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Values

Equity
Health
Prosperity
Sustainability


Actions

Fix the institutions that are failing us

Transform the way we govern and pay for transportation

1. Reduce the cost of building rail transit
2. Restructure the Port Authority to function as a regional infrastructure bank
3. Create a Subway Reconstruction Public Benefit Corporation
4. Modernize transit systems outside New York City
5. Charge drivers to enter Manhattan, price highways, and transition to vehicle-miles tolling

Create new institutions and funding to tackle climate change

6. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a cap-and-trade market modeled after California’s program
7. Establish a Regional Coastal Commission
8. Institute climate Adaptation Trust Funds in all three states

Change fundamental inequities in how we govern land use

9. Reduce reliance on local property taxes
10. Create regional school districts and services
11. Make New York City property taxes fair 
12. Make the planning and development process more inclusive, predictable, and efficient

Make technology policy a core part of government’s business

13. Increase participation in local government
14. Expand affordable internet access across the region
15. Create a Regional Census to support better use of data for public purposes

Create a dynamic, customer-oriented transportation network

Create a fully integrated, regional transit system

16. Build a second bus terminal under the Javits Convention Center
17. Build new rail tunnels under the Hudson and East Rivers 
18. Expand, overhaul, and unify the Penn Station Complex 
19. Combine three commuter rail systems into one network

Rebuild the subway system

20. Adopt new technology for fast, reliable subway service
21. Modernize and refurbish New York City’s subway stations
22. Build new subway lines to underserved areas of the city

Adapt streets and highways for a technology-driven future

23. On city streets, prioritize people over cars
24. Improve bus service, and introduce new light rail and streetcar lines
25. Expand suburban transit options with affordable, on-demand service
26. Reduce highway congestion without adding new lanes
27. Remove, bury, or deck over highways that blight communities

Create world-class airports and seaports

28. Expand and redesign Kennedy and Newark airports
29. Build fast and affordable rail service in the Northeast Corridor
30. Modernize the region’s seaports and expand rail freight access

Rise to the challenge of climate change

Adapt to our changing coastline

31. Protect densely populated communities along the coast from storms and flooding
32. Transition away from places that can’t be protected
33. Establish a national park in the Meadowlands
34. Determine the costs and benefits of a regional surge barrier

Bring nature into our communities

35. End the discharge of raw sewage and pollutants into waterways
36. Restore the region’s harbor and estuaries
37. Cool our communities

Improve the natural and built systems that sustain us

38. Prioritize the protection of land to help adapt to a changing climate
39. Create a tri-state trail network
40. Upgrade infrastructure to high standards of resilience
41. Connect the region’s water supply systems

Create a greener energy system, with more capacity

42. Modernize the electric grid
43. Scale up renewables
44. Manage demand with energy-efficient buildings and variable pricing
45. Electrify buildings and vehicles

Make the region affordable for everyone

Provide affordable housing for all incomes, ages, races, and ethnicities

46. Protect low-income residents from displacement 
47. Strengthen and enforce fair housing laws
48. Remove barriers to transit-oriented and mixed-use development
49. Increase housing supply without constructing new buildings
50. Build affordable housing in all communities across the region
51. Make all housing healthy housing 
52. Reform housing subsidies

Expand access to more well-paying jobs

53. Maintain a globally competitive regional business district
54. Restore regional job centers
55. Make room for the next generation of industry
56. Promote partnerships between anchor institutions and local communities 

Support healthy and livable communities

57. Remake underutilized auto-dependent landscapes
58. Turn environmentally burdened neighborhoods into healthy communities
59. Support and expand community-centered arts and culture
60. Expand access to healthy, affordable food 
61. Expand and improve public space in the urban core


Places

New York City: Sustain and broaden prosperity

Bronx Hub
Far West Side: A new anchor for the region’s core
The Inner Long Island Sound: Industry, nature and neighborhoods in harmony
East Midtown
Flushing
Jamaica: A business and cultural hub with ties to neighboring communities and JFK airport
Long Island City
Lower Manhatten
Triboro Line: A new transit link for the boroughs
Downtown Brooklyn
Bronx New Haven Line
I-287 Corridor (inc. NJ)

Long Island: Renew the promise of America’s first suburb

Central Nassau County: New transit links for a diverse suburb
Ronkonkoma
Rte. 110
Hicksville

New Jersey: Create a sustainable economic powerhouse connected to New York and points south

Meadowlands: A national park for the region
Paterson: Connecting a former factory town to the region’s economy
Newark
Trenton
Route. 23

Connecticut: Transition to a dynamic and diverse economy

Bridgeport: A green and healthy city along the Northeast Corridor
New Haven
Norwalk
Route. 8
Stamford

Mid Hudson: Build on the Hudson Valley’s urban and natural heritage

Newburgh: A model for equitable and sustainable development in the Hudson Valley
Cross County Corridor

Northeast Corridor: A megaregion of national and international significance

About

Executive Summary
RPA's Regional Plans
Community Engagement
Greetings from RPA Leadership
The Planning Process
4C Initiative