(Photo courtesy of the office of Laura Curran)
As part of her continued efforts to enhance roadway efficiency and public transportation opportunities, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has introduced two new surveys that will help guide the county’s Shared Mobility Management Plan (SMMP)—a project of the Department of Public Works’ Planning Division aimed at improving access to shared transportation options for residents, workers, students, and visitors, particularly for those populations that are underserved.
The surveys—one intended for residents and one targeted to medium-to-large employers in Nassau County—will provide insight to changing transportation needs and preferences, with consideration for the evolving commuting and travel patterns spurred by the pandemic. The surveys can be accessed on the new project website www.NassauMobility.com and will be open until Friday, Sept. 3.
“This project underscores my commitment to addressing longstanding gaps in the county’s transportation network,” Curran said. “Increasing opportunities for shared transportation services not only helps ease congestion on our roadways while benefiting our environment but boosts our local economy by making businesses, education, medical facilities more accessible.”
“Rauch Foundation is pleased to support County Executive Curran’s efforts to solicit public input in the development of a shared mobility program for Nassau County,” Dave Kapell, Consultant to Rauch Foundation, said. “Mobility lies at the heart of economic and social development and we encourage all to complete the survey to insure that it reflects the ideas and preferences of Nassau residents, businesses and organizations.”
The SMMP will focus on transportation options that are shared among users, such as flexible or on-demand transit (NICE’s Elmont Flexi), bike sharing (Citi Bike, Bethpage Ride), scooter sharing (Lime), ride hailing (Uber, Lyft), and car sharing (Zipcar). The plan will identify and outline opportunities for introducing new and enhanced mobility services to complement and extend the reach of existing transit services in Nassau County.
The county, with a consultant team led by WSP USA Inc., will conduct a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy that will offer a variety of opportunities to solicit public input for the SMMP and share project information, including:
• Deployment of the employer and public surveys launched today
• Creation of a Stakeholder Committee to represent regional and local interests, including other Nassau County departments as well as local organizations representing social equity, civic, environmental, business/economic development, and transportation interests;
• Consultations with municipalities and technical advisors to help guide the direction of the project; and
• Launch of a project website (www.NassauMobility.com) to house project information and notice of opportunities for public input (including public meetings) throughout the SMMP study period.
“We want to hear from a diverse cross-section of Nassau County residents, employees, students, and visitors over the course of this innovative project to help shape future transportation investments,” Curran said.The SMMP is expected to be finalized and presented for implementation by late spring 2022.
—Submitted by the office of County Executive Laura Curran
