Green raised the specter of national and international competition for business investment, and said he supported construction of a full Second Avenue subway and a cross-harbor rail freight tunnel. He listed truck impacts in communities and diesel pollution among problems the city must grapple with. 

Green also called for a NYC Transit program of greater investment in new subway cars and subway operations to cut rush hour subway waiting times. Consistent with a recent report he issued (see MTR #257), he also called for better commuter rail service within the city in the form of lower fares, better stations, more frequent trains and a regional transit pass.

He said he believed Port Authority investment patterns favored New Jersey, but that the bi-state agency could only function if a reasonable working relationship between the agency and the City and New Jersey and New York could be restored.

In response to questions, Green said he would ensure that the Mayor's Transportation Office was a full and active participant in critical planning and decision-making processes affecting the city. He also said he favored prioritizing investment in public transit ¾ he said he opposed building a Goethals "twin" bridge, which he said would lead to what he called the "Long Island Expressway effect," where traffic expands to fill additional highway capacity.

Green also addressed a gathering of the General Contractors Association this week.