BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR UNE 25-JULY 1, 2021 13
Dear Editor,
When Gov. Andrew
Cuomo assumed office on
Jan. 1, 2011, he promised
to run the most open and
transparent administration
in history. This was to have
included all state agencies,
along with dozens of independent
authorities like the
MTA. In 2013, Cuomo issued
an executive order for all
state agencies and authorities
to publish their data online.
The state Legislature
recently passed the “MTA
Open Data Act.” Cuomo
should sign this bill into law.
The legislation directs the
MTA to publish all statistical
and factual information
it maintains on the states online
portal.
The Federal Transit Administration
provides $1.5
billion in annual capital
grants to the MTA. This is
accomplished under the FTA
Transit Award Management
System (known as “TrAMS”)
that is used to award and
manage federal grants. The
MTA currently manages an
active portfolio of federally
funded capital improvement
projects and programs in
open grants worth more than
$12 billion in direct federal
financial assistance. This
does not include $14 billion in
CARE COVID-19 funding.
Cuomo claims his administration
is the most above
board in history. In addition
to the state governmental portal,
why not promote transparency
by having all of this
information submitted to the
FTA by the MTA posted on
their agency website as well?
City, state and federal financial
assistance along
with farebox revenues fund
MTA capital projects and
programs. Commuters and
taxpayers are looking for accountability,
efficiency and
timely completion of capital
projects, programs and maintenance
to assure more reliable
and safe commutes. Riders,
transit advocacy groups,
taxpayers, elected officials
and transportation reporters
deserve easy access to this
information.
Larry Penner is a New York
City resident with expertise in
the city’s transit system.
It has been a difficult 14
months for our city and our
local economy. This time last
year, we were looking at unemployment
numbers most
of us haven’t seen in our lifetimes.
Sadly, due to the pandemic
we’ve lost a number of
cherished small businesses
that served our neighborhoods
and created jobs for New Yorkers.
As more and more of us
get vaccinated and COVID restrictions
are lifted, we’re finally
returning to normal.
But even before the pandemic,
our economy was at a
crossroads. We were moving
towards more high-paying
jobs in tech, and more lower
paying jobs in the service sector,
all while robust pathways
to the middle class were slowly
disappearing.
Historically, the one industry
that has provided stable,
middle class jobs for New Yorkers
has been the construction
trades. Construction and real
estate account for 20 percent
of New York City’s GDP, 10 percent
of jobs, and 5 percent of
wages. Construction also has
a catalyzing effect on other industries.
For every $1 million
spent on construction, eight
new jobs are created.
The industry is also a
driver of small businesses, as
well as minority- and womenowned
businesses. One hundred
and seventy-seven
WMBE contractors are members
of the Building Trades’
Employers Association, and
minorities and women make
up 55 percent of the Building
Trade Union workforce.
Unfortunately, after a decade
of growth, COVID hit the
construction industry hard,
wiping out years of progress
in the blink of an eye. Over the
course of the pandemic, $9.8
billion in construction activity,
74,000 jobs, and $5.5 billion
in wages were lost.
Now, the recovery of the
industry is threatened by the
baffling rise of anti-development
sentiment amongst politicians
and candidates for
office. This jeopardizes the
economic recovery of our entire
city, and closes off job opportunities
for families struggling
to make ends meet.
Turning away billions of
dollars in private investment
into our communities that
would create jobs and generate
tax revenue for our city would
be foolish. We also cannot afford
to wait for federal action.
Even if President Biden’s infrastructure
plan passed today,
we’d still be at least two
years away from shovels being
in the ground on those
projects.
New Yorkers need to put
food on the table and pay their
bills today. There are a number
of ways the City can support
construction, from expediting
standard permitting at
the Department of Buildings,
to establishing a single point
of contact in the Mayor’s office
to streamline large projects.
But we also need elected
officials at all levels of government
that understand the vital
role private sector development
will play in our economic
recovery.
We have a unique opportunity
to remake both the physical
and social infrastructure
of our city.
But we cannot do that without
supporting the construction
industry, which provides
a clear and stable pathway to
the middle class for millions
of New Yorkers.
Grech is the President and
CEO of the Queens Chamber of
Commerce. Coletti is the President
and CEO of the Building
Trades Employers’ Association.