TRANSPORTATION BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY OF ALBANY (2025)
ALBANY CANNOT AFFORD INACTION.
We thank Mayor Sheehan and the Common Council for supporting investments in pedestrian safety improvements and traffic calming measures over the last several years, including last year’s $10.5 million for speed humps, $4.5 million for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements, funding for improvements to deteriorating sidewalks, and the reorganization of the Engineering Department. Each of these investments have moved Albany in the right direction, but due to generations of disinvestment, there is still a long way to go.
Our existing infrastructure shows how the City has historically prioritized the interests of drivers over people outside of cars. By failing to address these legacy infrastructure issues, the City is failing to represent the 15% of households (according to the American Community Survey) within the City who do not own or have access to a personal vehicle. This population includes those who cannot afford a vehicle, those with medical conditions preventing driving, those too young to operate a vehicle, and those who for any number of reasons do not drive or own a vehicle.
Albany’s residents need action now. There is no time for more excuses – it is time to save the lives of our friends, families, and neighbors, and save our tax dollars, by investing in making our streets work better for people outside of cars.
Capital Streets is calling for increased investments in multimodal transportation infrastructure and refined processes in order to create safer, more just, and more attractive communities across the City of Albany.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
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We implore the Mayor and the Common Council to include at least one new Engineering position in the 2025 budget.
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The Mayor and Common Council should include at least $75,000 of funding for the DGS staff time and materials to make these quick builds possible in partnership with the aforementioned organizations.
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We ask that the Mayor and Common Council allocate sufficient repaving funding to DGS and the Engineering Department to include complete streets changes on every repaving project, as Albany’s own guidance documents strongly encourage.
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We ask the Mayor and the Common Council to officially adopt the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, create a 10-year plan for completing the Master Plan, and commit annual funding for implementation starting in 2025.
