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TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES INC

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 510186015 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · transalt.org
revenue
$4.2M
expenses
$5.1M
net assets
$3.3M
employees
56
volunteers
500
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

TO RECLAIM NEW YORK CITY FROM CARS, TRANSFORMING OUR STREETS INTO SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, AND EQUITABLE PLACES TO WALK, BIKE, TAKE TRANSIT, GATHER, AND THRIVE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Transportation Alternatives advocates for safer, more equitable streets in New York City by promoting walking, biking, and sustainable transit. The organization advances its mission through original research, policy reports, and community events such as bike tours and the Vision Zero Cities Conference. It focuses on reclaiming street space from cars and addressing systemic inequities in urban transportation.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $908K
    RESEARCH AND REPORTING - TA EMPLOYS ORIGINAL RESEARCH AND REPORTING TO PUSH ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS AND POLICY AREAS FORWARD. THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF ITS DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND SENIOR EDITOR, TA RESEARCHES AND RELEASES SIGNATURE POLICY REPORTS. IN ADDITION TO THESE REPORTS, TA HAS RELEASED MORE THAN A DOZEN ORIGINAL ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET WEBSITE, WWW.MEDIUM.COM, COMBINING PERSONAL STORYTELLING WITH STATISTICAL EVIDENCE TO EXPLORE POLICIES FROM RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN TRAFFIC VIOLENCE CASES TO TACTICAL URBANISM AS A RESPONSE TO FISCAL CRISIS.
  2. #2 $625K
    OUTREACH TOURS AND EVENTS - TA'S ANNUAL BIKE TOURS PROVIDE AN ENTRY-LEVEL PATH TO ON-STREET BICYCLING, INCLUDING THE BOROUGH TOUR IN STATEN ISLAND, WHICH OFFERS A CHOICE OF EITHER 35-MILE OR 50-MILE FAMILY-ORIENTED BICYCLE PARADES THAT LOOP THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE NEW YORK CITY'S BICYCLING POPULATION HAS EXPLODED. TA ALSO CEMENTED THEIR REPUTATION AS AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER ON VISION ZERO BY HOSTING THEIR ANNUAL VISION ZERO CITIES CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER 2024. THE CONFERENCE BROUGHT TOGETHER TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERTS AND POLICYMAKERS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD TO SHARE COMMON CHALLENGES, PRACTICAL GUIDANCE, AND CUTTING-EDGE SOLUTIONS.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Bike Tours & Events
Hosts annual bike tours, including the Staten Island Bike Tour and Borough Tours, to promote safe cycling and community engagement across all five boroughs.
Open Streets Advocacy
Advocates for permanent, 24/7 Open Streets to reclaim public space for people, with community organizing and policy recommendations.
Research & Reporting
Produces original policy reports and data-driven analyses on street safety, equity, and transportation policy to inform advocacy campaigns and public discourse.
Vision Zero Cities Conference
Annual virtual or in-person conference convening traffic safety experts and policymakers from the U.S. and abroad for knowledge exchange and technical workshops.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Transportation Policy Advocacy & Infrastructure Reform 3 activities
    • Advocates for street safety and sustainable transportation policies
      Leads citywide campaigns to expand protected bike lanes, implement speed safety cameras, pedestrianize streets, and regulate vehicle use through a Safe Systems approach. Key efforts include advocacy for Sammy's Law, Intro 417, Intro 511, and improved red light camera programs, as well as opposing highway expansions and promoting daylighting intersections.
    • Produces research reports and data tools to advance transportation policy and advocacy
      Conducts original research, publishes policy reports, and develops interactive data tools such as the Serious Injury Dashboard and the "100 Children" memorial to inform advocacy and hold city officials accountable for traffic safety and public space equity. Collaborates with institutions like MIT and NASA to produce findings on spatial equity and urban heat in public transit areas.
    • Supports school communities in improving street safety and sustainability
      Provides the Green Schools, Safe Streets Toolkit and delivers training to schools on Open Streets for Schools applications and safe routes advocacy, empowering school communities to apply for car-free zones and engage with local decision-making bodies.
  • Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
    • Builds community capacity through training and youth engagement programs
      Empowers NYC teens through the Youth Activist Committee to lead local transportation justice campaigns and publishes resource guides for communities on implementing safety interventions like daylighting.
  • Scientific Conference & Symposium Management 1 activity
    • Convenes national and international conferences on Vision Zero and traffic safety
      Hosts the annual Vision Zero Cities Conference, bringing together hundreds of safety experts, policymakers, and advocates from across the U.S. and abroad for peer learning, technical workshops, and knowledge exchange on reducing traffic fatalities.
  • Organized Community Cycling Events 1 activity
    • Hosts community events and bike rides to promote engagement and transportation justice
      Organizes over 500 annual events across all five boroughs, including advocacy and social bike rides, community garden tours, and large-scale events like the NYC Century Bike Tour and Bike the Boroughs, drawing hundreds to thousands of participants to foster civic participation and active transportation.
  • Bicycle Distribution and Repair Programs 1 activity
    • Provides direct services and resources to support safe and accessible biking
      Offers programs such as Bike Match to connect bike donors with recipients, operates Bike Valet services at public events, and provides online safety guides, legal help, and educational materials for e-bike and conventional bike riders in New York City.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.23M
Contributions & grants$3.89M92%
Program service revenue$307K7%
Investment income$77K2%
Other revenue$-38K
expenses
Total expenses$5.10M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$3.66M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.68M
Cash$777K
Investments$1.82M
Liabilities$410K
Net assets$3.27M
Liquid reserves6.1 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -9.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ELIZABETH ADAMS INTERIM CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $213K
MEGAIN EISS INTERIM CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $191K
DANIEL HARRIS UNTIL 624 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $157K
PHILIP MIATKOWSKI SENIOR DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & POLICY 40 $143K
AMY KLEIN SENIOR DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR 40 $117K
board members · 20
  • ADAM MANSKY — MEMBER
  • ALISON SANT START 424 — MEMBER
  • ANDY LERNER — MEMBER
  • BAHIJ CHANCEY UNTIL 624 — MEMBER
  • CHRISTINE BERTHET — MEMBER
  • CLAIRE WEISZ — MEMBER
  • CURTIS ARCHER UNTIL 325 — MEMBER
  • DANIEL KAIZER — MEMBER
  • DOUG ELLIS UNTIL 325 — MEMBER
  • GENTRY LOCK — MEMBER
  • GEORGE BEANE UNTIL 325 — MEMBER
  • HOPE REEVES — VICE CHAIR
  • JANET LIFF — CHAIR
  • JOHN CHOE UNTIL 424 — MEMBER
  • KARL CHEN START 424 — MEMBER
  • KEITH TUBBS — MEMBER
  • KEN WEINE — MEMBER
  • MARTIN MIGNOT — MEMBER
  • MARY BETH KELLY — MEMBER
  • MICHAEL EPSTEIN UNTIL 325 — MEMBER
relationships · 16

Who they work with

  • Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • Civic Data Design Lab at the Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Partner — Collaborated on research to uncover inequities in public space distribution in New York City
  • Council Member Crystal Hudson Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • Council Member Lincoln Restler Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • Council Member Shahana Hanif Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • Families for Safe Streets Partner — Collaborates with Families for Safe Streets to advocate for traffic safety reforms and support crash-impacted families.
  • NASA Partner — Collaborated to identify and analyze the 100 hottest bus waiting spots in New York City
  • NYC 25x25 Coalition — Collaborates with the NYC 25x25 initiative to convert 25 percent of car space into space for people by 2025.
  • NYC Century Partner — Collaborates on promoting the NYC Century bike tour as a major cycling event.
  • Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • State Senator Andrew Gounardes Partner — Jointly supporting the campaign to close the gap on Ashland Place
  • Transportation Alternatives Partner — Organizes and leads the Your City, Your Voice activist training series
  • Vision Zero Cities Conference Coalition — Hosts the annual Vision Zero Cities Conference to convene traffic safety experts and policymakers.
  • Youth Activist Committee Coalition — Youth-led committee under Transportation Alternatives that leads local campaigns for transportation justice in NYC schools.
  • https://transalt.org/nyc-bike-resources Partner — Hosts a resource hub for biking in New York City, including legal help and safety information.
strategies · 4

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.

  • Behavioral Normalization Through Public Engagement
    methodology: behavioral_normalization
    By promoting cycling through accessible entry points like bike valets and community exchanges, we produce broader public acceptance of active transportation because visible, inclusive participation normalizes sustainable modes and builds political will.
  • Grassroots Advocacy for Systemic Change
    methodology: grassroots_community_organizing
    By mobilizing community members through organizing and leadership development, we produce sustained political pressure for transportation policy reform because resident-led movements are more resilient and legitimate in demanding structural changes.
  • Infrastructure-First Safety Model
    methodology: infrastructure_first_safety
    By advocating for systemic infrastructure changes—such as protected bike lanes, daylighting, and lower speed limits—we produce safer streets for all users because physical design directly shapes behavior and reduces the potential for traffic violence.
  • Research-Based Advocacy
    methodology: research_based_advocacy
    By generating original research and data-driven reporting, we produce credible, actionable evidence that shapes public discourse and holds officials accountable because empirical analysis strengthens the legitimacy and urgency of policy demands.