In 1996, the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association created the East End Transportation Council (EETC) to work with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council and its member agencies in an effort to develop insight into, and possible solutions to, the growing transportation problems on the East End. The Sustainable East End Development Strategies (SEEDS) initiative was developed as a federally funded pilot project and ‘cutting edge’ way to address regional transportation issues in conjunction with local land use policies.
The East End Transportation Council seeks to improve transportation options on the East End reflecting a regional vision to protect and enhance the natural and rural landscape, as well as the hamlet centers. Land use and sustainable transportation solutions are linked and need to be pursued in concert.
In 2005, the SEEDS/EETC findings and recommendations were presented at a regional Transportation Summit attended by stakeholders, including 28 elected officials. (A link to the SEEDS report and related documents can be found by accessing the “Reports” page of this website. )
In 2006, 11 East End municipalities signed an agreement of cooperation on land use and transportation, one of the key SEEDS based Summit recommendations. The Towns participating in this agreement include East Hampton; Riverhead; Southold; and Southampton. The incorporated Villages are East Hampton; Greenport; North Haven; Sagaponack; Sag Harbor; Southampton; and Westhampton Beach.
A study now underway is intended to examine the feasibility of a coordinated rail-bus network; and also explore possible alternatives. The funding for this study has been provided through a NYS Department of State Shared Municipal Services Incentive Grant. The Town of Southampton, as lead municipality on behalf of the five East End Towns, is managing the project and has retained the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, to conduct the study. The members of the EETC and the board of Five Town Rural Transit Inc., a citizen advocacy organization, serve as the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for this project.
Information on this study, including draft sections of alternatives, can be accessed via the “Reports” portion of this website.
For a personal response to any questions or comments you may have, please click on the “Contact Us” heading and send us an email.
