Centering People, Place and Policy for Buffalo's Clean Mobility Future
This project embraces the intersection of multiple problems in inclusive, equitable mobility and climate solutions by identifying strategies focused on people, place and policy. We will engage directly with residents, community-based organizations, and employers to develop vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction strategies, active mobility solutions, electric vehicle adoption and corresponding infrastructure investments that directly respond to these goals. Acknowledging how racism impacts community wealth, opportunities will be provided to participate in the clean mobility economy without displacement.
By centering the voices of individuals most impacted by these inequities, and moving from asking them to inform a solution to building their capacity to deploy solutions, we will create both a neighborhood and system-based approach to address the cultural barriers associated with not owning a vehicle, as well as the larger racism and segregation challenges that, without intentional intervention, will continue to exclude black and brown communities from Western New York's green economy and climate solutions.
Our solution chooses an asset-based, neighborhood level approach in Buffalo's east side that focuses on People, Places, and Policies to comprehensively improve quality of life with and for residents in communities that need it most.
A community outreach and engagement process that centers the voices of People will create local ownership in our implementation. By investing in a just transition and job training we will build wealth in existing communities as a strategy against displacement. Access barriers for participation in the new mobility future will be reduced through the deployment of e-bikes, electric carshare and mobility as a service.
We will create a Place where active and electric micro-mobilty will connect people to transit and increase access to opportunities. This will be accomplished through the advancement of two regionally prioritized greenways that connect to our Main Street transit corridor. We will leverage Electronic Terrain and Obstacle Data (eTOD) work to identify opportunities to install climate smart transit stops and EV charging stations and work with communities to establish safe complete streets through quick build projects that include public art.
An all ages, all abilities approach will include curriculum development for youth and dissemination of an education campaign that ties mobility choices to climate change locally. We will target employers to incentivize shifting travel modes and implement robust transportation demand management programs. Outcomes will be evaluated to identify successes and lessons learned and develop new metrics for infrastructure and land use decisions to ensure Policy and funding decisions can sustain, scale and replicate our solutions.