Photograph by AminTorres
Senator Charles Schumer and Representative Jerrold Nadler have been working with President-elect Barack Obama's transition team and say that NY State "is expected to get $4 billion" from an economic stimulus package. What's more, "most of it slated for mass-transit capital projects in the metro area."
How does they figure that? Well, according to the AP, $20 billion is "likely" to be allocated to mass transportation projects, and NY State usually gets a fifth of those funds. Schumer said, "We are confident that we will get a very, very good number ... maybe a little more, maybe a little less." Nadler said, "This stimulus could be a lifesaver for New York's mass-transit system," and he senior Senator added it's a "a win-win-win for commuters, a shot in the arm for our aging mass transit system and of course, very good for New York."
The proposals include, according to Newsday, "renovating the LIRR's Atlantic Avenue viaduct in Brooklyn, completing the long-awaited East Side Access project to connect Long Island trains to Grand Central Terminal and adding railings at 20 LIRR stations to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act," plus helping the MTA close its billion-dollar budget gap. Additionally, there could be $5 billion in federal funds to help out with NY State's Medicaid financing.
