Councilman: NYC Transportation Infrastructure Is In Desperate Need Of Repairs
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A City Council member said New York City's transportation infrastructure is in serious need of modernization, at a joint hearing of the council Transportation and Economic Development committees Monday.
The hearing focused on the state of the city's transportation infrastructure. In a news release, Economic Development Committee Chairman Dan Garodnick (D-4th) said city agencies had failed to keep up both with repairs and plans for expansion.
"Our city is growing rapidly and our infrastructure needs to keep up. The lack of innovative expansion plans and slow rate of repairs and upgrades is a problem for us," said Garodnick said in a news release. "A world class city needs to think proactively, and in order to anticipate and promote growth, we can't just respond to problems as they arise."
Garodnick said the city is not properly budgeting to keep roads in good repair. He said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is underfunded by $15 billion and lacks coordination with the city to meet development goals.
Disrepair among the city's bridges was among the major issues addressed. The Mill Basin, City Island, and Gerritsen Inlet bridges were identified as being in the worst state of disrepair citywide.
Also at the hearing, some council members addressed the future possibilities of Bus Rapid Transit – a mass-transit system in which buses run in dedicated lanes in the center of roads. Responding to a question from Councilman Donovan Richards (D-31st), who has been seeking BRT on Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens, city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said the city is discussing possible funding for the necessary street redesigns with the federal government, according to the Streets Blog.
Additional bike lanes, MTA bus safety, and other issues were also addressed, the blog reported.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories: