BILL NUMBER: S9918
SPONSOR: MARTINEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act relating to designating the Nassau-Suffolk transportation coordi-
nating committee as the metropolitan planning organization for Long
Island
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To designate a new metropolitan planning organization for Long Island to
address vital transportation and infrastructure related issues.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Designates the Nassau-Suffolk transportation coordinating
committee as the metropolitan planning organization for the coun ties of
Nassau and Suffolk.
Section 2: Delineates the membership, roles, responsibilities and admin-
istrative decision-making and staffing arrangements of the committee.
Section 3: Delineates the officers of the committee and states that the
New York State department of transportation shall perform sec retarial
services.
Section 4: States that all actions taken by the Nassau-Suffolk transpor-
tation coordinating committee shall be by unanimous vote.
Section 5: Delineates the central staff of the committee.
Section 6: States that the committee shall establish a unified planning
work program.
Section 7: Delineates the application process for urban mass transporta-
tion funds.
Section 8: Delineates funding allocations.
Section 9: States that the committee shall develop, review and endorse
transportation plans.
Section 10: States that the committee shall develop and annually update
a transportation improvement program.
Section 11: States that the committee shall establish a program, finance
and administration committee for overseeing the day-to-day operations of
the metropolitan planning organization.
Section 12: States that within six months of the effective date of this
act, the committee shall develop procedures for coordinating its plans
and programs, and its planning and progr amming processes, with adjacent
metropolitan planning organizations in th e states of New York, New
Jersey, and Connecticut.
Section 13: States that the committee shall have an annual meeting, held
each year between January fifteenth and February fifteenth, and deline-
ates the agenda for this meeting.
Section 14: Delineates the central staff operation.
Section 15: Sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Federal transportation law mandates that all urbanized areas with a
population over 50,000 must have a designated Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) to qualify for federal transportation funds. Since
June 1982, an entity known as the New York Metropolitan Transportation
Council (NYMTC) has operated as the recognized MPO for the five boroughs
of New York City and its surrounding suburbs (Nassau, Suffolk, Westches-
ter, Rockland and Putnam Counties specifically).
Organizationally, the NYMTC was formed through a Memorandum of Under-
standing (MOU) between its member agencies. The language of the M OU was
passed by the New York State Legislature and signed into law. The
Governor subsequently designated NYMTC as the recognized MPO for the
aforementioned planning area. This designation has not been altered
since its inception in 1982. NYMTC's planning area includes 2,440 square
miles and a 2020 population of 13.17 million, which is approximately 65%
of New York State's population and 4 percent of the population of the
nation.
The transportation and infrastructure needs of the communities in this
huge planning area can be fundamentally different depending on the
specific locality in question. Long Island, with a population of 3
million (bigger than 16 states), is a perfect example. If it were a
city, Long Island would be the third largest in the nation, surpassed
only by New York and Los Angeles. Despite its population, the amount of
funding Long Island receives for transportation is a fraction of what
large cities throughout the nation receive. Whi le NYMTC's long term
allocation funds for New York City are $1.7 Trillion, and Los Angeles'
long term allocation funds are $400 Billion, NYMTC's long term allo-
cation funds for Long Island pale in comparison at only $12 Billion.
This bill would help correct that inequity by designating Long Island as
a separate and independent MPO that can receive far more fun ding and
resources for our region's vital transportation and infrastructure
needs.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.