120-year-old rail bridge not in state budget plan
Downstate train upgrades listed but not Livingston Avenue span
While Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest budget plan includes ambitious efforts to expand Penn Station and add new tracks under the Hudson River, passenger rail advocates say there’s another risk to cross-hudson passenger trains about 150 miles to the north.
And it wasn’t mentioned in the governor’s plans.
The Livingston Avenue Bridge between Albany and Rensselaer predates the existing Hudson River tunnels into Penn Station by nearly a decade.
“The bridge, built in 1901-02, is essentially an upstate version of the Hudson River tunnels risk in New York City,” said Gary Prophet, president of the Empire State Passengers Association. “A catastrophic failure or major repair incident on the bridge would sever passenger rail service in New York state, cutting off Albany, central and western New York from the Hudson Valley and New York City.
“According to online information, current maximum speed on the bridge is 15 mph and only one train may be on the bridge at anytime,” he added.
Cuomo has invested heavily in passenger rail projects, with new Amtrak stations across upstate New York, from Buffalo and Niagara Falls to Schenectady. And Cuomo has drawn praise for the new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, where he cut the ribbon on the final day of 2020. Further improvements are also on the drawing board.
“The planned investment of more than $16 billion in Penn Station infrastructure renewal and capacity expansion will allow Amtrak and the commuter railroads to advance planned rail service improvements starting with the introduction of the new Amtrak Acela replacement fleet later this year and a roughly doubling of Acela train frequencies over the next several years,” Prophet said. “Together with the construction of the Gateway Tunnel project, these undertakings will provide train riders with a 21st-century travel experience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transportation, likely create over 1,000 sitespecific and multiplier-effect design and construction jobs and hundreds of new, perma
nent jobs in New York state and New Jersey.”
Already, the Acela contract has created 800 jobs at the Alstom factory in Hornell, Steuben County, according to the Evening Tribune of Hornell. The first of 28 new train sets has been undergoing testing at the Federal Railroad Administration’s Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo. A second set will be turned over to Amtrak in coming months for further testing. And work is under way on a third train set.
But Cuomo also has moved ahead with the $8 billion rebuilding of Laguardia Airport, which President Joseph Biden at one time likened to a third-world facility. And a $13 billion renovation of Kennedy International Airport also is under way.
The private sector is funding a large share of the projects’ costs, in Kennedy’s case $12 billion, according to the administration. At Laguardia, two-thirds of the $8 billion will be privately funded or come from passenger fees.
And the expansion of Penn Station, including at least eight additional tracks, the first increase since 1910, would be paid for partly from the expected income that redevelopment of commercial properties at the site would produce.
Cuomo also is planning another round of airport improvements
across the state. Grants totaling $100 million will be awarded to airports across the state on a competitive basis. Albany International Airport, which benefited from grants from the $200 million first round, will seek additional funds to expand air cargo facilities and make other improvements.
“The airport is prepared and looking forward to advancing a number of projects to enhance the terminal as well as additional hangar space to accommodate expanded fixed base operations and increased air cargo operations,” said Phil Calderone, the airport’s CEO.
Locally, the Capital District Transportation Authority is among upstate transit agencies to share in $20 million in state assistance to purchase additional electric buses. CDTA was the first upstate agency to add electric buses to its fleet a year ago, when it took delivery of four of the vehicles.
The latest budget plan includes the money as part of a five-year, $100 million investment in nonpolluting transit vehicles.
Much of Cuomo’s spending plans hinge on the new Congress and president succeeding in providing aid to state and local governments to help cover their financial losses from the pandemic.
While state officials are optimistic the new administration will come through, steep budget cuts will be required if they don’t, state officials have warned.