NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The Port Authority insists that the LaGuardia AirTrain plan is still on, calling it a priority even as the project faces fresh scrutiny.
Port Authority executives said the AirTrain a “policy imperative,” but Gov. Kathy Hochul may not be on board, and Mayor Bill de Blasio is urging the agency to apply the brakes on the $2.1 billion project.
Hochul, who may have the last word on whether the plan goes forward, said it might not be a top priority now. What action she’ll take remains unclear.
“My personal view on the AirTrain is that this is something that can be examined in terms of our priorities right now,” Hochul said Thursday. “I need to make sure that we have the resources. Our funding has dropped significantly.”
“I’ll be having more conversations with the Authority on that directly,” the governor said.
“The project has been subjected to an exhaustive independent review by the FAA,” said Rick Cotton, the Port Authority’s executive director, at a Thursday press conference. “[Hochul] has asked for further conversations, and of course we will be responding to all of her questions.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio also weighed in on the AirTrain on Thursday, saying, “I think there’s some virtues to the project, but my question has always been, ‘Is there a better way?’ Is there a way to give people a more direct ride to the airport that would be even more appealing and get even more and more people to use mass transit?”
The mayor said the project was “rushed through” by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“All along we were dealing with an aberrant situation, a governor who would not work with anyone, who created a culture of fear, who rushed through projects, whether good or bad,” de Blasio said. “Now we get a chance to look at this thing in the cool light of day.”
The FAA-approved AirTrain would help connect LaGuardia to the subway system and the Long Island Rail Road, providing a rail link to the airport from Manhattan.
The $2 billion price tag and the AirTrain’s roundabout route through Willets Point are just some of the concerns being raised by opponents.
Queens state lawmakers plan to hold a rally Monday calling for a halt to the project until there’s been a full investigation into any potential undue influence by Cuomo.
Related
