Why has the MTA been unsuccessful for six years in applying for three-old Federal Transit Administration discretionary funded project allocations that would improve the NYC Transit Canarsie L subway line worth over $100 million?
On April 6, the FTA published Federal Notice of Available Funding for Federal Fiscal Year 2022. This included the availability of carryover earmark allocations from 2016 & 2017. They are NY Canarsie Power Improvements for $3,200,271, NY Canarsie Power Improvement Program Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program for $13,121,114, and NYC Canarsie Line Power and Station Improvements for $83,680,000.
Details may be found under Table 16 – Prior Years Unobligated Section 5309 Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Allocations. Here is the link…https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/apportionments/table-16-fy-2022-prior-year-unobligated-section-5309-fixed-guideway.
MTA should have previously developed and submitted grant applications to apply for these funds worth over $100 million. Six years later, work should have already been completed. Why has MTA been unsuccessful to date in having these funds obligated under approved grants? These funds will eventually lapse and be lost to MTA.
They end up returned to the federal treasury and may be reprogrammed for another purpose.
When will MTA Chairman Janno Lieber be successful in applying for and having these funds obligated under approved grants? What is the recovery schedule for completion of these long-overdue projects?
How many more years must taxpayers, commuters and NYC Transit employees have to wait before seeing the benefits from the completion of these federally funded improvements to the Canarsie L Line?
Larry Penner
Great Neck
(Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office.
