Since taking New York’s top transit position, MTA Chair Peter Kalikow has described the issue of funding big system expansion projects as one of lobbying for federal dollars.  But the U.S. House’s Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee voted last Thursday to allocate only $10 million for the Long Island Railroad-Grand Central connection and allocated no money to the Second Avenue Subway in the 2002 federal budget, according to the Daily News.  The MTA has said it hoped to pull in about $150 million for LIRR-Grand Central and $20 million for the Second Avenue line from the feds next year.

Spokespersons for several NYC Representatives didn’t give the projects much hope of garnering more funds in the House as the budget works its way to a full House vote.  That would put the spotlight on New York Senators Schumer and Clinton to help boost federal funding for the projects for 2002.

The projects’ best prospect for real federal cash is to win a “full funding agreement” through the Federal Transit Administration’s “new starts” program.  FTA commentary on MTA projects in recent years has raised the lack of an approved, funded MTA capital program (see article on previous page) as an obstacle to such an agreement.  Still, even a full funding agreement is likely to provide only 50% of the cost of projects as large as Second Ave. or LIRR-GCT.  The rest will have to come from Albany.

FTA "News Starts" Web Page

Kalikow Offers Hope for 2nd Avenue Line - March 19, 2001

FTA, NYC Reps on East Side Access: Good Project, Bad Financing -  June 19, 2000

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