LIRR JFK – Lower Manhattan Link Funding….
I forgot to blog about some important transit news in regards to funding from the federal government. Last Friday, The Senate approved $2 billion dollars for NYC to build a LIRR link to JFK Airport. The $2 billion is part of the $20 billion President Bush promised NYC after the 9/11 attacks. However there was some drama in the Senate Finance Committee because Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) tried to stop the bill.
Here is a brief article about the funding courtesy of the NY Daily News:
WASHINGTON – The Senate yesterday approved $2 billion for New York City to build a rail link to JFK Airport, part of $20 billion in rebuilding aid pledged by President Bush after the 9/11 attacks.
The funding, provided through special tax credits, must be authorized by a joint Senate-House panel before it can be doled out to the city. The Senate approved the tax credits over the objections of a lawmaker who said tornadoes do as much damage as 9/11.
Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) tried to stop the bill in the Senate Finance Committee by claiming, “There are other tragedies that can hit, obviously we had the tornadoes, you know, that hit.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who led the funding drive, called that “unfair and wrong.”
“It was an evil attack, which our city is still suffering from,” Schumer lectured Ensign.
Personally I do not support this project as it seems to be a waste of funds. Lets be frank here, can you name one train to plane setup that was a success? I know the AirTrain might come to mind but questions still exist on its impact & effectiveness as a viable option.
I’ll be honest, I have been a big critic of a number of LIRR related ideas over the last year or so. Of the two main proposals, I would support East Side Access over a JFK-Lower Manhattan link. As much as I am against both projects, I feel that East Side Access would serve a more legitimate use to the overall riding public.
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