OP-ED
Dealing with Queens’ future transportation needs
BY LARRY PENNER
When it comes to public
transportation needs, Queens
commuters continue to be left
empty handed, with no real
firm financial commitments.
Elected officials failed
to provide any specific
information on how they
will come up with funding
to implement many of the
following transportation
projects.
The list includes but is
not limited to the following
projects or proposals. All 14
members of the Queens City
Council member delegation
are supporting the Commuter
Rail Fare Equalization
Proposal. This would allow
NYC residents to pay a $2.75
fare on the Long Island Rail
Road or Metro North Rail
Road, the same as riding
the NYC Transit Subway
and provide a free transfer
to the NYC subway. How
will NYC provide the MTA
with $200 million to cover
the cost?
The LaGuardia Airport
Train to the Plane has a
shortfall of several hundred
million toward the overall
project cost of $1.5 billion.
Next, there is a one seat ride
from Manhattan to Kennedy
Airport, which could cost
several billion.
Some Queens
residents will
be looking for
$97 million
toward the $231
million Phase
2 Woodhaven
B o u l e v a r d
Select Bus
Service. These
dollars may
be necessary
if NYC DOT is
unable to secure
$97 million in
Federal Transit
Administration
New Starts
funding.
Others support $2.2
billion to construct Light
Rail between Jamaica and
Long Island City on the old
Lower Montauk LIRR branch;
restoration of LIRR service
on the old Rockaway branch
at $1 billion; the Main Street
Flushing Intermodal Bus
Terminal $100 million; the
Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront
Street Car Connector at
a cost of $2.7 billion; $400
million for the new Belmont
LIRR Station Islanders
Arena Station; $36 million for
reopening the old Elmhurst
LIRR station; and millions
for new ferry services
from Bayside, Fort Totten,
College Point and
Flushing Marina.
Let us see how many
members of the Queens
Albany and City Hall
delegations will convince the
MTA to program
their share of
billions in future
C o n g e s t i o n
Pricing revenues
scheduled to
start in 2021 to
support some of
these projects.
Can they
authorize and
a p p r o p r i a t e
a d d i t i o n a l
f u n d i n g ,
which could be
added by
amendment to
the existing
MTA $32 billion
2015 - 2019 Five
Year Capital Plan?
Will they be successful
in convincing the MTA to
include any of these projects
in the upcoming $30 to $50
billion MTA 2020 - 2024 Five
Year Capital Plan?
Under the next Five
Year Capital Plan, the MTA
probably will first have to
find $4.3 billion balance
needed to fully fund the
$6 billion Second Avenue
Subway Phase 2, $1 billion
more each to complete $11.2
billion LIRR East Side
Access and $2.6 billion Main
Line Third Track, along with
NYC Transit President’s
Andy Byford’s proposed
$38 billion accelerated
NYC capital improvements
program.
Where do the Queens
Congressional, State Senate,
Assembly and City Council
members think they will
find the cash for all these
projects?
Talk is cheap, but actions
speak volumes.
Larry Penner is a
transportation historian
and advocate who
previously worked 31 years
for the US Department of
Transportation Federal
Transit Administration
Region 2 NY Office.
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