New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked President Donald Trump for the go-ahead on three major infrastructure projects in the greater New York City area during a visit to the White House on May 27.
“The meeting we just had was not about politics. It was how do we supercharge the reopening,” Cuomo said after meeting Trump. “We need jobs now more than ever.”
Cuomo sought the president’s support for the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway line in Manhattan, construction of an AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport, and the Gateway Program’s proposal for new Amtrak tunnels under the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York,
Cuomo said all three projects require federal approval but could begin work quickly,
“If he gives us the greenlight,” Cuomo said, “I have a shovel in the trunk of my car, we’ll start this afternoon.”
The Second Avenue Subway expansion is awaiting final federal approval before it can be extended north toward 125th Street in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood and connect with the Metro-North commuter rail, MarketWatch has reported.
The AirTrain, part of the $8 billion Laguardia Airport reconstruction, would create the first direct rail connection between the airport an NYC’s subway system. This project is still awaiting a final U.S. Transportation Department environmental review. Cuomo said Trump could help it “move faster.”
Cuomo said he expects to hear back from Trump in the first week of June.
“His administration can just do it,” Cuomo said. “He believes in construction and development. He gets it.”
