New York Officials Push Hard For More Federal Funding For Transportation Megaprojects
New York City-area transportation officials urged a local construction group today to help lobby for a fair--and lion's--share of reauthorized funding in the next version of TEA-21. Speaking at a Professional Women In Construction forum, officials from federal, state and advocacy agencies noted that with scarce sources of funding and fewer Congressional champions of New York transportation, emphasizing the area as a security target and densely populated business center would be vital in garnering federal support for big-ticket construction projects.
Chris Boylan, deputy executive director of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said that billions of dollars worth of planned projects--such as the East Side Access connector and a new Second Avenue Subway--should not come out of the $21 billion in federal funds earmarked for rebuilding downtown Manhattan's transportation network. "I made the case that there is no relationship there," he said of his testimony before a Congressional appropriations committee. He added that if New York City were to host the 2012 Olympic Games, "it would be a tremendous engine for these projects."