Transportation Infrastructure: The Scorecard

THE PLAYERS

THE STATE 

The cornerstone of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s transportation plans continues to be the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, but the governor added another massive project to the state’s plate in January when he announced New York would take over from the Port Authority the responsibility for upgrading JFK and LaGuardia Airports. The Port Authority has become a headline grabber through the early part of the year, especially across the Hudson River, after appointees and staff members of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie allegedly conspired to close traffic lanes as an act of political retribution. Executive Director Pat Foye, a Cuomo appointee, has avoided the scandal that has plagued his cross-river colleagues. Another entity in turmoil is the MTA, whose ongoing contract spat with Long Island Rail Road workers’ unions has put Chairman Tom Prendergast in tight financial constraints as the agency develops its next capital plan—and tries to keep costs down for projects in its current one. The state Senate Transportation Committee has also had turnover, with former chair Charles Fuschillo resigning and Sen. Joseph Robach replacing him as committee head. 

THE CITY 

New York City has experienced a complete turnover of top transportation leaders since last year. For one, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has stepped in and placed an immediate focus on pedestrian safety with his Vision Zero plan. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has also gotten in on the action with a step-up of jaywalking enforcement. City Council Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez has voiced support for Vision Zero, though he told City & State that the city must not let jaywalking become the new stop-and-frisk. New Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg is taking a lead position on Vision Zero and will have to deal with ever-aging city infrastructure. 

THE INDUSTRY 

Transport Workers Union Local 100 has joined in with Long Island Rail Road workers’ unions, including the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Union, to press the MTA for a new labor deal to avoid possible strikes. Construction unions have already thrown their weight at the de Blasio administration on the real estate development front, but have yet to test it on infrastructure. 

THE ADVOCATES 

The Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council will be pressuring both the MTA and unions to stave off a strike and keep trains running. Tolls have become an early focal point for politicians, with Cuomo setting his sights on lowering Verrazano-Narrows Bridge tolls and Tappan Zee Bridge-area legislators like state Sen. David Carlucci and the Senate Independent Democratic Conference calling for reduced tolls across the state at a time when there is talk that New NY Bridge tolls could increase dramatically. 

THE ISSUES

LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD WORKERS CONTRACTS 

A dispute has been brewing between the MTA and Long Island Rail Road unions for some time, as thousands of workers have been without a contract for more than three years. The year has started with threats to strike, which would create major headaches for commuters and MTA brass. The MTA and union leaders have gone to federal mediators to try to sort out their differences, and the latest request for mediation means workers can’t legally strike until July. Still, the agency has begun developing contingency plans that reportedly will rely more on commuters carpooling or telecommuting to work than the shuttles employed during the 1994 LIRR strike. The major repercussion of the discussions on the immediate future of the MTA is the development of its next capital plan, which the MTA’s Tom Prendergast told state lawmakers could be slashed by $6 billion if the MTA agrees to contract terms from the first federal mediation meeting should the agency choose that route over a fare hike. 

VISION ZERO 

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s hallmark transportation goal early in his tenure is reducing pedestrian accidents with the Vision Zero initiative. The proposal was received warmly—at least more warmly than the NYPD’s crackdown on jaywalking. Though de Blasio had to deal with early gaffes by his caravan— speeding and rolling through stop signs days after announcing the proposal — with those behind him, the city could be in for lower speed limits and—the hope is—fewer pedestrian fatalities. 

TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE 

The replacement of the Tappan Zee continues to be a top priority for the state, especially the Executive Chamber. No matter what the New NY Bridge will be named— the Mario Cuomo Bridge? The Pete Seeger Memorial Bridge?—there has been a full court press to move the construction forward and, at the beginning of the year, a super crane made its way from the West Coast to build the spans. Talk about future toll increases is not expected to die down anytime soon, especially in an election year when state and local lawmakers will be looking to prove to their constituents that they are looking out for voters’ wallets. 

METRO-NORTH SAFETY 

Intense scrutiny of the MTA’s connection to areas north of New York City and Connecticut has evolved from agency and state oversight to federal inquiries, studies and recommendations to improve the rail system’s safety. The December derailment of a Metro-North train in the Bronx put the spotlight squarely on railroad brass, and President Howard Permut retired shortly after. The scrutiny has carried over to his successor, Joseph Giulietti, with the recent release of a federal study that found the Metro-North is part of a “deficient safety culture.”