Over the last decade, a large number of high capital cost transportation projects
have been proposed for the New York City Region. Many have resulted from addressing
evolving capacity needs, changes in regional demographics and economics, meeting the
improvements necessitated by operating century old subway systems and recognizing the
impact of moving freight in a dense region. But the catalyst for bringing all of these projects
to the attention of the public and all regional agencies was the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

Momentum is growing for an ambitious round of investments in transportation projects in New
York City. At a time of fiscal crisis, and uncertainties over the direction of the economy in
Lower Manhattan and the city as a whole, new transportation infrastructure is increasingly being
seen as critical for the city?s future. Buoyed by calls from elected officials and civic and
business groups, a wide array of government agencies ? including the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, the Port Authority, New Jersey Transit, the New York State

<p>The New York State Department of Transportat ion (NYSDOT) is developing a comprehensive set of measures that link investments in transportation to the general economic performance of the New York State Economy. The agency would like to understand in particular how NYSDOT investments singularly or in concert with investments by State and Local governments and Public Agencies/Authorities could improve economic competitiveness. As in the rest o f the U.S., transport systems have been designed to link, impact and even stimulate economic activites.

As more and more people have forsaken city-center activities in favor of out-of-town shopping malls and business parks, many downtown areas in the United States have been allowed to fall into neglect. Will Central Business Districts (CBDs) or 'Main Streets' survive these forces? Unless proper measures are taken and necessary investments made now, the future of Main Streets may be in danger. Is it worth investing in Main Streets in New York State?

Assessing the importance of transportation facilities is an increasingly growing topic of interest to federal and state transportation agencies. This work proposes an optimization based model that uses concepts and techniques of complex networks science to assess the importance of transportation facilities.

The vitality of New York City?s economy is highly dependent on a modern, efficient mass transportation
system that connects the city?s current and future centers of employment to the regional labor pool. The
availability and adequacy of mass transit are major factors in business location decisions, driving demand
for commercial real estate and dictating patterns in job growth. Despite their critical importance to business
and economic development, major investment decisions on transportation projects are typically made without

<p>The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology for estimating and weighing the transportation and the economic development benefits of transportation projects from the perspective of the private sector. This methodology is intended to help decision makers and the public evaluate the benefits of individual projects and clusters of projects. It may also be valuable in making the city&#39;s case for federal transit aid.</p>

This series of projects examined travel behavior and accessibility in the Bronx. The first study in the series, "The Implications of Travel Profiles for Transportation Investment," analyzed travel conditions and choices in the Bronx, where large-scale transportation and other development projects were presently taking place. Using a large database composed of census tract information on socio-economic and travel behavior, the paper first examined the travel profile of the Bronx population, by estimating travel choice elasticities.

The story has been told often. The sustained economic success
that thrust New York into international preeminence has been
closely linked to the development and maintenance of superior
systems of transportation. Whether in the leading role or a
supporting position, transportation underwent critical improvements
as one economic era evolved into the next. In the 19th Century the
Erie Canal made New York City the gateway to the frontier. Later
in the same century outstanding port facilities attracted the

The apparent increase in light rail transit capital costs is a
significant concern for Federal Transit Administration, as
well as for its partner agencies at the state and local levels.
While unit costs have shown no clear trend over the past
decade, many individual agencies are experiencing
unexpectedly high project costs and could use assistance in
both bringing these costs under control and gaining tools to
better anticipate ultimate project costs.