Transportation Roundtable: Jerrold Nadler

Q: The House recently passed legislation that would authorize $7.1 billion in funding for passenger rail service through 2019. How will this benefit the New York region and does it go far enough?

JN: Reauthorizing Amtrak is critical for New York. The Northeast Corridor Region is home to more than 51 million people, and our regional economy is the fifth largest in the world. If the NEC were to shut down for one day, the potential impact on the U.S. economy could be $100 million in transportation-related impacts and productivity losses. Although the bill focuses resources on the NEC, it does not go far enough. We are still spending less than 2 percent of federal transportation spending on Amtrak, despite a backlog of at least $52 billion just to meet ridership demands and state of good repair. It is past time we put rail on equal footing with other modes of transportation.

Q: How will President Obama’s $478 billion transport infrastructure plan fare in Congress? Could there be compromises? And how can New York meeting its future transport infrastructure needs?

JN: The President should be commended for putting forward a comprehensive transportation plan, but the prospects for passing a long-term bill depends upon identifying a bipartisan revenue source. The President pays for his bill through comprehensive corporate tax reform. Others support raising the gas tax, or placing a tax on the fraction of a barrel of oil that goes to transportation uses. The Republicans’ insistence on budget cuts and resistance to raising revenue makes it nearly impossible to identify a solution. The Republican budget should indicate how much they intend to spend on transportation and how they will pay for it. Congress must reach consensus on a funding solution, or else New York will be unable to meet its future transportation infrastructure needs.