State Review Board Approves New York MTA Capital Plan

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $27 billion capital program for 2015 to 2019 has received final approval from the New York State Capital Program Review Board, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday afternoon.

Its passage marks the largest investment in MTA infrastructure in state history. "We are reimagining the MTA," Cuomo said in a statement.

The panel had rejected the original plan, for $32 billion, late in 2014, citing a nearly $15 billion funding gap. This year, the state committed to $8.3 billion in funding to the plan. Combined with existing efforts, it will enable the purchase of more than 2,340 buses and 1,450 subway cars, and advance an initiative to build four new Metro-North commuter rail stations in the East Bronx and bring Metro-North service to Penn Station.

It will also begin the extension of the Second Avenue Subway to East Harlem; continue the project to add a second track along 18 miles of the Long Island Rail Road between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma; renovate stations; accelerate a plan to create a new fare payment system to replace the MetroCard; and continue building the East Side Access project to enable LIRR riders to travel into Grand Central Terminal.

In addition, the program includes nearly $3 billion in self-funded bridge and tunnel improvement and repair projects financed by MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

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Transportation industry New York
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