Governor Kathy Hochul says she plans to continue several mass transit mega-projects first proposed by her predecessor Andrew Cuomo. She was speaking to the New York Building Congress (NYBC) at a Midtown breakfast event on Oct. 14.
“As your governor, I’m going to make sure that we have a world-class transportation system going forward in the future,” she told the gathering. “We’re not done building, we’re just getting started. Our rail, our highways, our airport infrastructure, we’re just getting warmed up.”
AM New York reported that Hochul said she would move ahead with big proposals pushed by the disgraced ex-governor, including an overhaul of the Port Authority Bus Terminal and an expansion and redevelopment of Penn Station.
However, she had decided the previous week to stall the LaGuardia AirTrain.
Hochul had requested the The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to seek “alternatives” to that project, and officials responded by saying they would conduct the review Hochul was seeking, and put the existing AirTrain plan on hold.
However the new bus terminal and other projects are still happening, Hochul said.
“My friends we have to fix this (the bus terminal). This is New York, this is not a third-world country, let’s get rid of that eyesore and make it something magnificent that people are so proud of.”
“And the same with Penn Station. That is one scary place my friends, let’s get that done,” she said. “I brought my daughter up there not long ago, I said, ‘Sweetheart I hope I see you again, I’ve enjoyed being your mom.’”
She told the trade group that she will announce other projects in her January 2022 State of the State address in January.
“When you see my State of the State address, I hope you have this sense of ‘Wow, that’s awesome. That is incredible what we’re going to do,’” she said..
The Port Authority unveiled its proposed $10 billion revamp of the bus terminal (the busiest in the world) in January. It plans to install electric charging infrastructure and increase capacity by 40 percent.
Meanwhile, former Gov. Cuomo had announced in his 2020 State of the State address a $306 construction project named Empire Statement Complex to expand Penn Station and build 10 skyscrapers in a two-block radius around it, creating a new commercial “Penn District.”
