Cuomo Appeals to Trump for Federal Funding to Upgrade New York's Infrastructure
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In 2012, immediately after Superstorm Sandy, elected officials from the Northeast sounded the alarm about the frailty of their region’s transportation network. Not only had debris and flooding blocked roadways and freight corridors, but parts of the rail and transit system temporarily shut down. The federal government examined the area’s condition and tranches of emergency aid were approved.
New York was prominent among aid recipients. The storm damaged the Empire State’s transportation and communication systems, hindering its economy’s contact with the country and global community.
After years of construction, massive repairs were accomplished. Yet, there’s a consensus view that work remains on the megapolis’ bridges and tunnels.
Mulero
Fast forward almost eight years, and a growing number of state leaders are pointing to investments in infrastructure projects as a way to bring relief to communities hard hit by the pandemic.
Nearly two months after President Donald Trump’s suggestion of borrowing $2 trillion to advance an infrastructure policy package, the governor of New York, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, raised the matter at the White House. Both camps described the meeting as somewhat constructive, leaving open the possibility for ongoing discussions.
“When he ran for president, he spoke about a $1 trillion infrastructure program. That’s what he spoke about. He’s a builder. He’s a developer, right? He gets it,” Cuomo told reporters after his recent meeting with the president. As a candidate, Trump pledged to fix the country’s infrastructure. In early 2018, his team rolled out a 10-year, $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that relied significantly on the private sector. The Republican-led Congress did not adopt it.
State of New York by Transport Topics on Scribd
Transportation leaders on Capitol Hill have been trying to pass a major infrastructure package for years. Now that the pandemic has assaulted the economy, a window of opportunity has opened for entertaining major federal investments in infrastructure. Even though Trump has yet to revisit his public enthusiasm for a big-ticket plan, the governor is preaching carpe diem.
“You know you need to do large-scale infrastructure,” Cuomo said. “When is there going to be a better moment in history to do it? You’re spending billions, if not trillions of dollars to handle COVID[-19] and bring back the economy. At least build things that we can leave our children, like our grandparents did for us.”
The Week Ahead (All times Eastern)
June 2, 9 a.m.: Politico hosts a webcast titled, “How Fast, How Soon: Rebuilding America’s Economy.”
June 3, 2:30 p.m.: The Senate Commerce Committee meets with freight stakeholders for an update on the pandemic response. Witnesses include Randy Guillot, chairman of American Trucking Associations. (Watch live)
June 4, 10 a.m.: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee examines infrastructure policy priorities.
Freight Corridor
Norman Anderson, chairman and CEO of CG/LA Infrastructure, proposes infrastructure funding to boost the country’s economy.
Buzz
Per USA Today, “[George] Floyd moved to Minneapolis in recent years for better employment opportunities, [Floyd’s family attorney Benjamin] Crump said. In addition to security jobs at Conga Latin Bistro and the local Salvation Army, Floyd was also a truck driver.”
Favorite Video
To infinity and beyond: Americans in America are flying to space.
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To quote Charles Baudelaire’s “Correspondences,” “Nature is a temple whose living colonnades breathe forth a mystic speech in fitful sighs.”
2020 started out like 1974, then switched to some horrible combination of 1918 and 1929. Now: 1968. Ugh. — Susan Glasser (@sbg1) May 29, 2020
The Last Word
They wait in line for, at Georgetown Cupcake for an hour to get a cupcake. So I think they can probably wait in line to do something as consequential, and critical, and constitutionally significant as cast their ballot.
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway on May 27
We publish weekly when Congress is in session. E-mail emulero@ttnews.com with tips. Follow us @eugenemulero and @transporttopics.
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