New Federal Transportation Bill Presents Major Opportunities for New York

Dear Leaders Schumer and Jeffries:

Re: Big opportunities for New York in a new federal transportation authorization

Congratulations on your historic victories in last week’s election. All across the country, demands for affordability and accountability rang out louder and clearer than ever. We write regarding an urgent matter that will have lasting cost of living and time savings impacts on millions of New York families for decades to come.

Our organizations strongly urge you to prevent enactment of HR 8870 (“Build America 250”), the transportation authorization bill approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier this year. Congress should scrap HR 8870 and start over on a new transportation reauthorization in 2027.

HR 8870 would be disastrous for New York. It cuts guaranteed funding for transit and zeroes it out for Amtrak (all Amtrak funding would then be subject to annual appropriations) while boosting guaranteed funding for highway construction. It would also substantially cut the Safe Streets for All program for local governments and steer a large portion of the remaining funds away from cities. It makes it easier for jurisdictions to transfer funds out of bike and pedestrian-oriented programs and fully eliminates one active transportation grant program. Climate-related measures from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are also eliminated.

In the more immediate term, we also ask that you do not agree to an extension during the lame-duck session of the IIJA that does not include advance appropriations when the current extension expires on December 11th. If Congress passes the extension without advance appropriations, many of our agencies will face dire consequences. For example, the MTA will lose $265 million in FY27 formula funds when the current extension expires. Congress must protect transit during the period before a new transportation reauthorization act can be finished and passed.

A worthy successor to the 2021 IIJA, developed under your leadership, should create real incentives for infrastructure repair and maintenance, prioritize transit funding, boost guaranteed passenger rail funding, increase resources for accessibility, pedestrian, and cycling infrastructure and fund a revived Reconnecting Communities program.

It should also force the executive branch to follow transportation law and restore all illegally canceled IIJA grants.

All of these steps would benefit New York City, New York State, and the rest of the United States tremendously.

We are relying on your leadership to take our transportation systems forward, not back.

Sincerely,

Betsy Plum, Riders Alliance
Ben Furnas, Transportation Alternatives
Rachael Fauss, Reinvent Albany
Eric McClure, StreetsPAC
Walter Hook, People-Oriented Cities
Sara Lind, Open Plans
Lisa Daglian, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)
Eman Rimawi-Doster, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Kate Slevin, Regional Plan Association
Jessica Murray, Rise and Resist Elevator Action Group
Natasha Elder, NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign

Cc: Governor Kathy Hochul & MTA Chair Janno Lieber

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