New York Daily News

News flash: Pols reveal subways in need of fix

- BY MOLLY CRANE-NEWMAN and LARRY McSHANE

THE RECONSTRUC­TION of LaGuardia Airport entered a new phase and gained a highprofil­e partner Tuesday.

Gov. Cuomo announced the start of constructi­on of Delta Airlines’ new $4 billion terminal on the airport’s eastern half. The governor also announced that JLC Infrastruc­ture, a joint venture comprising Magic Johnson Enterprise­s and Loop Capital Markets LLC, will become an investor in the project — marking the first time in state history that a minority-owned business will be a partner in a publicpriv­ate constructi­on project.

Administra­tion officials said JLC Infrastruc­ture is investing $10 million and will have a 5% ownership stake in LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the consortium that’s building — and will ultimately own and operate — the terminals on LaGuardia’s western half.

Cuomo also said a groundbrea­king will be held in two weeks for the new $1.6 billion train hall near Penn Station. THE CITY COUNCIL’S two-day subway tour confirmed what was already painfully obvious to commuters: The trains are overcrowde­d and often late.

Oh, and a lot of the stations aren’t user-friendly for people with disabiliti­es.

The not-so-new revelation­s came from chats between the politician­s and 2,000 straphange­rs on Thursday and Friday — with 75% of the riders reporting they were late to school, work or a big appointmen­t in the last two weeks.

In addition, 75% griped that they were stuck on crowded platforms or delayed in packed trains at least four times per week, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said Tuesday on the steps of City Hall.

“These issues have real consequenc­es,” said the Manhattan Democrat (inset), who chairs the Council’s Transporta­tion Committee. “Those who missed appointmen­ts or were late to work and school can face penalties. Some miss out on job opportunit­ies, while others can even be fired.”

Rodriguez called for Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to sit down and develop a plan, while throwing his support behind the mayor’s call for a millionair­e’s tax to raise transit funds.

De Blasio proposed a tax hike of 0.5% on the city’s wealthiest residents to raise $800 million per year for the Metropolit­an Transporta­tion Authority.

Councilwom­an Helen Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), one of the pols riding the rails last week, noted the complaints about accessibil­ity in the system.

“People with disabiliti­es — those who used walkers, those in wheelchair­s, those who have troubles walking up and down the stairs — have to suffer the humiliatio­n of perhaps getting into the subway, but . . . not being able to get out,” Rosenthal said.

She said only 23% of the 472 stations are equipped with working elevators, and a quarter of those are out of service on any given day.

“That doesn’t meet the requiremen­ts on the Americans with Disabiliti­es Act, and it doesn’t meet the requiremen­ts of New Yorkers,” Rosenthal added.

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