Congressmen Oberstar and Nadler TalkTransportation

Congressman James L. Oberstar, the new Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, made a special trip to New York City in April to address members of the New York Building Congress. He was joined by New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Assistant Whip and Senior Member of both the House Judiciary and the Transportation and Infrastructure Commi ttees, for a wide ranging discussion of priorities and challenges facing the new Congress.

Congressman Oberstar, a Democrat from Minnesota, took time to praise New York City and the building industry. “New York City is the transportation template for America,” he said, adding, “It is amazing what you have here – the energy, the ideas, the corporate power. You have to continue to make this City all that it can be.

During his remarks and in a question-answer session with Building Congress members, Congressman Oberstar outlined a vision in which he sees the federal government regaining its ability to undertake big transportation improvement projects, with an emphasis on sustaining and encouraging mass transit and train systems in the nation’s urban areas, especially along the East Coast corridor.

Congressman Oberstar also advocated abolishing the law that states that no jurisdiction can get more than 15 percent of federal mass transit funds, noting that it undermines funding for New York City, which carries 32 percent of all transit riders in the United States. Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson noted that Congress must play an important role in the financing of the proposed Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel (THE Tunnel), saying “A new passenger rail tunnel is one of the best investments we can make and that Congress can help us with.”

Congressman Nadler expressed optimism about the future of THE Tunnel, saying that the project enjoys the united support of the entire New York and New Jersey delegations. He also told those assembled that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is currently negotiating with the New York City Economic Development Corporation to take over preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed freight rail tunnel between Brooklyn and New Jersey he has long championed.

Also on hand for the luncheon was City Council Speaker Christine Quinn who echoed the need for transportation improvements and expansion in and around New York City. “We need to begin to transform our transportation system into a much more regional one, with seamless connections to New Jersey, Connecticut and even Pennsylvania.”