Another Twist For JFK Rail Funding
The Port Authority's "air train" project from Queens
to JFK Airport could receive help on Capitol Hill. Pending legislation
could render moot the PA's recent legal setback (see MTR
#212) regarding its intended use of air ticket surcharges to fund
the project. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Bud
Shuster's recently-introduced aviation reauthorization bill, expected to
pass this spring, contains language stating that "Passenger Facility
Charges" can fund airport transit projects like the JFK rail link.
The recent court ruling threatens to prolong the battle between the Port
Authority and the airline industry, which opposes use of Passenger Facility
Charges to finance "off-airport" projects. But the language in
Shuster's bill would settle the argument in the PA's favor.
