LaHood Delivers Check For New York Sandy Transportation Rebuilding
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stopped by the Battery Friday to bring New York a check for $287 million to rebuild roads, bridges, and tunnels damaged by superstorm Sandy and other storms.
"President Obama's administration is committed to supporting state and local efforts to recover and rebuild. We want people to know that we are with them," LaHood said. "With this funding, we are delivering on our promise to keep New York and the rest of the east coast rebuild and recover from Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters."
"This money got here in record time and it means that the repair work can continue and it means that the taxpayers are off the hook," said Sen. Charles Schumer.
LaHood Delivers Check For New York Sandy Transportation Rebuilding
Schumer said there's even more money in the pipeline for New York.
"Which means, for instance, once they repair the inside of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel they can put, if they choose, steel gates to prevent another flood," Schumer said.
"We've sustained $900 million worth of damage to city roads, bridges, our ferry system, signals," said New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.
Superstorm Sandy filled the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel with water from Manhattan to Brooklyn.
LaHood Delivers Check For New York Sandy Transportation Rebuilding
"Every dollar of federal aid for local governments is one dollar less that has to be paid by the local taxpayer," Schumer added.
A city report on how to prevent future flooding is due out in May.
