ANNUAL REPORT 2025 BUILDING A MOVEMENT TOGETHER AUGUST 2026
Diana SearlPresidentLauren Oertel Board MemberTimothy Gailie Vice PresidentMara Drogan Board MemberSaadia Santos SecretaryDennis Gaffney Board MemberSachin Mitra TreasurerCsilla Aglaure- Szekelyhidi Board MemberBenjamin Mackrell Board MemberDylan Carey Board MemberJames RathExecutive Director Jackie Gonzales Kyle HatchPlanning Lead Giselle LoraProject Manager Casey AllenCommunications ManagerOperations Manager Amber SicklesDevelopment LeadSTAFF & BOARD OVERVIEW 2DIANA SEARLBoard President Capital Streets I am honored to serve an organization that pursues change with both vision and joy, is willing to question long-held assumptions, and whose passion, professionalism, and commitment shine through in every project and initiative. With continued community support, Capital Streets can help unlock and enhance many of the Capital Region's greatest assets through connected communities, a more vibrant quality of life, and streets for all. Diana Searl
This - the community being engaged and coming out - has always meant, and continues to mean, everything to us. It means the ideas and ideals that Capital Streets was founded on really resonate with people as we tirelessly try to transform our streets into the neighborhoods residents are owed. We firmly believe that our communities deserve safer, healthier, more vibrant streets, and a more connected, equitable, and sustainable transportation system across the region. We will continue to fight for big wins like a safer speed limit in the City of Albany, and small but mighty successes like quick builds. For expanded trail networks, and for shared use and side paths. For dedicated multimodal transit lanes, and for restriping. These changes both big and small have ripple effects throughout the Capital Region. Our work is just getting started, and it won’t be done until every community in the region has more attractive, connected, and usable neighborhood streets for everybody - from growing families to aging residents, and everyone in between - utilizing all modes of public and active transportation, to foster safer, more accessible and vibrant communities across the 518. As professional planners, when our co-founder, Kyle Hatch, and I first identified the need for an advocacy organization focused on streets and transportation in the Capital Region, we had a clear idea of the issues, but how such an organization could really drive change in the region still felt evasive. We weren’t sure at first how our approach would take shape. Would we focus on technical memos and advising city officials from the sidelines? Or take a more vocal, activist-led approach to engage people? We were acutely aware of how infrastructure and policy decisions shape our streets and impact the quality of life in our communities, but it wasn’t until we officially launched Capital Streets in 2023 that a clear path to begin to effectively impact these issues began to unfold for us. We formed a board, rented an old storefront in Downtown Troy, and started spreading the word. And people showed up. Concerned, dedicated, generous, hard working and passionate people showed up to share their ideas and help transform CS from an idea into a real vehicle for change. From that old storefront we started a movement. It began with passing a bicycle helmet around for donations like it was Sunday mass, and has evolved to a growing roster of dedicated donors and enthusiastic advocates willing to show up to support us at events, and to go to bat side by side with us on the issues. We went from not even realizing that a state assemblymember was in attendance in the crowd of that crowded storefront which an RPI class had converted into an exhibit on small city urbanism, to filling up Lark Hall at our 3-year anniversary party with dozens of assemblymembers, city councilpersons, and other elected officials including Albany’s mayor - but also, with hundreds of community members.capitalstreets.org 3 James Rath JAMES RATH Executive Director It’s a long road ahead, but one that we are so grateful to walk alongside with you.
OUR WORK IS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION... Traffic fatalities and injuries to vulnerable road users are a major public health problem in the Capital Region. We have the second worst road fatalities per capita in New York State. Residents are acutely aware of infrastructure barriers to accessing our basic needs: groceries, healthcare, employment, education, and recreation. People biking to work, children walking to school, or anyone traveling our streets without a vehicle, are disproportionately affected by unsafe street design. These barriers are not questions of engineering capabilities. They are byproducts of budgetary constraints and a lack of municipal bandwidth, leadership, political will, and overall vision for the region. However, with thoughtful design and people-first policy, we can begin to reverse decades of car-centered transportation systems, strengthen communities. and improve quality of life, rather than limiting it.IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE.capitalstreets.org 4
AT OUR CORE WE VALUETo create a better transportation system for all residents of the Capital Region, by pushing for infrastructure and policy changes at the local, regional, and state levels in order to foster safer, more accessible and vibrant communities.OUR VISIONOUR MISSION A Capital Region connected by a network of safe, accessible streets that promote healthier, more enjoyable, and more accessible communities. A region where streets are intentionally designed for people of all ages and abilities, to support public and active transportation — where streets, trails, and transit are seen as valuable public resources worth investing in as means to improve quality of life and increase economic growth in the region. capitalstreets.org 5 Our work is rooted in what is actually possible. While we are radically optimistic people, we remain solidly pragmatic and thoughtfully realistic in our approach to problems and projects We are dedicated to building an equitable movement that puts vulnerable road users first and includes people that may not traditionally consider themselves transportation advocates.A SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED APPROACHINCLUSIVITY OF EXPERIENCE We seek to collaborate and partner with communities, organizations, stakeholders, and decision makers whenever possible to strengthen our collective voice.COMPREHENSIVE COLLABORATION
WALKING THE WALKBecause of the support of community partners, Capital Streets staff, volunteers, and those we are in coalition with were able to work together to tackle influencing nearly 20 local street initiatives in 2025 alone, including: Our efforts to create a better transportation system in the Capital Region often include pushing for more infrastructure and policy on local, regional, and state levels, to create communities that are more walkable, bike-friendly and transit-oriented. To better understand the full depth and breadth of our work, visit capitalstreets.org/our-work to view our past, present, upcoming and ongoing work.capitalstreets.org 6 25 MPH SPEED LIMITS (ALBANY) REIMAGINE I-787 RT 2 CONGRESS & FERRY (TROY) 378 (TROY- MENANDS) BRIDGE SPEED HUMPS (ALBANY) SCHOOL ZONE SPEED CAMERAS (ALBANY) REGIONAL TRAIL NETWORK PROSPECT PARK TRAILS (TROY)ERICA SCHNEIDERAdvocate of the Year (2026) “I feel so honored to have been the recipient of the Advocate of the Year award recognizing my work in 2025 in the region. The cornerstone of my advocacy work has been about building community, whether through weekly social bike rides or memorial events to show victims of traffic violence that they're not alone. But I couldn't have imagined the community that Capital Streets would end up creating when they came on the scene three years ago. I am so lucky get to share the advocacy space here in the Capital Region with such incredible organizations and fellow active transportation and transit lovers.”
COMMUNITY IN MOTIONcapitalstreets.orgTROY COMMUNITY WALK GRAVEL PITT AARP COMMUNITY WALK AUDIT SUMMER SOCIAL ANNIVERSARY PARTY CRANKSGIVING (ALBANY & TROY) 7 As a proud Albany, NY native who spent time living in Paris and New York City, I know access to safe and diverse pedestrian and transit options makes a place more livable, dynamic — and fun! Capital Streets analyzes what works, what doesn't, and then brings everyone who needs to be at the table together to actually effect real change. I am so grateful for Capital Streets for taking on this work! Mary A. Rosch, Albany Resident and Co- Founder of Jane Jacobs Walk Albany SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT
Professional Services ($ 79,641)Programs - Community Engagement & Advocacy ( $ 114,781 ) Mangement & General ($ 49,594 )26%Operating Expenses59%15%Fundraising ( $ 28,758 )Unaudited figures$ 193,987TOTAL EXPENSESFINANCIALS, SPONSORS & PARTNERScapitalstreets.org 8Operating RevenueIndividual Donations ( $ 125,327 )Event Revenue ( $ 11,920)Corporate & Foundations Contributions ( $ 16,100 )Unaudited figuresOther ( $ 2,361)5%34%53%7%$235,348TOTAL REVENUE1%THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 SPONSORS In the City of Albany, the Parent Teacher Advisory Council (PTAC) strives to help students across the city have the best school experience possible which starts with getting them safely to and from school. Many of our students do not qualify for bussing, making pedestrian safety paramount. PTAC truly appreciates the commitment to our students’ safety that Capital Streets has shown, advocating for increased safety measures around our schools, and offering creative solutions to complex problems that keep pedestrians out of harm’s while minimizing detrimental impacts on traffic flow. We look forward to seeing future Capital Streets proposals for traffic calming measures that will have a positive impact on pedestrian safety.SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT A WORD FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS
MOVING FORWARDAlign professional staff with a healthy financial plan to ensure long-lasting community support. To build upon our early success and create a path for future growth, Capital Streets undertook a deliberate process to map a purposeful 3-Year Strategic Plan. We gathered board members and staff to define how we could best execute our mission, and help realize our vision for a safer, more interconnected Capital Region. We spent the end of 2025, and beginning of 2026 collaborating and brainstorming as a team to define annual workplans and frameworks. This work identified five key components to building a sustainable organization that has lasting impact. SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONScapitalstreets.org 9 Inform and engage with people and like- minded community partners to build a livable streets movement. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Be a resource for municipal improvements to streetscape and trail infrastructure, and advocate for local policy that breaks systemic barriers and provides lasting transportation equity. EDUCATE & ADVOCATE Spearhead transformative transportation projects that broaden the scale of our work’s impact on communities. IMPACTFUL PROJECTS
info@capitalstreets.org Csilla Aglaure, Ryan Allen, Julia Alvarez, Rasheed Anderson, Isaac Anzures, Molly Ariotti, Nicole Banach, Ian Banatoski, Lise Bang-Jensen, Lisa Barone, Julia Battista, Chester Bennett, B Wayne Bequette, Eric Bergin, Cody Bloomfield, Shaina Brassard, Alex Brooks, Alicia Brown, Michelle Bruck, Councilmember Greg Campbell-Cohen, Jasmine Ceniceros, Dash Chrisner, William Comiskey, Sara Constantineau, Jamie Crouse, Kenneth DeVoe, Catherine Dickert, Kelli Donohue, Edmund Doyle, Mara Drogan, Kevin Eherts, Ari Eherts, Senator Patricia Fahy, Fernanda Farche, Jona Favreau, Sam Fein, Lindsay Felt, Tom Ferguson, Peter-John Ferrebee, Noreen Fisk, Paul Fisk, William Fitzgerald, Dennis Gaffney, Timothy Gailie, Leah Gapp, Jacqueline Gonzales, Eric Gonzales, Michael Gonzales, Kent Gonzales, Aaron Gotlieb, Ben Gotman, Brendon Grates, Hailey Hamias, Rob Hanks, Carey Hatch, Lauren Hirsch, Samuel Johnson, Councilmember Meghan Keegan, David Kindlon, Daniel Kirk- Davidoff, Ethan Koval, Ian Kundel, Chris Lavery, John Leach, Sagan Leggett, Dele Loucks-best, Andrew Lynn, Caitlin Lyons, Arthur Lysomirski, Ben Mackrell, Caitlin Mantica, Stephen Maples, Josh Marcil, Bonnie Mariano, Willis Matis, Andrew Matrai, Matthew McGowen, Elijah McGowen, Rachelle McKnight, Kara McKnight, Katie McLaren, Assemblymember Carolyn McLaughlin, Amy McLean, Amanda Messineo, Loretta Mirandola, Marti Mirandola Mullen, Sachin Mitra, Rohini Mitra, Kelli Moore, Jennifer Morton, Barbara Nelson, Lauren Oertel, Dalila Oliver, Jonathan Owens, Sophie Patka, Anthony Pelegrino, Nancy Perini, Tobias Pettinelli, Keith Pickard, David Pynchon, Susan Rice, Mary Rosch, Saadia Santos, Erica Schneider, Cris Schrader, Christine Schudde, Diana Searl, Ethan Sedano, William Shy, Mariana Staines, Susan Steele, Benjamin Stein, Stephannie Stoyle, Tyler Suchan, Shannon Sutorius, Nate Taylor, Emma Terwilliger, Scott Terwilliger, Hallie Thomas, Rebecca Thomas, Congressman Paul D. Tonko, Abby Townend, Brooks Upham, Allison Valiquette, Adam Vanderminden, Aaron Vera, Emily Wager, Ian Walkinshaw, Barbara A. Walton, Janet Willis, Larry Winchester, Nick Winget, Kate Wood, Deborah Zamer, Matt Zimmer SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2025 SUPPORTERS As a community-powered organization, we rely on public support to further our mission. Collectively, we can fund the lean operations of this important work if we all chip in. Every dollar counts toward safe, accessible, and equitable streets for all people in the Capital Region. Thanks to your support, we saw in 2025: ⟶ 10% More Monthly Donors ⟶ 24% More Donors Acquired ⟶ 21% Growth In Donor SupportWE ARE POWERED BY YOU SUPPORT US BY DONATING capitalstreets.org/support capitalstreets.org @capitalstreetsny