ALBANY 2nd & 13th Ward
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
Albany Bicycle Coalition, Capital Streets & Walkable Albany worked together to ask each of the 2nd & 13th Ward Common Council Candidates questions relating to walkability, bikeability, transit, and overall livable streets issues.
Each candidate was asked over a dozen pertinent questions in a written questionnaire.
Primary elections will be held June 24, 2025.
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As a lifelong resident of the Capital Region, a graduate of Albany Law School, and a dedicated public servant, Josh is running to be Common Council member for the 2nd Ward.
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Ginnie Farrell was elected in 2017 as the Albany Common Council representative for the 13th Ward. In 2019, she was elected by her peers on the Council to the leadership position of Majority Leader. She is Chair of the Law, Buildings and Code Enforcement Committee and serves on the Finance, Assessment and Taxation Committee as well as the Human Resources and Human Rights Committee. She is a past member of the Planning, Economic Development, and Land Use Committee.
Ginnie is running for re-election as Albany Common Council representative for the 13th Ward.
What neighborhood do you live in?
Marcil: Downtown/State Street; 2nd Ward
Farrell: Pine Hills
How often (days per week) do you walk to where you need to go? What issues do you notice?
Marcil: Working for the New York State Senate, I walk to and from work every day. I chose to live on State Street so I could walk to work and live comfortably without owning a car. Additionally, I walk to and from CDTA bus stations when I need to go places, often walking near the NY CREATES nanotech campus/SUNY Albany Uptown Campus when visiting my parents and walking from the Red Line’s Colonie Center bus stop to Colonie Center when seeing a movie. When I am walking Albany’s streets, I notice several issues depending on the time of year. In the winter, I have to take more cautious steps because sidewalks are often not properly shoveled and de-iced. Additionally, I frequently see drivers make impermissible turns and drive in incorrect lanes at the extremely confusing Eagle Street/State Street/Washington Avenue intersection at the foot of the Capitol building. Finally, I see many streets that lack adequate pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks and crosswalks.
Farrell: Probably 4- 5 days a week. I find right on red dangerous. I personally wish in my neighborhood that the walk button would trigger a red light everywhere that people could cross without cars driving. In my neighborhood that would not work as an automatic thing, but would be great when the button is pushed. I do like that the walk signal immediately goes on when it's appropriate with traffic. Lowering the speed limit and the speed zones do seem to have helped with the speed of traffic, but that's been an on-going concern.
Do you use, or have you ever used, a bicycle for something other than recreation (such as commuting, running errands, or replacing car trips) in the City of Albany? If so, what issues do you notice?
Marcil: I have not used a bicycle for any purpose other than recreation. Currently, I do not feel safe sharing the road with cars while on a bicycle. If the City of Albany had more dedicated and protected bike lanes on its main streets, I would consider using a bike for errands that I currently run on foot or by bus.
Farrell: I used to use a bike to commute a lot, but a combination of bringing my dog to work and not feeling safe on my bike in the street has made me do it less. But the main issue I would say is I'm not comfortable in most places on the street on my bike. I'm certainly part of the problem with this, but there are many streets where it doesn't feel safe to ride your bike on the road, even if you are braver on a bike than I am. I do use my bike instead of drive for social things in the evenings, but that's often when it's not busy so there are fewer bike issues.
How often do you use public transit? What strengths and issues do you notice?
Marcil: I use public transit on average for at least one round-trip ride per week. Because I walk to work, my bus travel is used more often for errands and leisure. I am proud to live in an area with high-quality public transit, and I believe that CDTA is fantastic when it is operating at its best. However, I would love to see buses arrive on time more often, more bus stops have dedicated bus shelters, and for CDTA to operate all of its bus routes twenty-four/seven, especially its BRT lines. Additionally, I would like to see CDTA implement tap-to-pay in its buses, allow customers to connect their Navigator Passes to the Navigator App, and extend the Red and Purple Lines to the Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak station.
Farrell: I occasionally use public transit. I have to be honest, I don't love the upgrades that CDTA has made so I've used it less. Some bus shelters just don't feel super safe- I don't know why I feel less safe with a bus shelter than I do with the same person on the street, but I do. I also don't love the shift to the super long buses instead of having shorter buses more often. I know it's supposed to be better, but I haven't loved the switch.
In 2022, 60 vulnerable road users (defined by NYSDOT as “pedestrians, cyclists, motorized wheelchair users, and those on foot within work zones”) were killed or seriously injured in Albany County– at the time, that was the most in any one year since the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research (ITSMR) began tracking data for New York. But that record high was broken in 2023, when 65 vulnerable road users were killed or seriously injured. How would you protect residents from dangerous roads in the City of Albany?
Marcil: No pedestrians should be dying when sharing our roads with cars. If elected, I would work to implement all proven methods of increasing pedestrian safety for Albany’s streets. I believe that every street that pedestrians are allowed to walk on should have high quality sidewalks, and cyclists should have access to dedicated, protected bike paths. Additionally, I am proud of the City’s work to lower the City speed limit to 25 miles per hour, and I would continue to implement tactics to have motorists drive at safe speeds in our neighborhoods like speed bumps/humps and roundabouts.
Farrell: I have pushed for projects that involve pedestrian and traffic calming infrastructure and have worked to get neighborhood buy in from residents so the people in the neighborhoods understand how important that infrastructure is to street safety and livibility. I also was very instrumental in bringing school speed zone cameras to Albany- I think automation is the right direction for traffic accountability. I'm not sure that it's ideal for everywhere, but I'd love to see it in more places. I was also very supportive of the lowering the speed limit to 25 mph. In order to make our streets safer, we need to be creative, and bring people in to be part of the conversation. I've really enjoyed teaching people about how important infrastructure is in our streetscape- I think that's incredibly important and is often missing from what a lot of people do. I plan to continue in this direction but I also want to have an open mind to ensure that we're doing all we can.
Do you support the use of funds from school zone speed camera tickets for traffic calming infrastructure around schools? What street improvements could help keep children safe on their way to and from school?
Marcil: I fully support the use of school zone speed cameras in order to protect our children and neighborhoods from unsafe driving. Not only do these tools make us safer, but they also provide a not-insignificant source of funding for the City until drivers learn to drive at appropriate speeds in our City. I would support the use of school zone speed camera ticket funds for traffic calming infrastructure around schools and other streets in our City if that is determined to be the best use of that funding. I think that it may be better to designate a specific amount of funding for these important infrastructure projects in the annual budget, rather than relying on a funding source that, hopefully, will decrease over time as our streets become safer. Additionally, due to the current unpredictable nature of our federal government, this undetermined pot of annual funds may be better used by filling in for whatever funding is no longer reliable from Washington.
Some improvements we could make to keep our children safe on their way to and from school include greater access to sidewalks, dedicated lanes for public transportation, speed bumps and humps, and other pedestrian-friendly infrastructure determined to make sense for a neighborhood on a case-by-case basis.
Farrell: I absolutely do. I would not support legislation that mandates that in perpetuity, but I will be strongly pushing for funding to be spent specifically around Albany High. I've been able to address Brevator and Manning, North Main and Washington by Albany High have been nearly impossible for me to get any movement. Part of the issue is the construction, another part is the back and forth over who pays for it. From my perspective, this funding is a clear compromise. I'd love to see more pedestrian islands around schools. I also think it would be helpful to talk with the schools themselves- sometimes the most dangerous roadways for students aren't by the schools but rather are on the walk in. We should not limit the concept to school road saftey to just be immediately next to the school, but should also consider where kids walk in.
Do you support State Senator Pat Fahy’s bill to designate 7 acres of the Harriman Campus for mixed-use, transit-oriented development? In what other ways will you promote affordable and transit-oriented development in the City of Albany?
Marcil: I fully support any efforts that work to decrease the amount of space wasted in our great City by empty parking lots, especially when this space can be transformed into much-needed resources, like housing. However, due to my position as a policymaker in the New York State Senate, I am unable to participate in any activities that could be considered advocacy or lobbying for state-level legislation. If elected, I would express my support for state-level legislation that would improve the lives of residents of the City of Albany in ways that are in compliance with my ethical obligations.
Farrell: YES!!! I'm thrilled about it. I've been very involved in getting Wadsworth placed on the state office campus, and I'm just so disappointed in the construction direction they are taking. There aren't may wide open swaths of land in Albany like the state office campus, but I think it's important to have transit continue to be part of the conversation.
What is your vision for the future of Albany's riverfront and I-787?
Marcil: The City of Albany, and especially the Second Ward, have a once-in-generations opportunity to revisit the tremendous mistake that is I-787 and make sure that Albany’s riverfront is accessible to future residents and visitors. While I have many personal ideas for how best to reduce the footprint of I-787 and expand Downtown Albany’s greenspace, my vision for reimagining I-787 has two main goals. The first is to bring whatever remains of I-787’s roadways down to surface-level so our Downtown does not waste precious space with overpasses and the South End can finally be reconnected to the rest of the City after more than 50 years. The second is that communities like the South End who did not have a say when I-787 was first built and have suffered the most from its mistakes have the largest say in how the land is used in the future.
Farrell: I want those bridges down so badly. Beyond that, in my perfect world we'd have a beach on the Hudson. We have a lot to go to get there- and I'm not sure that we ever will, but that's my ideal. When it comes to what is actually in the neighborhoods, it should always be the people in the neighborhoods that have the largest voice. I would love to have a cocktail and meal by the river, but I would love even more if the people in that neighborhood said what they wanted.
In 2021, the City of Albany published its Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The plan provides many options to drastically improve conditions in Albany, but the City has made very little progress on implementation. How, if elected, will you work to put the concepts in the existing plan into action?
Marcil: To encourage pedestrian activity in the City while also protecting pedestrians and cyclists from drivers, it is important that the City use every tool it has to improve our streets. If elected, I would only support legislation and plans for road improvement that align with the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, or that implement any pedestrian safety methods that have become universally accepted since the Master Plan was published. Additionally, I would use the Master Plan as a resource when creating any pedestrian or cyclist-focused legislation.
Farrell: This is a very interesting question- because I've tried and not succeeded. When I first decided to redo the bike code, I reached out to quite a few people who helped write the master plan because it made sense to me that it should inform our bike code, and literally not one person I reached out to felt that it was relevant. From advocate to Albany employee. In addition, the master plan called for dedicated bike lanes on the Manning Blvd bridle path, which with DOT guidelines would have necessitated no parking on any of Manning and over 1/3 of the homes on this section of Manning are rental homes that need street parking. I am passionate about pedestrian and bike infrastructure and a plan, but I feel like a plan that relies on off street parking for apartments in the City of Albany where there isn't any might have flaws. I would love to partner on this, but I tried and it didn't work and when I tried again, the plan didn't take into account the people that lived there. I'm happy to keep doing it, but I think you might want to revisit the plan if I'm honest.
How will you support the City of Albany’s newly reorganized Department of Engineering in its implementation of Complete Streets design principles on Albany’s streets?
Marcil: Similar to my focus on the City’s Master Plan, if elected I would only support legislation and road-improvement plans that have considered every way that a newly constructed road can take advantage of Complete Streets principles. Additionally, I would work closely with the Department of Engineering to see how streets in the Second Ward that are in need of construction can benefit from Complete Streets principles to make sure I support the best projects for my constituents.
Farrell: By ensuring advocates and residents have a voice and a dialog. Educating all sides on the important issues of both groups is important and often, it leads to a lot of buy in and greater understanding well beyond the project. I've had residents talk to me about street design in other parts of the city who would never have even cared because of the process of a design project. To me, this is the greatest victory- because it leads to an actual lifestyle change and buy in across the City.
Do you support fully funding all remaining components of the Washington Park Complete Streets Study once the recently awarded grant funds run out?
Marcil: Washington Park is an important public resource for the City of Albany. As the park sees more visitors, it is clear that the City must find a solution for the Park’s roads in order to keep pedestrians safe. I fully support the Washington Park Complete Streets study and, so long as decisions from the federal government do not create an economic emergency in the City, I support funding the completion of the study and funding future studies for other vital greenspaces throughout the City and the Second Ward.
Farrell: I do. I will say, I am concerned about things on the federal level- there are so many unknowns. It's hard for me to imagine a situation where I wouldn't fight like crazy for a complete streets study anywhere, but I also never imagined the federal department of education being shut down or the EPA being taken over by the American Chemistry Council. With things that crazy, I don't want to make a promise I can't keep. But it's hard for me to imagine a situation that I wouldn't be fully supportive.
Are you familiar with quick-build infrastructure, and do you support its usage to keep Albany residents safe in cases where funding isn’t yet available for permanent street redesign?
Marcil: I greatly admire and support methods to increase pedestrian safety and access to streets as quickly as possible, including with quick-build infrastructure. If elected, I would support the use of quick-build infrastructure not only as a temporary fix until the City allocates the funding necessary for a permanent street design, but also to bring light to the problems that many of the City’s roads face and to test out potential solutions.
Farrell: I'm not familiar, I read through the report, it seems slightly like the process we went through with Brevator, but Brevator is very permanent now, so I'm not sure that's the case. I thought the process of Brevator should be replicated though, so if that is the process, I'm in. If not, I'd love to talk more about it.
How do you plan to reduce emissions from transportation (which account for 30% of Albany's total emissions) to support the City’s efforts to meet its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goal of reducing overall emissions by 40% by 2030?
Marcil: I am a proud CDTA user, and encourage everyone I know to use public transit on a regular basis. In order to reduce transportation emissions in the City, I would work with our County and State partners to increase access to CDTA and promote increasing bus routes and bus shelters at stops. Additionally, I would work to ensure that public transit is accessible to all residents, including our most at-risk. For individual transportation, I would work to increase the City’s infrastructure to refuel vehicles powered by renewable energy, including EVs.
Farrell: When it comes to emission reductions, the real solution is building out walkablity and EV infrastructure. EV infrastructure and EV vehicle change over has been a budget item that I've pushed since I've been on the Council and will continue to push. But really, if we want to accomplish our CLCPA goals, we need to look beyond these areas.
How will you ensure the City of Albany implements what has been recommended for our streets and public spaces in the extensive catalog of commissioned climate resiliency plans?
Marcil: As an avid public transit rider and a climate-conscious resident, I will fight every day to ensure that our City takes the proper steps to build a better future for myself and all of my neighbors in the Second Ward and beyond. The City cannot effectively represent or support its residents without preparing for the climate crisis or by ensuring that something as simple as crossing the street is safe. I promise that, if elected, equity, climate resilience, and access to safe stress will be on my mind with every vote I take.
Farrell: I really think we have to stop just doing plans and then calling it a day. I literally write environmental laws for our state and am a passionate environmentalist and I didn't know about half of these studies, I appreciate this question because it allows me to utilize them to push them. Thank you!
What do you see as the biggest problems facing vulnerable road users on Albany's streets, and how do you plan to address them?
Marcil: The biggest problems that vulnerable road users experience in the Capital Region are a lack of access to vital pedestrian infrastructure, like sidewalks and bus shelters, and a lack of accessible bus routes in the suburbs. If elected, I would work with the City to increase access to sidewalks and other pedestrian infrastructure on as many streets as possible, and partner with neighboring towns like Colonie to greater connect the Capital Region through our public transit.
Farrell: Especially with all of the data from the school speed zones- people who live outside the city and don't care about slowing down traffic or anything other than getting in and out of work. We just have to keep making our street infrastructure that which slows traffic and working to hold them accountable.
Describe a time you had a wonderful transit experience, whether in Albany or outside the Capital Region. What went into making that experience memorable? How can you work to match those experiences locally?
Marcil: As a frequent transit rider, I often have wonderful transit experiences. While not to the same scale, my positive CDTA experiences are similar to my positive experiences with Washington DC’s Metro system when I was in college. Being able to go out with friends for a fun night and not have to worry about parking, surge pricing, or tipping, and easily hopping back onto the bus to go home reminds me of how lucky I am to live in an area with exceptional public transit. While things can always get better, CDTA is one of the many reasons I am happy to be an Albanian.
Farrell: I love walking to my friends houses and walking to social activities. It makes me so incredibly happy. It feels like part of the fun. I guess I can match those experiences by making more friends and going to new places?
How would you work to change our streets and public spaces to make our communities more liveable for people of all ages and abilities?
Marcil: In order for Albany to achieve its full potential, we must change our streets and public spaces from being solely car-focused to a Complete Streets model. Living in the Second Ward, I live within walking distance of four of our City’s major roads - State Street, South Pearl Street, Broadway, and Madison Avenue. If elected, I would focus on improving these major arteries in ways that increase access and walkability for pedestrians while also addressing major concerns of drivers, like potholes and parking. Additionally, I would focus on more tailored approaches to improve neighborhood roads so that every family lives on a street that is safe for pedestrians and drivers.
Farrell: I believe strongly in amplifying voices and ensuring that the work is put in. With help from some great bike advocates, we just rewrote Albany's entire bike code that hasn't been updated for over 100 years- I think it's important to be thoughtful and put time in. I'm also always very open to new ideas and ways of doing things. I'm looking forward to all we can do next!