irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2019
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $196KMAKING TRANSPORTATION FAIR AND OTHER PROGRAMS:Ending Pedestrian DeathsCircuit Trails In FY20, Tri-State's work on the Circuit Trails resulted in more public participation in the planning, design, and use of the Circuit Trail network throughout the region. Tri-State provided municipalities and counties with assistance in applying to active transportation-focused grants such as DVRPC's Regional Trail Program, NJDOT's Bikeways, and federal Transportation Alternatives funding; also helped the following local bike/ped planning projects get awarded: Camden City Bike/Ped Master Plan, Elk Township's Elephant Swamp Trail Conceptual Design, and Pennsauken-Maple Shade's Burlington- Camden Trial Conceptual Design. Tri-State hosted and facilitated multiple bike rides in Camden and Trenton to encourage local knowledge and exploration of the Circuit. Tri-State also planned the City of Trenton's first-ever Ciclovia to show the potential of reimagined streets and raise awareness of the Circuit. Four new Circuit Trail ambassadors were recruited and multiple partnerships were strengthened through collaborative efforts. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Tri-State heightened the importance of trails as a means of transportation. Tri-State also lead the charge in developing policy recommendations for the Circuit Trail Coalition's policy recommendations for New Jersey and helped develop the Coalition's strategic plan while also continuing to lead the New Jersey coalition in coordinating funding, policy, and engagement efforts.Vision Zero In FY20, Tri-State created and lead the Vision Zero Working Group which laid the groundwork for the formation of the Vision Zero New Jersey Alliance, a coalition of diverse partners, such as families impacted by traffic crashes, community members, advocates, policymakers, transportation professionals, public health professionals, and others.
- #2 $91KMeeting Our Climate Goals:In FY2020 we took our push for transit electrification statewide, calling on NY to commit to statewide electrification. This resulted in a commitment for the state to electrify the five largest transit authorities outside of the MTA. We are also a founding member of ElectrifyNJ, a complementary effort to keep the pressure on NJTransit to electrify on their proposed timeline, as well as highlight the needs for electrifying ports and other sources of transportation pollution across the state.We pushed past transit electrification to pursue regional efforts to raise revenue for the transition to a clean transportation economy through the Transportation and Climate Initiative Program. Tri-State created a working group in New Jersey and helped create coalitions in New York and Connecticut to bring advocates together on these issues, resulting in public events, op-eds, and meetings with state decisionmakers. Multiple Tri-State staff members spoke on panels and drafted comments pushing for important equity and public transit provisions in all three states.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Circuit Trails Network Support
Provides technical and planning assistance to municipalities for trail development and promotes public engagement through bike rides and ambassador programs.
Electrify NY
Statewide coalition advocating for the electrification of public transit systems, including a commitment for clean energy fleets beyond the MTA.
Making Transportation Fair
Initiative focused on pedestrian safety, Vision Zero, and active transportation access, including support for trail development and community events like Ciclovias in Trenton and Camden.
Transportation and Climate Initiative Program
Regional effort to develop multi-state policy models for reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions, inspired by frameworks like RGGI.
Vision Zero New Jersey Alliance
Coalition-building effort to eliminate traffic fatalities through policy recommendations, public awareness, and collaboration with public health and transportation professionals.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
-
Transportation Policy Advocacy & Infrastructure Reform 6 activities
- Advocacy for transportation policy reformAdvocates for transportation and land use policy reform across the tri-state region, including campaigns for congestion pricing, equitable street redesign, and transit improvements. Played a key role in the passage of New York City’s congestion pricing program and advocates for sustainable, equitable, and community-centered transportation systems.
- Bus ridership advocacy and engagementOperates the Bus Riders Council and leads coalitions such as the Bus Turnaround Coalition to improve bus service quality, speed, and reliability for over 2 million daily riders in New York and New Jersey. Engages riders in advocacy and amplifies community concerns about transit access and infrastructure.
- Complete Streets and safe streets policy developmentDevelops and promotes model Complete Streets policies and leads coalitions such as Vision Zero NJ Alliance and Families for Safe Streets New Jersey to advance road safety, reduce traffic fatalities, and ensure equitable street design. A model policy incorporating health, equity, and sustainability factors is under review by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
- Transit electrification advocacyLeads regional advocacy for the transition to zero-emission transportation, including securing a commitment from the MTA for a fully clean energy bus fleet by 2040 and promoting electrification of buses and trucks through coalitions such as ElectrifyNY and ElectrifyNJ. Focuses on environmental justice and reducing pollution in overburdened communities.
- Transportation equity and community engagement programsOrganizes public events and outreach initiatives to promote equitable transportation access, including Earth Week EV events, Ciclovias, and public forums. Events such as 'Electric Vehicles: The Good and the Ugly' and participation in Drive Electric fairs aim to increase public awareness and engagement with sustainable transportation options.
- Transportation research and public toolsProduces original research, reports, fact sheets, and interactive tools to inform regional transportation decisions. Developed an interactive tool to model the impacts of NYC congestion pricing and supports evidence-based advocacy through data analysis.
-
-
Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advocacy for warehouse pollution regulationDocuments and raises awareness about public health impacts of pollution from warehouse-related truck traffic in communities like the Bronx, Hunts Point, and Red Hook. Advocates for state and local policies requiring warehouses to report emissions and implement pollution reduction plans, emphasizing that over 5 million New Yorkers live near major warehouse zones.
-
-
Recreational Trail Development and Maintenance 1 activity
- Regional trail network developmentParticipates in the Circuit Trails Coalition to advance a nearly 800-mile interconnected network of bicycle and pedestrian trails across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Supports community engagement through events such as bike rides and Ciclovias in cities like Camden and Trenton.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Transportation advocacy fellowship programHosts a summer fellowship program for three fellows focused on transportation and environmental justice, providing professional development through research, organizing, coalition building, public testimony, and regional excursions to deepen understanding of transportation issues.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$1.17M
Contributions & grants$1.15M99%
Program service revenue$15K1%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$978K
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$677K
Grants paid out$50K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.20M
Cash$354K
Investments$0
Liabilities$373K
Net assets$823K
Liquid reserves4.3 mo
5 years on record · 2018–2022 · YoY revenue -2.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RENAE REYNOLDS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $124K |
board members · 9
- AXEL CARRION — DIRECTOR
- ERIC ALEXANDER — DIRECTOR
- JANINE BAUER — DIRECTOR/TREASURER
- JOE FIORDALISO — DIRECTOR
- JOHN CASELLINI — DIRECTOR/CO-CHAIR
- JUSTIN BALIK — DIRECTOR
- NEYSA PRANGER — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD KASSEL — DIRECTOR
- YA-TING LIU — DIRECTOR
relationships · 105
Who they work with
- AARP–New Jersey Partner — Coalition partner in the Complete & Green Streets campaign.
- ALIGN NY Partner — Coalition partner in the ElectrifyNY campaign.
- American Heart Association–NJ Partner — Coalition partner in the Complete & Green Streets campaign.
- Appalachian Mountain Club Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- Assoc. of NJ Environmental Commissions Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- Association for a Better New York (ABNY) Partner — Collaborates on urban transportation and development issues in New York.
- Bartram's Garden Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- Bee-Line Government — Transit agency whose bus service is supported and advocated for by TSTC through rider engagement and policy initiatives in Westchester County.
- Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Partner — Coalition partner in the Complete & Green Streets and Circuit Trails Coalition campaigns.
- Bike Hoboken Partner — Coalition partner in the Vision Zero NJ Alliance.
- Bike Jersey City Partner — Coalition partner in the Vision Zero NJ Alliance.
- Bike-Walk Metuchen Partner — Coalition partner in the Vision Zero NJ Alliance.
- Circuit Trails Coalition Partner — Provides leadership and coordination for the New Jersey chapter and contributed to development of the coalition's strategic plan and policy recommendations.
- Citizens Budget Commission Partner — Coalition partner in the Fix Our Transit campaign supporting congestion pricing in Manhattan.
- Clean Air Council Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- Clean Water Action Partner — Coalition partner in the ElectrifyNJ campaign.
- D&R Greenway Land Trust Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- D&R Greenway Land Trust Partner — Partners on land conservation and sustainable transportation connectivity.
- Delaware River Greenway Partnership Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- Delaware River Waterfront Corporation Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition.
- Design Trust for Public Space Partner — Coalition partner in the Alfresco NYC campaign for open streets and open restaurants in New York City.
- Design Trust for Public Space Partner — Partners on urban design and public space improvement projects.
- Divvy Partner — Collaborated with Divvy bikeshare system in Chicago to expand access in transit deserts.
- Downtown New Jersey Partner — Coalition partner in the Vision Zero NJ Alliance.
- EZ Ride TMA Partner — Coalition partner in the Complete & Green Streets and Vision Zero NJ Alliance campaigns.
- Earthjustice Partner — Coalition partner in the ElectrifyNY campaign.
- East Coast Greenway Alliance Partner — Coalition partner in the Circuit Trails Coalition and Vision Zero NJ Alliance.
- Electrify NY Coalition — Founding member of a coalition advocating for statewide electrification of transit and transportation networks in New York.
- ElectrifyNJ Coalition — Founding member of a coalition pushing for electrification of NJTransit and other transportation pollution sources in New Jersey.
- Emily Fredricks Foundation Partner — Coalition partner in the Vision Zero NJ Alliance.
+ 75 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Coalition-Based Systems Changemethodology: coalition-based advocacyBy building coalitions across environmental, community, and advocacy organizations, the organization drives systemic transportation policy change because collective power amplifies influence and sustains long-term reform.
- Community-Rooted and Grassroots Advocacymethodology: community-rooted advocacyBy grounding advocacy in lived experience and building grassroots leadership, the organization achieves more equitable transportation outcomes because community-driven solutions are more responsive to local needs and generate sustained civic engagement.
- Evidence-Based Policy Advocacymethodology: evidence-based advocacyBy combining original research, data analysis, and strategic media outreach, the organization influences transportation and land use decisions because empirical evidence increases the credibility and persuasive power of advocacy efforts.
- People-First Transportation Planningmethodology: people-first transportationBy prioritizing people over vehicles in transportation planning and policy, the organization produces more equitable and sustainable mobility systems because it centers human needs, safety, and access over car-centric infrastructure.
- Transportation Equity as Economic Opportunitymethodology: transportation-equity-as-economic-opportunityBy ensuring public transit access in underserved communities, the organization enables economic mobility because reliable transportation connects residents to jobs, education, and essential services.