New York State DOT Commissioner McDonald Promotes Investing in Rail

ALBANY, NY (12/06/2011)(readMedia)-- Given the economic importance of the Northeast, the growing market for passenger rail and the need to reduce motor vehicle traffic congestion, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald today told the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that states and the federal government must move aggressively forward to invest in the Northeast Corridor and its connecting corridors.

"The Northeast is a compelling market for high-speed rail service," said McDonald, who also chairs the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission. "The size and population of our metropolitan areas are similar to those in other nations that have made high-speed rail a central component of their transportation system. Given that Amtrak's existing rail service already serves well over 50 percent of those who travel between Washington, New York and Boston, and that our airports and highways are becoming ever more congested, better, faster and more frequent passenger rail service is becoming more and more of a necessity. The question is, what is the right path forward and how do we fund it?"

McDonald stressed the importance of individual states working together with the federal government to develop a fact-based plan that focuses on economic growth. She also said there needs to be a strong federal role in meeting the Corridor's funding needs.

"The service we have today is not enough to meet the future needs of our region and our nation. The corridor is already congested in many locations and demand for rail service is growing," she said.

The committee invited McDonald to testify as part of its ongoing review of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program. The committee is examining what projects are being developed with federal funding so far, and considering the program's future direction and focus.

McDonald noted that the funding New York State has already received for high-speed rail efforts is creating construction and engineering jobs while improving rail service in the Northeast. Among the improvements:

· $294 million in FRA funding matched by $73 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the future construction of a new rail "flyover" at Harold Interlocking in Queens to relieve congestion and improve on-time performance at the busiest rail junction in the Northeast Corridor.

· $83 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funding for Manhattan's new Moynihan Station on the site of the former Farley Post Office adjacent to the existing Penn Station, the busiest rail station in the country.

· More than $250 million to improve reliability, comfort, speed and capacity on the Empire Service route between New York City, Albany, and Niagara Falls.

The Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission was established by the federal government to promote cooperation and planning of rail operations in the Northeast Corridor. Officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Amtrak, the eight states of the Northeast Corridor -Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island - and the District of Columbia make up the commission. Another five states, four freight railroads, and one commuter agency are non-voting representatives.

McDonald also testified that the Northeast Corridor benefited from $1.3 billion in capital funds appropriated to Amtrak in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and another approximately $1 billion in high-speed rail program grants from the FRA for projects on the main line between Boston and Washington. In addition, Northeast states received almost $700 million in grants for connecting rail corridors.

The Northeast rail corridor is one of the world's busiest and most complex. Some 260 million commuter and intercity riders and an estimated 30 million ton miles of freight are moved over the corridor each year by more than 2,200 trains daily.