Federal Stimulus Funds Pave The Way For Smoother NYC Streets
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York City streets may not be paved with gold, but they are being paved with stimulus funds.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced Monday that the agency started using 12 new electric screeds paid for with $1.14 million in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
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Sadik-Khan explains how the new screeds will save the city money. 1010 WINS' Stan Brooks reports
The screeds are aluminum devices that attach to paving machines to spread and compact asphalt into a level and smooth surfaces.
Sadik-Khan said the new devices were quieter and cleaner than the old diesel machines.
"The machines get as hot as they need to, but they don't burn the same amount of greenhouse gases and we expect to see annual CO2 reductions," she told 1010 WINS' Stan Brooks.
The commissioner also noted that the new screeds would end up saving the city about 22,000 gallons of fuel in addition to $90,000 in fuel costs.
"It's smoother streets, fewer fumes for our workers and in neighborhoods where we work," Sadik-Khan said.
The first screed went into operation in East Elmhurst, Queens and Sadik-Khan said it seemed to perform better than the older equipment.
