Funds For New Rail Link Into Manhattan
Federal Act Provides $2 Billion
by Ralph Mancini
A provision in the recently passed Renewable Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 by Congress’s Ways and Means Committee provides $2 million for the addition of a rail ink connecting Lower Manhattan to Long Island, Jamaica, Downtown Brooklyn and JFK International Airport.
The measure—which was supported by Rep. Joseph Crowley, among others—was seen as a step to “solidify Lower Manhattan as one of the world’s premiere centers for finance, create tens of thousands of new jobs ... and produce between $9 and $12 billion annually in economic output” by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The bill also reportedly provides several tax incentives for energy conservation and renewable energy, as well as tax credits for plug-in hybrid vehicles and an increase in gas stations with alternative fuel pumps.
When asked to what degree this new bill would help enhance mass transit options in the areas surrounding JFK, Community Board 10 Chairperson Elizabeth Braton told the Times Newsweekly that she hasn’t analyzed the federal initiative properly enough to determine the benefits.
In the past, Community Board 10 board members have repeatedly called for the reactivation of the abandoned Long Island Rail Road Rockaway Line to help better facilitate residents’ daily commutes into Manhattan.
5 years ago
