Region 2 includes the states of New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ), as well as the territories of Puerto Rico (PR) and the US Virgin Islands (VI). The region’s residents live and work in diverse communities with unique economic conditions and transportation system needs. Region 2 is home to five metropolitan areas with more than one million residents each; one of these surrounds the nation’s largest city. Residents of these regions deal with different issues and their daily lives depending can be totally different. While some regions are rich and resourceful in providing welfare some regions are not. Urban residents commute on complex and frequently congested multimodal systems. Suburban communities are largely car dependent. Small and medium-sized cities are located both within and beyond these major metro areas. Many of these have been economically depressed since deindustrialization and need new economic development opportunities. A large portion of the region’s land area – particularly in New York – is rural. 

 

Our region’s rural communities are producers of critical agricultural products, both for regional consumption and for export to global markets.  In NY State, more than one in six residents lives in a rural area, although that share declines in the other locations in Region 2. All of the region’s states and territories are home to tourist destinations that employ significant populations in related sectors such as real estate, accommodation and food services. 

 

Historically, Region 2 has been home to international leaders in implementing and scaling transportation innovation. The Erie Canal and the Ideal-X containership are just two examples of multimodal transportation innovations first implemented in our region that have been critical to economic development and that have opened access to new opportunities for residents and businesses. Today, the region’s roads, waterways, railroads, airports, sidewalks, and bike lanes continue to serve as conduits of social and economic vitality within and beyond our region. However, these systems often do not adequately serve the needs of all of our region’s communities. Today’s systems are additionally challenged by congestion, infrastructure aging and disrepair, climate risk, and rapid demand evolution. 

 

All these factors highlight the need for the design of an integrated platform which can assist us to have a better understanding of the different areas and addressing equity concerns.