Andrew Cuomo's next stop: Transforming public transportation
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo speaks during his announcement of plans to improve the Metropolitan Transportation Authority transit system to resolve chronic commuter train delays, on May 23, 2017, in New York. Credit: AP / Bebeto Matthews
After building bridges and opening new subway stations, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo now wants to transform the state’s public transportation system — and perhaps even take over Penn Station.
Cuomo initially had been relatively quiet on the commuting horrors at Penn Station and extensive delays in the subways. But more recently, he’s gotten louder, writing a letter to President Donald Trump, seeking federal involvement and funds.
Tuesday afternoon, he took that letter further. He spelled out his concerns about Amtrak’s ability to operate Penn and handle the track work planned for this summer, outlined grandiose goals to modernize NYC’s subway system, and reiterated his desire for federal infrastructure funds to connect the remaking of Farley Post Office with efforts to build the Gateway Tunnel planned to connect New York and New Jersey and further renovate Penn.
“We need to have the best transit system on the globe,” Cuomo said.
That goal is clear. But how Cuomo can get there, and just what he can do in reality, is murky.
For now, he’s putting together a task force that will include Rep. Peter King and Long Island Association chief Kevin Law to look into short-term and long-term solutions. In the case of Amtrak’s control of Penn, Cuomo proposed scenarios where the Port Authority, a private operator, or the state itself could take control of the station and the tracks. But he’s dependent on Congress, President Donald Trump, and Amtrak itself, to wrestle control of Penn away from Amtrak.
In the case of the subways, Cuomo is dependent on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which he’s said he does not control or oversee. He’s hoping the MTA will start a competition for new ideas to remake the subway system’s signals, cars, and overall technology; the state would commit $1 million awards to the winners.
Then, there are the plans Cuomo could execute himself, like transportation alternatives to alleviate the pain from the summer emergency repairs. There’s talk of ferries and changes to the Long Island Expressway’s high occupancy lane — but no specifics there either, yet.
Tuesday, Cuomo took on the role of conductor, engineer and driver. It remains to be seen whether there’s too much train traffic ahead for him to even pull the train out of the station.
This originally appeared in The Point, a daily newsletter about New York politics.
