Two major storms that knocked out power for thousands and ravaged New York”™s roads, bridges and tunnels are being repaired, albeit a bit less timely than many would like to see.
Stanley Gee, executive deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation, spoke to a room peppered with state senators, local elected officials and engineers who wanted to know how the DOT would make needed repairs and get the federal government to help rebuild one of the country”™s oldest infrastructure systems sooner than later.
With 113,000 miles of highway, more than 17,000 bridges and 3,500 miles of railroad tracks carrying 66,000 tons of freight each year, the DOT also oversees operatives at close to 500 public and private airports.
“We have the oldest infrastructure in the nation,” said Gee, “and because of that, we also have a great need to have much of it upgraded or replaced.” For western states just building out, there is no problem to build where nothing currently exists.
Tropical Storms Irene and Lee have only exacerbated the need for repairs already on hold, the DOT waits for Congress to come to an agreement about the amount of funding states will receive in the next fiscal year.
The state DOT is working with the funding it has for this fiscal year, which ends March 2012, to make repairs, hoping the federal government makes a decision that would allow it to work on rebuilding and repairing the massive transportation system under its jurisdiction. It currently receives $3.8 billion for highway and transportation funding ”“ half goes to capital programs, the other to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Aging infrastructure, particularly the Tappan Zee Bridge, needs to be addressed, Gee said. “Some of our iconic bridges ”“ the Brooklyn Bridge is one example ”“I s more than 120 years old and still in good shape.” But the Tappan Zee has already outlived its useful life, Gee acknowledged, saying the replacement program needs to be fast tracked.
“We had been discussing private-public partnerships for several years,” state Sen. William Larkin said. “Now that notion seems to have disappeared … we had companies from as far away as Australia vying to build here. For states that have embraces the ”˜three p”™s,”™ they are also seeing another ”˜p”™ ”“ profit. The DOT needs to make sure our needs are heard.”
Gee said the state DOT is working on shortening the environmental review process for the Tappan Zee. “It”™s time to replace it with another spa that will last at least 100 years,” he said. The DOT is also working to get FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to pick up the entire tab on the damage done by the back-to-back storms. As of now, they are committed to 75 percent, with municipalities expected to pick up the remainder.
Gee had an update for Exit 122 on Route 17, the future I-86, which was supposed to be revamped and completed by the time Orange Regional Medical Center opened its new hospital. The work has not been awarded, said Gee, because the first vendor was disqualified for failing to agree to a project-labor agreement policy. Now battling it out in court, the DOT is hoping the issue would be resolved quickly so the contract can be awarded to the second low bidder to get the work completed. “It”™s long overdue,” he said.
With thousands of miles of roads, tracks and bridges to repair, replace and maintain, Gee said the DOT is working with a staff of fewer than 10,000 for the entire state and working at capacity to get its job done. Everyone is doing more with less in the new economy ”“ and the DOT is no exception, he said.
One official missing from the event at the Harness Racing Museum in Goshen, sponsored by the Orange County Citizens Foundation on Sept. 19 was Orange County Executive Edward Diana, who was across the street with FEMA officials assessing the damage to the government center, which has remain closed ”“ and may remain permanently shuttered ”“ as a result of damage from the storm.
