Today, Harlem Representative Adriano Espaillat sent a letter to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair.
The letter was sent to Janno Lieber and President of Design and Construction Jamie Torres-Springer following indications that the phase two of the Second Avenue Subway expansion would be halted.
“This decision is particularly troubling in light of its critical importance to the transit infrastructure and equity in New York City,” said Espaillat. “For the last two years, I have consistently suggested that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) seek alternative revenue sources to avoid sole dependence on one program’s success for its state of good repair and expansion plans.
He continued, “This strategy is vital to ensuring the viability of the MTA’s extensive capital plan, averting a fiscal cliff, and securing stable funding for the MTA, which is deeply integrated into the ecosystem of New York City. It is disappointing that the MTA did not have contingency plans to ensure the continuity of both state-of-good repair projects and expansion projects like Phase II.
“Halting work on this vital project is a decision that carries significant negative
implications for the transit infrastructure and economic health of New York City,” Harlem’s Espaillat concluded while urging the MTA to reconsider its decision and seek the necessary funding and support to ensure continuation and completion of the Phase II expansion.
Read the letter from Rep. Espaillat in its entirety.
Photo credit: HWM.
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