House OK's Funding For City's Transit Projects
BY JOHN TOSCANO

Maloney (D- Queens/Manhattan), hailed the continued financing for the Second Avenue subway project as the largest infusion of federal funding for the subway line on Manhattan's East Side.

Large amounts of federal funding were approved last week by the House of Representatives for two major subway projects, East Side Access and the Second Avenue Subway, Congressmember Carolyn Maloney announced.

The House of Representatives also included a $9 million grant to La Guardia Airport for improvements that will lead to upgraded air traffic control. All the funding was part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Transportation and Urban Development Appropriations Bill, which will now be considered by the Senate.

Under the approved measure, the East Side Access project, which will bring Long Island Rail Road trains to Manhattan's East Side via a Long Island City connection, will receive $215 million.

Maloney said the Second Avenue subway project will receive $200 million to continue construction.

Also included in the massive bill is $9 million to upgrade the power distribution infrastructure at La Guardia Airport, which would provide sorely needed air traffic control improvements at the busy facility.

Maloney (D- Queens/Manhattan), hailed the continued financing for the Second Avenue subway project as the largest infusion of federal funding for the subway line on Manhattan's East Side.

She promised, "There's more to come when the MTA and the federal government sign a full-funding grant agreement for the project."

Maloney added: "This is great news for all New York City straphangers, but especially those who ride the Lexington Avenue line, the most overcrowded subway in the nation."

Looking to the future, Maloney continued, "On day one, the Second Avenue subway will carry nearly 200,000 riders, reducing crowding on the Lex line by 13 percent."

Construction on the long-awaited new subway line is already underway.

Maloney was joined in announcing the new funding for the East Side Access project by Congressmember Peter King, a Long Island Republican, sponsor of the bipartisan effort.

The Access project will bring LIRR train service to Manhattan's East Side for the first time. Presently, the LIRR operates only out of Penn Station, and thousands of commuters who work on the East Side must find alternate services to continue their commute.

Maloney noted, "East Side Access will help ease headaches for many commuters. The important funding that Congressman King and I helped secure will ease congestion and pollution and shave hours off people's already stressful and lengthy commutes."

Construction on this project is already underway in Long Island City, where new tracks are being constructed for the LIRR's new route to Manhattan's East Side.

Also, as part of the huge project, a new LIRR station will be constructed in Sunnyside. It will provide another alternate service for Queens commuters going into Manhattan.

The funding for La Guardia Airport will upgrade power distribution at the airport and eliminate frequent power outages that have caused lengthy flight delays.