Seven candidates for New York state Assembly’s 109th district participated in an environmental forum Thursday live on WAMC.
Pat Fahy has represented the 109th Assembly District since being elected in 2012. Fahy has opted to run for fellow-Democrat Neil Breslin's 46th district Senate. Breslin decided to retire after 14 terms.
Candidates were quizzed about their positions on several of those issues, including the fate of 787.
Owusu Anane is one of several Albany Common Councilors in the field.
"The story of 787 is one of racial and environmental injustice. Today 787 is a major highway in the region. So we're going to make Albany's riverfront fully accessible to everyone, and create and capitalize on Albany's best asset, which is waterfront. Ultimately, we need major state investment to reopen Albany's waterfront, whether we bury 787 or use some other means to reroute traffic. The project will be a major, major public work endeavor," Anane said.
Albany County Legislator Dustin Reidy thinks 787 presents a great opportunity to include mixed-income housing and mixed-use zoning to expand taxable properties in the city, while fellow County Legislator Andrew Joyce believes building a land cap over and/or "boulevarding" 787 would recapture economic potential for downtown. Albany Common Councilor Jack Flynn likes the idea of building a canalway along Broadway. Ginnie Farrell, lone Republican candidate Alicia Purdy, and Albany Common Councilor Gabriella Romero want people who live in the area to have a say in whatever happens there.
"We really need to juxtapose the what it would cost to replace the highway versus what it would cost to be more creative and take down parts of it. And I don't even have my own mind made up about what I think should happen in this neighborhood. I've really been slowly and thoughtfully digesting the different presentations and the different input from community members," said Romero.
Asked "What will you do to advance environmental justice in the district and across the state to ensure more marginalized communities are not disproportionately burdened by hazards?" Anane, Farrell, Purdy and Romero pointed to "neglected" areas, like the South End of Albany, where generations have breathed toxins and desperately need funding and workforce development to emerge from years of negative environmental impacts. Reidy suggested the "biggest polluters be held accountable."
"Everything we work on in terms of environment has to pass through the environmental justice lens. We all know socio-economically disadvantaged communities have suffered the most from climate change and climate catastrophes," Reidy said.
Joyce stressed "to undo all the wrongs of the past is very important." Flynn agreed improving health is a social justice issue, at the forum co-hosted by WAMC and the New York League of Conservation Voters at The Linda.
The candidates agree replacing lead service lines is crucial to the purity of municipal drinking water. They favor transparency when it comes to disclosing the locations of existing lead water pipes. Farrell says its a public health issue that should be addressed by the state budget.
"One of the big issues is that cost thousands of dollars. And even people who are middle class and higher middle class don't necessarily have the funds to replace them. So it's really important that funding piece is essential to make sure that that infrastructure is there. So within the budget, there's normal advocacy for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act . It's currently at $500 million, I think it should be at $600 million. And I also think it's incredibly important to line item that budget out," Farrell said.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is high on every candidates’ to-do list. Joyce says adding electric vehicles is one important component.
"But looking across the one night district and looking across the state of New York, and challenging the issue, the issue is the grid and ensuring that our grid is shored up and could sustain, you know, electric bus fleets for schools," Joyce said.
The candidates agree that traffic calming and pedestrian safety are major issues. Flynn suggesting eliminating some traffic signals.
"We need roundabouts and I think they work they cut down fatalities big thing speed humps, the city of Albany put them in now and now we got to pilot for some more crosswalks I think we need our make our crosswalks a little bit lighter so people can see them," said Flynn.
Purdy believes better law enforcement would address those issues.
"We have to begin with what we have. All these things are expensive. That's what they're talking about. Your taxes are gonna go up. Where are the things in place that we, too, we can do right now to help ourselves and it starts with enforcement of the laws," Purdy said.
