State DOT Delays Funding for NYC Bike-Ped Projects [Updated]

Last week the Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s Michelle Ernst reported that an important funding stream for bike and pedestrian projects is currently stalled.

New York State DOT’s Transportation Enhancements Program, which is largely funded by the feds, normally distributes grants for bike and pedestrian projects every two to three years. As Ernst reports, however, it’s already been two and a half years since the state DOT last asked for applications, and there don’t seem to be any plans to start doing so in the near future.

UPDATE: The State DOT now says that they’ll be soliciting applications starting next spring. Since the last round of solicitations went out in early 2008, that’ll put the new round of TE grants a few months outside the three year bound.

That could lead to a delay accessing an important pool of federal money. The TE program has funded some of the most important livable streets projects in the city, such as the Ninth Avenue separated bike lane.

Greenways, pedestrian plazas, sidewalk extensions, protected bike lanes — these are the types of projects held up by delay at the state level. Via NYMTC, the region’s planning organization, here’s a list of the New York City projects that were funded in the last round of Transportation Enhancements:

• $2.5 million to enhance accessibility to Station Plaza, Queens County;
• $2.5 million for the Restoration of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Administration Building, Bronx County;
• $2.5 million to enhance accessibility to transit connections at Fordham Plaza, Bronx County;
• $2 million for Tillary and Adams Street Mall Enhancements, Kings County;
• $2 million for the Ninth Avenue: W 15th Street to W 23rd Street (Gansevoort to Chelsea) Project, New York County;
• $2.5 million for the West Street Greenway Project, Kings County;
• $2.5 million for the Landscaping and Scenic Beautification of the Battery Bikeway Project, New York County;
• $2.5 million for the Bronx River Greenway Connection between Birchall and Allerton Avenue, Bronx County; and
• $1,560,233 for the Hunter’s Point South Bikeway and Streetscape Improvements, Queens County.