1) CDTC is committed to the maintenance, repair and renewal of the existing highway and bridge system in a cost-effective manner that protects and enhances rideability, public safety and accessibility.

Minimizing the overall costs of providing and using the system is a goal. Appropriate investment in repair and renewal of existing facilities is a higher priority than investment in expanded capacity. Appropriate investment includes balancing access and mobility needs, considering all modes, and coordinating infrastructure renewal with local land use planning efforts. Geometric standards for lane and shoulder width, provision of bike lanes and sidewalks, transit accommodations, vertical and horizontal alignment, and clearances will be based on the function of the facility, its adjacent land use, and the cost-effectiveness of the repair. Greater latitude in adjusting design parameters to local conditions is critical to providing highway and bridge infrastructure in a cost-effective manner.

Public transit, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities require routine consideration as part of the transportation infrastructure. Increased opportunities for public transit use and walking provide an alternative to auto travel that can reduce congestion and traffic conflict levels along Capital District arterials. Transit service works best when it is considered as an integral part of roadway design, development, and urban revitalization. Furthermore, the success of transit service is directly tied to accommodation of the pedestrian. While there are growth markets for park-and-ride services and for bike-transit connections, transit usually provides the middle leg of walking trips. Unless the pedestrian can travel quickly, safely and conveniently to and from the bus stop, there can be little success in maintaining or expanding the contribution of transit to the community. Wide, paved shoulders and/or sidewalks connecting residential areas to bus routes make bus travel more attractive. Cyclists are more inclined to bike to bus stops when there are safe shoulders or bike lanes, secure bike storage facilities, and/or bike racks on the buses. These types of improvements need to be routinely considered in project design.

Bicycle and pedestrian facilities require maintenance to a higher standard than motor vehicle facilities to insulate bicyclists and pedestrians from danger. Broken glass, snow, ice, and rough surfaces are common hazards on road shoulders. Frequent sweeping, plowing, and rehabilitation (repaving) is required. Increasing motorist awareness of cyclists and pedestrians by clearly signed and marked crosswalks and bike lanes is another requirement. Pedestrian phases at busy intersections (and near transit stops) provide additional protection. Separate bicycle stop lines at intersections increase visibility and give cyclists a chance to "pull away" ahead of turning vehicles.

2) Funding for appropriate repair and renewal will be based on the function and condition of the facility -- not ownership.

All principal arterials and other major facilities in the Capital District are vital to the economic life of the region, regardless of whether they are currently owned by a city, village, town or the state. Providing consistent and continuous systems and/or appropriate transition zones is a priority. State numbered highways and other facilities serving regional needs within city limits need equitable access to federal, state and county transportation funding.

3) Encouraging bicycle and pedestrian travel is a socially, economically and environmentally responsible approach to improving the performance of our transportation system.

Cycling and walking are legitimate components of a multimodal transportation system. According to the 1990 Census, more people commute to work by bicycle or on foot than by using transit in the Capital District. In addition, most transit trips start with a walk. Aside from sidewalks in the downtown areas and a small number of paths or bike lanes, there has been minimal direct investment in bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure in the Capital District. Investments in new bicycle and pedestrian facilities will tap the latent demand for travel via these modes, encouraging people who would travel these ways "if it was safe" to do so. Even conservative estimates of use which take weather into account show that making bicycling and walking feasible can make a significant difference in people's choices. Importantly, many of the trips with the greatest potential for shifts from driving to cycling or walking are the very trips that contribute the most to air pollution (short "cold starts") and to congestion (summer, non-commute trips).

Many barriers to transit, bicycle and pedestrian travel can be removed quickly and inexpensively. Whether by smoothing over a rough shoulder with some blacktop or re-timing a traffic signal to allow pedestrians (and wheelchairs) adequate time to cross a busy intersection, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations are often low cost. This is particularly true when compared to roadway projects. They can be built both as additions to planned highway projects and as free standing efforts. Design features such as bus stops/shelters, pedestrian refuge medians on major arterials, crosswalks and pedestrian-actuated signals at intersections are central to successful urban project design -- not extras.

It is important that pedestrian initiatives appropriately address the needs of the mobility impaired and elderly population. Creation of crosswalks and incorporating walk phases into signal timing plans at the busiest Capital District intersections will not necessarily accommodate the elderly or mobility-impaired user unless curb cuts, refuge areas, and adequate crossing times are also provided. As more mobility impaired persons are mainstreamed with regard to public transportation (as per the Americans with Disabilities Act), and our population ages, such considerations must become the norm.

4) In addition to supporting desired land settlement patterns, transit service helps meet multiple regional objectives in the Capital District.

· Transit contributes to congestion management, air quality and energy savings;

· Transit offers an alternative travel mode, reducing auto dependence; and

· Transit provides essential mobility for those who do not operate a private vehicle.

These separate roles have distinct demands on resource requirements and differing implications for service design. The value of public investment in transit facilities and services must be considered in relation to these multiple objectives. Comparison of transit investment with other alternative uses of public resources, including other transportation investments, must fairly examine costs and benefits to transit users and non-users. Congestion management benefits accrue primarily to automobile users, for example, while emissions reductions provide a broad social benefit. Alternative mobility benefits a targeted segment of the population.

The provision of essential mobility to those with few alternatives requires explicit recognition in transportation funding decisions. Cities currently shoulder an unequal proportion of the region's special needs populations, poor people, and households without cars. The drain that the provision of social services places on urban areas lessens the amount of money available in municipal budgets for basic maintenance and rehabilitation of the transportation infrastructure. Social equity argues for emphasis in those areas where the need is the greatest.

5) The needs of the older driver will be considered as transportation facilities are maintained and rehabilitated.

By 2015, over one fifth of the population will be age 60 and above. The elderly population of 2015 will have grown up in an era of automobile dependency. These older people will tend to remain in the suburbs and have high expectations about driving and mobility. At the same time, aging causes problems related to depth perception, visual field, visual acuity and glare sensitivity. Research by the federal government suggests that improving sign reflectivity, increasing letter heights, and improving stopping sight distances will help tremendously to accommodate the needs of the older driver. This allows them to maintain their independence and mobility. The New York State Department of Transportation and local transportation departments can enhance sign reflectivity and letter sizes to accommodate the needs of the older user.

6) Increased efficiency in current vehicles/programs is preferable to fleet expansion to provide for special transportation needs.

Adding more buses to the transit fleet and/or adding more STAR vehicles is not the whole answer to accommodating increased demand for special transportation service. A wealth of transportation inventory is owned and operated by human service agencies; much of it is underutilized. An "action plan" to integrate the services offered by these agencies and those offered by CDTA is required. If there is still a transportation shortfall after implementation of effective coordination, then fleet additions can be considered.

The ability of a disabled person to independently select transportation mode and time of travel is preferable to travel arranged by an agency or transit authority. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 stresses the importance of independence and mainstreaming. Mobility disabled persons are encouraged to use the fixed route transit system to the extent possible. Increased investment in mobility training will aid in the transition from dependence on paratransit transportation service to fixed route service.

Manage Congestion

7) Management of demand is preferable to accommodation of single-occupant vehicle demand.

All things being equal, actions that shift demand from single occupant vehicles to other modes, shift travel to uncongested periods of the day, or reduce the need for travel are preferred to actions that accommodate the desire for unconstrained travel. Demand management actions have both a spillover and a cumulative effect not present with physical actions. Demand management actions taken to relieve congestion in one corridor spill benefits over to other corridors by simultaneously moderating demand in those corridors, as well. Over time, a cumulative benefit comes from developing a critical mass of transit use that supports more frequent transit service. Additional benefits accrue from voluntary accommodation of pedestrian and bicyclists in site design, or from establishing acceptance of innovative work schedules and telecommuting. These benefits don't accrue from actions that accommodate unconstrained single-occupant auto travel.

8) Cost-effective operational actions are preferable to capacity expansion.

Historic financial constraints and categorical funding programs have provided resources more readily for capital investment than for operating the system. In the Capital District, a third of the 400 signalized intersections analyzed by CDTC staff over a four-year period had congested conditions that would respond to low cost signal timing and lane striping changes. Where applicable, these operational actions are many times more cost-effective than physical expansion. Coupled with proactive corridor management practices, such as limiting driveway cuts, providing service roads, and coordinating development, such operational actions can stretch our arterial capacity and help avoid building new capacity.

9) Capital projects that provide significant physical highway capacity expansion are appropriate congestion management actions only under compelling conditions.

These are the following:

a. "Critical" levels of congestion are currently present or are expected to be present under short-range (no greater than ten year) forecasts;

b. Demand management (including appropriate application of non-auto actions) and operational actions are not expected to reduce congestion from "critical" levels;

c. Demand management (including appropriate application of non-auto actions) and operational actions are incorporated into the design of the physical expansion to minimize expansion requirements and maximize the service life of the improvement;

d. New development and/or existing trip generators contribute appropriately to the cost of the action (including the demand management and other non-construction aspects);

e. A land use management program or agreement exists to provide reasonable assurance that the new capacity created will be effectively managed and preserved;[1] and,

f. The expansion is considered consistent with regional, county and local land use and development plans.

g. The project is designed to have the least possible environmental impact and appropriate mitigations are included.

Projects primarily intended to serve through traffic or designed to serve statewide purposes are not subject to these criteria.

10) Significant capacity additions carried out in the context of major infrastructure renewal are appropriate only under compelling conditions.

In bridge replacement cases, long-lasting decisions about capacity expansion often must be reached long before critical congestion levels are reached and before local demand management actions are in place. Traditional design policies and procedures require revision in order to assure consistency of these decisions with CDTC's Congestion Management System (CMS). Traditionally, facilities have been designed sufficient to accommodate projected demand at acceptable levels-of-service throughout the physical design life of the facility. For a bridge structure, for example, this involves designing to accommodate traffic projections for a date thirty or forty years beyond the expected date of completion of the project. Variance from this policy has been granted primarily in situations in which there are practical impediments to full accommodation of future demand.

The CMS-driven design approach reaches a determination of facility design through a risk assessment (tradeoff analysis) that focuses on the opportunity cost of selecting alternative designs. If a bridge reaches the end of its "useful life" and requires replacement in the same location, the risk assessment focuses on several factors:

a. Incremental costs and benefits of designs that add capacity to accommodate future traffic, relative to less-accommodating designs;

b. The projected amount of time that will lapse before a given design with greater capacity would be expected to have annual benefits sufficient to return an incremental benefit/cost ratio comparable to other capacity projects included in the TIP;

c. The additional expense involved in providing the incremental capacity at that later date, rather than during the initial project;

d. The degree of uncertainty present regarding future demand forecasts; and,

e. The compatibility of the additional capacity with regional, county and local land use plans.

In these cases, capacity expansions can be considered consistent with the Congestion Management System under the following conditions:

a. The risk assessment indicates that, even with effective operational and demand management actions, critical congestion is likely to occur at the location during the life of the facility;

b. The combination of time lapse until a competitive incremental benefit/cost ratio is reached and the additional expense of providing the capacity later points to doing the work now; and,

c. The capacity expansion is compatible with regional, county, and local land use plans.

d. The project is designed to have the least possible environmental impact and appropriate mitigations are included.

In all cases, the desirability of the expansion must be clear before the investment is made.

11) Incident management is essential to effective congestion management.

While most congestion management actions are targeted at recurring congestion, congested corridors also experience significant "non-recurring" congestion due to accidents, vehicle breakdowns and other incidents. This experience is most severely felt on limited access, high-speed facilities operating at high traffic densities. Minor incidents can generate significant delays. Effective incident detection and management can save as much time and operating cost as major investments in physical expansion.

Protect Our Investment

12) Managing traffic flows on the Capital District expressway and arterial system is critical for both economic and social reasons.

The Capital District's economic competitiveness relies on the use of its expressway system for over-the-road freight movement and for connections with air, water and rail modes. In addition, the expressway system is heavily used for commuting and general circulation within the region. It enhances the region's quality of life by providing access to a wide range of local activities and to those of other regions. Investments in traffic management, particularly related to construction and incidents, are cost-effective investments in the safety of the highway system.

The Capital District's expressway "system" includes technology and human resources that are critical to its effectiveness. The complete system includes traffic monitoring and control technologies that facilitate maintenance of traffic flows, as well as the staffs of transportation, police, fire, and medical service agencies that maintain traffic mobility or safety. The system includes the following activities or functions:

· traffic and weather condition monitoring;

· traffic control;

· inter-agency communication and coordination;

· appropriate incident response; and

· traveler information.

Proper management of the expressway system must also include management of arterial feeders and receivers that connect the expressways to the remainder of the roadway network. Expressways are not entities unto themselves, and access to and from arterials cannot be considered a "given." Making optimal use of the expressway system requires elimination of difficulties in connecting to/from local land uses. Guidelines for arterial corridor management have been developed within the existing regulatory and policy framework, and can be used in conjunction with existing land use and zoning control mechanisms such as site plan review and subdivision regulations.

Arterial corridor management planning also allows for and can increase economic activity. The region's economy cannot afford to allow private investments in land development to be impaired by obsolescence of the highway facilities on which they depend. Good arterial corridor management planning designs facilities that adequately serve traffic yet guide surrounding development in a sustainable manner. Development opportunities can be embraced when access, transit, and pedestrian issues are properly addressed. When proper planning occurs, the conflict with arterial function is minimized.

13) Major capital projects must have a plan for operating budgets for the life of the project.

An emphasis on congestion management requires increased budgets for operations and maintenance. To ensure that our capital investments continue to yield benefits throughout their service lives, it is important to provide for the essential "upkeep" of these installations, whether they are of a structural or technological nature. Future transportation investments should include ongoing operations and maintenance commitments.

14) Maintaining the health and improving the efficiency of the existing freight facilities in the region through public/private partnerships is a high priority.

There are four primary freight facilities in the Capital District: the Port of Albany/Kenwood Yards, the Albany International Airport, the Selkirk Rail Yards, and the Thruway/Interstate System. There are also a number of secondary facilities, both publicly and privately owned. Project eligibility under federal transportation law limits the extent of influence that the CDTC can have on internal intermodal facility efficiency. Regional public sector transportation planning activities and capital investments are therefore focused on surface access and safety issues. It is a higher regional priority to enhance our existing freight facilities than to build new facilities.

Freight planning activities by the public sector are partnership opportunities. Historically, the private sector has provided efficient goods movement. The privately owned rail and trucking companies will continue to do so given the right environment in which to work. Building partnerships is key to maintaining the Capital Region's transportation system as an asset to our economic health.

Develop the Region's Potential

The Capital Region functions as a single economy. The economic health of the suburbs is inextricably tied to the health of the cities and the rural areas. The region has made few major mistakes -- we have a strong foundation to build on. The following set of planning and investment principles builds on the region's strengths and recognizes the great potential we have to grow into a uniquely attractive, vibrant, and diverse metropolitan area.

Build Upon Our Strengths

15) The transportation system of the Capital District is an important part of the region's attractiveness.

The Capital District competes with other regions. Our transportation system enhances the region's competitive position. Protecting our economic base requires that the transportation system "work", that good connections are provided between and within regional centers and between modes, and that the region has a reputation for being accessible. As congestion and transportation problems become major issues in many metropolitan areas around the nation, the Capital District can protect and strengthen its transportation system as a marketable asset.

The arterial street and highway system is the foundation of the area's surface transportation system. The arterial highway system primarily moves traffic; it provides local access to adjacent properties as a secondary function. Improving highways for their traffic movement function is only one objective. In order to improve the area's living environment, balance must be achieved between the rights of property owners for access and the need to protect arterial function and community safety. Sometimes the road's dual functions of local access and mobility will not be compatible. Difficult choices will have to be made. Community quality of life is an important criterion to weigh during these deliberations.

16) Transportation investments will help preserve and enhance the Capital District's existing urban form, infrastructure, and quality of place.

The Capital District already has many unique attributes that other regions strive for:

· The region is a collection of communities that work together and possess a livable, community scale.

· The region is multi-centered with the most intensive suburban development in the center of the region rather than at the fringe. Suburban and urban areas depend on each other for jobs, for housing, and for cultural activities.

· Traditional transit corridors link urban centers.

· The region's modest growth rate is a strength because it affords the time and the opportunity to put in place plans and policies that encourage growth in harmony with the region's objectives.

· The region is endowed with a diversity of parks, a relative abundance of open space and a wealth of recreation and tourism attractions.

Use Transportation Investment as a Tool

17) Transit facilities and services can be an essential element of the social, economic and cultural fabric if supportive policies and investments are in place.

Transit's role in a community is defined not only by specific transit investment decisions but also by policies and decisions related to the provision of employer parking, design and density of new development and treatment of the pedestrian environment. Actions in these areas must work in concert with transit system design to allow transit to provide a significant contribution to the metropolitan area. Transit investments can serve as a tool to support regional and local land use policies.

18) Neighborhood-based local planning efforts are important to the success of an overall regional plan that emphasizes livable communities.

Transportation improvements must be designed to improve neighborhood integrity. Historically, many major transportation investments have been disruptive to neighborhoods. There is an opportunity to use transportation improvements to bring neighborhoods together -- to increase owner-occupancy, to provide increased accessibility, and to enhance community values. Regional transportation plans are implemented by other agencies -- NYSDOT, CDTA, and local governments. It is important that the principles and "paradigm shifts" that the New Visions Plan advances be based upon and reinforced with local participation in planning efforts and project development activities. Through a convergence of "bottom up" and "top down" shifts in emphasis towards enhancing community quality of life, mutually beneficial solutions to regional and local problems will be achievable.

Link Transportation and Land Use

Land use decisions are made at the local level. Major transportation investments are generally the result of a combination of regional policy and the availability of state and federal funding. Strengthening the relationship between these decisions is central to achieving the New Visions goals of protecting our infrastructure investment and developing the region’s potential.

Encourage Local Land Use Management

19) Land use planning and management is critical to the protection of transportation system investment.

Development in the Capital District in coming years is expected to add significant traffic pressures along existing two-lane and four-lane roads. Unconstrained development would likely add to the number of driveways serving isolated developments. Excessive curb cuts result in poor traffic flow, aggravate existing difficulties in providing effective suburban transit, frustrate attempts to create safe travel opportunities for pedestrians and bicyclists, and impair efficient local delivery of goods. The land available for development along many arterials can support an amount of development that far exceeds the ability of these roads to handle through traffic (which is their primary function). Pro-active corridor management that fosters efficient settlement patterns protects mobility. Site design practices that limit access to highways, are transit friendly, and provide pedestrian access help avoid gridlock.

Corridor protection and official street mapping preserve options effectively. Long-range congestion management must include protection of transportation corridors for possible future use. This includes protection of options for future provision of sidewalks, bicycle paths, transit connections, service roads and/or new collector or arterial highways. Opportunities for protection are presented by development approval, transportation project design, utility right-of-way creation or revision, and proposed abandonment of transportation facilities (such as rail lines). Official action, through land acquisition or street mapping is minimal at present, and expanded use of these tools must be considered. Not all congestion management actions can be implemented immediately; so options for future action must be preserved whenever possible. Risk assessments can determine the merit of preserving particular corridors.

Coordinated transportation and land use plans provide a framework that facilitates predictable development. By engaging in coordinated land use/transportation planning, a community can weigh development decisions against its stated vision of the future. Knowledge of existing transportation facilities and their interaction with land use and other infrastructure needs lends predictability to the development process. Such predictability is important for public and private investment decisions. Transportation and land use plans must consider both local and regional impacts.

One specific area where local land use planning can be improved is siting of human service facilities for the elderly and disabled population. Downtowns and major urban corridors provide transportation choices that are not available in suburban and/or rural areas. As the "baby boom" generation matures the number of facilities providing services to the elderly and mobility-impaired elderly will likely increase. In addition, the State's emphasis on de-institutionalization will create additional "day program" facilities for the mentally disabled. The provision of transportation for these groups will become a major issue. As facilities are built, it is essential that they be located in places where transit is easily accessible and walking is an option.

20) Design of street layout and location of complementary uses creates a pedestrian scale and provides increased accessibility without compromising the attractiveness of development.

The Capital District is rich in traditional, walkable neighborhoods. Pedestrian connections between land uses included in the design standards for new subdivisions and new commercial centers will have many benefits. Consistent with community design goals, pedestrian and bicycle enhancements to existing subdivisions and activity centers connect neighborhoods to each other and to commercial areas.

Link Transportation Investments to Land Use Planning

21) Transportation investments will encourage residential and commercial development to locate within an Urban Service Area defined for the Capital District.

The urban service area can be generally defined as the urbanized area in Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady Counties and the Saratoga Sewer District in Saratoga County. This urban service area may be extended to include areas that already have infrastructure in place; but further study will be necessary to specifically define the boundaries. The Urban, Suburban, and Rural Service Areas defined in the 1978 RDP adopted by the CDRPC are a good place to start the discussion. Adequate space exists within this urban service area to accommodate the urban growth foreseen for the Capital District, especially if opportunities for infill and redevelopment are used. Once defined in the context of regional planning efforts, this Urban Service Area can direct transportation investments to benefit appropriate development within its boundaries. This policy is not intended to neglect legitimate safety and infrastructure condition needs in rural areas, nor the need for adequate connectivity between urban and rural areas for commerce and recreation.

Using transportation investments as a way to support urban reinvestment and infill provides tremendous advantages. The necessary transportation, water, sewer, and other infrastructure are already present -- thus reducing the cost of development. Transportation investments geared towards creating more livable, walkable urban places provide choice in the marketplace, allowing for increased diversity to flourish and the region as a whole to prosper. Furthermore, strong central places are engines that drive regional economic growth. The economic competitiveness of the Capital Region depends upon its city centers to serve as core areas for business, government, education, health care, culture and entertainment. There are eight cities in the Capital District and various important urban corridors: these include the four central cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and Saratoga Springs and urban radial arterials like Route 5 and Route 20. Failure to attract and support development in the city centers and urban corridors will contribute to further loss of activity in these areas and additional decentralization. Transportation investments supportive of growth and redevelopment in city centers and urban corridors promote the efficient use of land and existing infrastructure. They also enhance our main streets and central business districts, making them safer and more attractive for business and public activities.

In both suburban and urban centers, transportation investments can encourage community scale, mixed use development in locations with pedestrian and bicycle access and transit. When residential development occurs far from arterials or when the separation between residential and commercial development is too great, accessibility is limited to the auto only. When development occurs close to arterials with a mix of complementary uses, people are given transport choices in addition to the automobile. Transportation investments that provide pedestrian enhancements and transit centers in high-density urban and suburban corridors improve neighborhood integrity and community livability.

22) Transportation investments will not encourage development in environmentally sensitive areas and will help to preserve rural character.

Open space will be preserved. Development in environmentally sensitive areas, both within and outside the urban service area, is not desirable. Open space is a valuable resource throughout the region. Any transportation improvements proposed for known environmentally sensitive areas must be carried forth in an environmentally sensitive manner. For example, environmental issues must be resolved prior to programming of construction funds to widen New Karner Road in the Albany Pine Bush.

Transportation investments will be sensitive to the natural and physical landscape of rural areas and discourage urban or suburban type development in those areas. Rural features such as hamlets, villages, farmland, and open space will be preserved. Transportation project design will address access and circulation issues while being sensitive to the particular characteristics of the affected area. Consideration of factors such as agricultural districts or lands, existing zoning and development patterns, and historic, scenic, and open space preservation assures that improvements are harmonious with the surrounding landscape. Transportation investments will not encourage development in areas lacking adequate provision of public water and sewer services, or at low densities outside the urban service area. Such development often renders rural roads insufficient, subsequently raising expectations for higher design standards on these roads.

23) Arterial management guidelines will be flexible enough to deal with the Capital District's various roadway types and the specific land use patterns surrounding them.

Urban areas may require the use of traffic calming for pedestrian and parking purposes, and traffic-engineering standards need to accommodate this need. For an arterial management program to be effective, different design, land use, and traffic conditions will be accommodated within its policies. To impose the same guidelines on an urban arterial that may be applicable to a high-speed rural facility may lead to loss of valuable economic development. More often, it leads to arbitrary exceptions that, in the course of time, weaken the program.

Plan and Build for All Modes

Pedestrians, bicycles, freight, transit, air, and water transport -- and the connections between these systems -- have a legitimate and important role in the healthy function of a transportation system that meets people's needs. Regional transportation planning efforts must be comprehensive enough to look beyond eligibility for specific fund sources towards an interconnected intermodal system.

24) CDTC’s planning efforts will be comprehensive enough to encompass all modes, including air, water, freight, intercity and local transit, pedestrian and bicycle.

CDTC's traditional focus has been the surface transportation network -- roads, bridges and buses. To adequately plan for the 21st century, transportation planning must encompass all modes and the connections between them. While recognizing our limitations in our ability to influence the private sector contributions to the transportation system, CDTC's planning and outreach efforts must be far-reaching in order to be address the region's needs.

CDTC's Unified Work Program will continue to include the efforts made by the CDRPC and the NYS Canal Corporation on both the Regional Air System Plan and the Canal Recreationway Plan. As members of CDTC, the Albany Port District Commission's and the Albany County Airport Authority's planning efforts will receive more attention. CDTA's high-profile role in the renovation of the Rensselaer Amtrak Station and involvement in downtown Albany transit service will provide important links to intercity rail and bus service in the region.

All transportation projects will specifically consider the impact on goods movement and economic development in their planning, design, and implementation. Goods movement is an integral part of economic well being of the Capital District. An identified priority freight network deserves attention when improvements are considered, particularly where addressing current deficiencies that will significantly impact goods movement, improve system performance, and enhance economic development.

25) Possible bicycle/pedestrian-related improvements will be considered from the perspective of developing a system -- not just based on whether a particular facility is currently used.

As one New Visions task force participant put it, "Bicyclists (and pedestrians) are not stupid." If a facility is not comfortable or safe, they will not use it. Still, the facility might be a potentially well-used bicycle/pedestrian travel route. Eliminating the barriers to bicycle and pedestrian use along facilities creates attractive routes for both local and regional travel, and enhances mobility for Capital District residents with the fewest travel choices. Many Capital District residents either choose not to or cannot afford to own a car. Not providing reasonable opportunities for bicycle or pedestrian travel limits mobility and creates dependence on transit schedules, transit coverage, taxis or friends. In addition, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations can eliminate the dependence on cars in suburban areas where subdivision designs and the local street network combine to effectively require car travel for all trips. Children will particularly benefit from increased travel choices.

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[1] Capacity projects primarily intended to serve statewide goals are not addressed by this land use management criterion.