Governor Cuomo today released the following statement:
"Amtrak’s emergency track repairs this
summer at Penn Station will cause significant disruption to the
commuters from New York and New Jersey. Amtrak anticipates reduced
track usage from July 8th to September 1st.
"New York State has mobilized a
multi-pronged strategy to mitigate the inconvenience of these delays.
The State has accelerated construction schedules on bridge and tunnel
repairs and all bridge and tunnel lanes will be open by July 8th.
The State has also accelerated the conversion to cashless tolling,
which eases congestion. For example, today the RFK Bridge completed the
transition to cashless tolling and saw an acceleration of traffic.
"The State has also expedited the
construction of the Farley Building conversion to what will be the new
train hall for the Long Island Railroad. It will be large, beautiful,
and comparable to the Grand Central Terminal.
"The MTA and LIRR will also be adding trains, express buses and ferry service.
"Additional police personnel will be deployed on HOV lanes and for traffic regulation.
"The resulting question is – who pays for all of this.
"My answer is clear and simple – Amtrak must
pay. The Long Island Railroad currently pays Amtrak approximately $50
million per year for rent of the tracks at Penn Station. As the tracks
are not available due to Amtrak’s actions, they are liable for the
resulting damages.
"I strongly urge the MTA Board to recover
these costs from payments to Amtrak. If the MTA Board insists on
continuing payments to Amtrak, I will seek a state law to stop them.
"We do not know at this time what the total
cost of mitigation will be, but I believe as a matter of principle,
whatever the ultimate cost, it should not be borne by the commuters or
taxpayers of the State of New York."
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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