Transportation
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney always works to improve the quality of life in her district, and subsequently has focused on transportation issues that impact the lives of thousands of New Yorkers on a daily basis.
2nd Avenue Subway: Building the Second Avenue Subway has been one of her top priorities since Congresswoman Maloney was first elected to Congress. New York City’s subway system has not added capacity in over 60 years, and we need to expand. Passengers on the Lexington Avenue line have the dubious distinction of riding on the most overcrowded subway line in the entire nation. There is a limit to the number of people that can be crammed into one subway car, but the Lex line seems to have exceeded that limit. A Second Avenue Subway offers a much-needed alternative for commuters. The full length subway, which will run from 125th Street to lower Manhattan, will also reach underserved neighborhoods on the East Side. Read More
50th Street Facility: Several years after the completion of its Final Environmental Impact Statement for East Side Access, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) decided to amend its original proposal which would have spread certain ventilation systems and mechanical facilities across several locations and instead decided to consolidate them into a 16 story facility on 49-50th streets between Park and Madison Avenues (the “Facility”). This caused the business community, local residents and landmark preservation experts to express serious concerns about the plan. They reached out to Congresswoman Maloney for assistance and she joined in leading a vigorous campaign. As a result, the MTA completely revised its proposal in a way that satisfied the community's concerns. Read More
63rd Street Connector: One of the first major transportation projects Congresswoman Maloney championed as a member of Congress was the 1300-foot 63rd Street Tunnel Connector. The project consisted of ½ mile of new construction and 8 miles of rehabilitation work. Designed to relieve crowding on the E and F lines and make appropriate use of the 63rd Street Tunnel, it was completed in 2001. Congresswoman Maloney worked with her colleagues in the New York delegation, particularly then-Congressman Thomas Manton who brought the idea to President Clinton's attention, to obtain federal funding. With their support, the federal government contributed $306.1 million out of a total project cost of $645 million. Read More
East Side Access: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) proposes to build a new rail link to provide direct access for LIRR riders to Grand Central Terminal. The project would bring approximately 160,000 new passengers, including 5,000 residents of Western Queens, into Grand Central Station. Congresswoman Maloney has been a strong supporter of the East Side Access project, and has worked with her colleagues to procure Congressional earmarks for the project. Read More
Long Island City Links: Long Island City Links is an initiative being developed by the Department of City Planning that will lead to a comprehensive network of pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections between Long Island City residential and business areas and new parks, retail stores, and cultural institutions. Read More
Queens Plaza Roadway: Congresswoman Maloney has worked with the NYC Department of City Planning to redevelop Queens Plaza and transform it from a pedestrian's nightmare to a welcoming gateway to Queens and Manhattan. When completed, Queens Plaza will have better traffic patterns, improved crossings, bike paths and new open space. Most of the funding for this project comes from the federal government. Read More
L Train Repairs: During Superstorm Sandy, the 100 year old Canarsie Tube that brings the L Train under the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn was flooded with 7 million gallons of saltwater and was forced to close for 11 days. The MTA tells us that this was the subway tunnel most adversely affected by the storm, and that the aging and overcrowded tunnel needs additional upgrades. Ridership on the L Train has risen nearly 240% since 1990, with an increase of nearly 470% at Bedford Avenue alone. The MTA is proposing major repairs that will have a significant impact on commuters to and from Greenpoint in Brooklyn and 14th Street in Manhattan. As part of the repairs, the Canarsie Tube will be significantly upgraded, as will the 1st Avenue and Bedford Avenue Stations. Much of the cost of the repairs will be funded from the $5.4 billion in federal funds Congresswoman Maloney and her colleagues were able to obtain to help the MTA recover from Superstorm Sandy.
Documents/Reports:
11/8/2004 - Response from the US Environmental Protection Agency to Congresswoman Maloney
10/1/2004 - Letter from Citizens for a Safe East Fiftieth to Administrator Leavitt and Secretary Ridge
More on Transportation
NEW YORK—Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney was joined by community advocates, 2nd Ave Subway business owners, transit rider advocates and local elected officials to release her final report card on the MTA’s progress towards completing Phase 1 of the 2nd Avenue Subway.
A triumphant U.S. Rep Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), joined by community advocates, neighborhood business owners, transit advocates and elected officials proclaimed Tuesday that the long-awaited Second Avenue subway is about to become a reality.
“The MTA tells me as of Oct. 1 the project was 98 percent complete,” said Maloney. “With that news, I am proud to be able to give them an A-plus on my final report card on the progress of Phase 1.”She also gave the overall $1.3 billion project a final grade of A-plus.
New Yorkers who've waited decades for a subway line on Second Avenue may not agree, but the long-running and nearly completed project is getting high marks from a Congresswoman who was vital in securing federal funds to build the line. Transit Reporter Jose Martinez has the story.
The nearly century-long effort to bring a subway to Second Avenue is not done yet as the clock ticks down toward a hoped-for December opening of three new stations.
NEW YORK, NY – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) celebrated the news that the state budget will include an additional $1 billion for the Second Avenue Subway:
Dear Chairman Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Price:
As you prepare the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2017, we write to respectfully request a funding level for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grant Program, commonly known as New Starts and Small Starts, which matches the President’s budget request of $3.5 billion.
NEW YORK—Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney wrote a letter to MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast in which she was joined by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, State Senators Martin Malavé Dilan and Daniel Squadron, Assembly Member Joseph Lentol, and Council Member Stephen Levin. requesting a meeting to discuss concerns pertaining to the proposed L train repairs and to work with the MTA on creating a mitigation plan.
WASHINGTON -- Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney today highlighted several provisions of the five year, $305 billion highway funding bill signed into law this week that will directly benefit New York City. The FAST Act increases transit funding for New York by about $100 million per year, directs more funding to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and maintains crucial investments in the Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access, which Maloney helped to deliver.
NEW YORK—Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Congressional delegation urged Congress to invest – not disinvest – from New York City transportation and infrastructure needs, encouraging the House and Senate to pass a long-term surface transportation reauthorization that increases federal funding support for our transportation systems, including subways, buses, streets, bridges, rail, and ferries to meet growing needs.
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) today voted to defeat a radical attempt to eliminate all funding for Amtrak. The attempt to strip the funding from the bipartisan ‘Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act’ was opposed by a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans. Federal funding allows Amtrak to successfully transport more than 86,000 business and tourist travelers on more than 300 trains each day. The anti-Amtrak amendment failed by a vote of 147-272.