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The dream of creating a
single, integrated transportation system downtown got
closer to reality on Friday, when Governor George E.
Pataki and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled a
multi-billion-dollar transit plan. One
of the largest proposed public transit efforts in New York
history, the comprehensive framework includes the creation
of a Lower Manhattan Transportation Complex, which would
link all of the area's subway lines and PATH into a
seamless transit network.
Governor Pataki's goals for
the framework are to bring downtown's current
transportation infrastructure up to 21st-century
standards, and to better connect Lower Manhattan to the
rest of the City, to the region -- and to the world, via
direct airport access.
"Rebuilding,
restoring, and enhancing Lower Manhattan's transportation
system is the top priority of my long-term plans for its
revitalization," said Governor Pataki.
He added that the framework is a result of a consensus
among the State, the City, and several internal agencies
on which projects are the most crucial to downtown
rebuilding in the wake of 9/11.
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| Proposed
transit complex will link multiple subway lines
running downtown |
The framework introduces
several projects that are central to the Mayor's
vision for Lower Manhattan, including one-seat rail
connection to JFK and Newark airports, the Lower Manhattan
Transportation Complex and improvements to the East River
waterfront.
Construction on two
elements of the Lower Manhattan Transportation Complex --
the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and the new
Fulton Street Transit Center -- is slated to move forward
as soon as 2004. Work on these and
other components will likely last through the end of the
decade.
Financing for the projects
will come from several sources, including the Federal
Transit Administration, which has promised $1.8 billion
for transportation infrastructure in Lower Manhattan, and
designated Federal Emergency Management Agency funding,
for which $2.75 billion is pledged for New York City
transportation help.
"While New
York's transportation needs for Lower Manhattan will
clearly exceed the federal funding available, these funds
represent the first step toward realizing our vision for
downtown," said Mayor Bloomberg.
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