Third track deadline approaching Midnight

Senator Golden, Hannon, Phillips and Garden City friends

Today is the last day the Senate can act to stop the third track. Yesterday’s announcement of a State of Emergency by Governor Cuomo for MTA subway system and the request for an additional $1 billion dollars leaves the door wide open for the Senate to act.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo turned up the heat on New York’s subway managers — and also, he must have known, himself — by more than a few degrees on Thursday when he declared the subway system to be in a state of emergency. That the trains are in crisis will come as no surprise to the six million or so people who ride them each weekday. Nonetheless, the governor’s pronouncement is a welcome statement from on high that not only are fixes required — that much is painfully obvious to everyone — but also that they are needed right away.

NY TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

The editorial went on:

Mr. Cuomo called on senior state officials to dispense with normal procedures for ordering new subway cars, replacing broken signals, installing new tracks and the like. All too often at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, normal has been a synonym for slow. As an incentive to pick up the pace, he said Albany would add an extra billion dollars, on top of the billions already committed, to the authority’s capital plan.

My suggestion is to provide $1 billion dollars from the Third Track for this State of Emergency and then to use the remaining funds to assist in safety features on Long Island: assess the various RR crossing eliminations and plan for funding the top three. This will enable some obvious safety benefit and use ½ the third track funds for the safety and well being of our neighbors.

If the Senate lets the clock turn to midnight with no action, we will be forever wondering why they passed in this extraordinary moment in our state’s history. Please take action and become part of what makes our country special.

Thank you for your consideration.

Gerry Kelly