Cuomo Urged To Apply For Fed. Grant
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder announced that he has sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo urging him to review the possibility of allocating funding from the federal Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act to jump-start the proposed reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line.
The funding for the project would be provided by the flexible discretionary funds provided to New York State under the new expansion of the surface transportation reauthorization federal legislation (MAP-21).
“Improving public transportation options for residents of Southern Queens and Rockaway is one of my top priorities,” said Goldfeder in a Tuesday, Sept. 4 press release. “This funding source has been used for several major NYC projects to improve travel and commute times for residents in other boroughs and should now be used to completely restore the Rockaway Beach Rail Line and improve public transportation options for every Queens resident.”
The Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 created a dedicated Mass Transit Account within the Highway Trust Fund, which enables urban, suburban and rural areas maintain, expand and improve their public transportation systems.
The new surface transportation reauthorization legislation will provide the state with $1.2 billion per year of the formula funds. Moreover, the state’s highway and transit programs present eligibility for federal discretionary funds to potentially assist in making the restoration of the Rockaway Rail Line a reality, Goldfeder noted.
In addition, Sen. Charles Schumer recently announced that has successfully he fought for an additional $200 million in direct formula funds despite numerous efforts by the House of Representatives to take away dedicated revenues from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust fund.
The proposed reactivation of the line has come with controversy; as previously reported in the Times Newsweekly, there are some who want to see the line, which stretches from Rego Park to South Ozone Park, converted into an elevated park not unlike the High Line in Manhattan.
However, Goldfeder believes that southern Queens’ limited transportation options, the opening of the Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct Racetrack, the renaissance of the Rockaway Peninsula as a tourist haven and the growing population of the area indicate that the restoration of the rail line is necessary.
The line was closed in 1962.
According to the press release, Goldfeder will soon deliver a petition signed by over 3,000 residents to Cuomo and MTA asking that they consider every option to restore the old line. Once rehabilitated, there would be an increase in the number of visitors to Queens, which would help create stable jobs and allow small businesses to thrive, Goldfeder claimed.
“I urge Governor Cuomo and the MTA to consider allocating a portion of the federal funding to completely restore the abandoned Rockaway Beach Rail Line,” said Goldfeder. “In our tough economy, it’s important that we invest in infrastructure projects that will not only put thousands of residents to work, but also prepare Queens for future growth and expansion.”
