2020
OUR STREETS ARE
A PATHWAY TO
RECOVERY
Our mission is to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile and advocate for better walking, bicycling, and public transit for all New Yorkers.
MEETING THE MOMENT
This is an incredibly challenging moment in New York City. It’s clear that moving forward, transportation can not “go back to normal,” nor should it. Our “normal” prioritized cars at the expense of people, killed and injured tens of thousands, and lowered the quality of life for all of us.
Now, amid the challenges, we are seeing signs of positive change. Bicycling is booming, public transit is slowly rebounding, and after a long fight, many Open Streets are here to stay.
Our streets can be pathways to recovery, but only if we fight hard to build a connected and protected transportation network that works for all New Yorkers.
TOGETHER IN 2020, WE:
✔️Won 11 Local Campaigns for New Bike and Bus Lanes
✔️Secured Plans for 24+ Miles of Bus Lanes and Car-Free Busways
[partially implemented, and TA is working to ensure full implementation]
✔️Secured Plans for 30 Miles of Protected Bike Lanes
[partially implemented, and TA is working to ensure full implementation]
✔️Protected 30,000+ Delivery Workers With E-Bike Legalization
✔️Restricted Car Access on 80 Miles of Open Streets
✔️Matched 300+ New Yorkers in Need With Bikes
✔️Added 5,700+ Citi Bike Docks
✔️Welcomed a 57 Percent Rise in People Biking
✔️Saved 14th Street Commuters 17+ Hours Per Year With a Car-Free Busway
WHAT OUR FUTURE CAN LOOK LIKE
Open Streets for People
TA successfully pushed the City to open 80+ miles of streets in all five boroughs to car-free uses, including Open Restaurant seating for more than 10,000 establishments that is now planned to continue year-round.
Bikes for Essential Workers
When the pandemic hit, TA quickly launched #BikeMatch, a successful mutual aid program that has supplied more than 300 essential workers with free bicycles, and been replicated in more than 30 cities around the world.
New Miles of Protected Bike Lanes
Crescent Street (Queens)
Grand Concourse (The Bronx)
Flatbush Avenue (Brooklyn)
2nd Avenue (Manhattan)
6th Avenue (Manhattan)
38th Street (Manhattan)
39th Street (Manhattan)
Broadway (Manhattan)
New Miles of Bus Lanes and Car-Free Busways
Hylan Boulevard (Staten Island)
Jay Street (Brooklyn)
14th Street (Manhattan)
In 2020, TA launched local campaigns for protected bike lanes and car-free busways from Fifth Avenue (Manhattan) to Main Street (Queens), along with #Bridges4People — a campaign to reclaim car lanes on our bridges for bike riders and pedestrians.
In June, TA published The Case for Self-Enforcing Streets, an analysis of racism in traffic enforcement and a plan for redesigning streets to reduce the need for policing.
After cars were banned on 14th Street, a gridlocked thoroughfare became a quiet, delightful public space. Plus, commuters are getting back hours of their lives previously lost to congestion.
BRINGING THE FIGHT INTO THE FUTURE
The coming year will demand that TA and our supporters be relentless in pushing a bold transportation agenda that meets the demands of the moment, and sets the stage for the future we want to see. With your partnership, TA will:
Seize this moment to boldly reimagine our transportation system, from protected bike lanes and busways to Open Streets and public transit.
Develop a visionary transportation agenda for the 2021 City election that is advanced by the City’s incoming leadership, including a new Mayor and the majority of City Council members.
Fight hard not to lose any ground. Deep budget cuts and changing political priorities imperil many of the victories TA and our partners have fought and won, so we must defend the wins we have gained.
Lead by listening and prioritize neighborhoods and communities that have been left out of the safe-streets conversation. We must empower every community with the tools and resources they need to take space back from the automobile.