Friday
Jul302004
Downtown JFK Rail Link Gets a Boost
Friday, July 30, 2004 at 04:42PM
The White House has agreed to recommend that $2 billion in post-9/11 Federal aid be converted to a direct grant that would help fund a rail link between JFK airport and Lower Manhattan. The funds had previously been allocated to the Liberty Bond program. Congress must still approve the shift, but with White House backing approval seems likely.
It’s thought that the rail link would cost at least $6.0 billion. The MTA has allocated $400 million for the link in its next capital program, and the Port Authority says it will contribute about $560 million. That means Gov. Pataki, who strongly backs the rail link, still neads to find about another $3.0 billion — and that assumes the initial cost estimates are accurate. (The $6.0 billion figure seems low to me.)
Another $500 million could come from canceling the unpopular West Street tunnel, which at almost $700 million is surely the most wasteful of the Lower Manhattan rebuilding projects. West Street could be widened to eight lanes at-grade for just $175 million, freeing the surplus for much worthier projects.
It’s thought that the rail link would cost at least $6.0 billion. The MTA has allocated $400 million for the link in its next capital program, and the Port Authority says it will contribute about $560 million. That means Gov. Pataki, who strongly backs the rail link, still neads to find about another $3.0 billion — and that assumes the initial cost estimates are accurate. (The $6.0 billion figure seems low to me.)
Another $500 million could come from canceling the unpopular West Street tunnel, which at almost $700 million is surely the most wasteful of the Lower Manhattan rebuilding projects. West Street could be widened to eight lanes at-grade for just $175 million, freeing the surplus for much worthier projects.
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