Transportation Alternatives' mission is to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives. With 12,500 dues-paying members, 115,000 supporters and a committee of activists working locally in every borough, T.A. fights for the installation of infrastructure improvements that reduce speeding and traffic crashes, save lives and improve everyday transportation for all New Yorkers.
Every 30 hours, a pedestrian's life is lost to traffic violence in New York City. In the face of such staggering violence, Transportation Alternatives is fighting to save lives. In a city where car ownership is scant, populations are shifting and adding new underground routes is largely fiscally impossible, equitable and safe access to sustainable transportation options like bicycling, walking and on-street public transit is unquestionably necessary.
Since our founding in 1973, T.A. has paved the way for remarkable changes in New York City's transportation infrastructure. The hard work and passion of T.A. advocates, members and activists has led to the extraordinary growth of bicycling, the launch of Citi Bike and the introduction of numerous innovations to city streets, such as Complete Streets, parking-protected bike lanes, automated speed enforcement cameras, public plazas, Select Bus Service, Neighborhood Slow Zones, and much more.
Re-engineering arterial roadways with new bike lanes and public plazas and halting the speeding epidemic with a safer speed limit and automated enforcement cameras are rungs on the ladder to Vision Zero -- a city where no one is killed or injured in traffic. We're making New York City a safer, more sustainable place to live and leave for future generations. Future New Yorkers will not just survive on our streets and sidewalks, they'll thrive in a city where every single human life has value.
