MUCH-NEEDED FUNDS
Schumer announces new federal infrastructure funds for Albany International Airport
COLONIE, N.Y. >> U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer landed at the Albany International Airport with a luggage load of goodies from Washington. Schumer announced major transformative funding for the airport, stemming from the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA). The funds will go toward expansion and modernization efforts at the airport.
“After months of negotiating, I have secured $28 million in the Senatepassed, bipartisan infrastructure bill for Albany Airport. And, in addition, hundreds of millions more for transit, roads, bridges, clean water and to address the backlog of repairs that are so needed here on our Capital Region infrastructure,” Schumer remarked.
“This funding will kickstart the expansion of the Albany International Airport. The $28 million I fought for in the bipartisan infrastructure bill will provide much-needed funding to make improvements at the TSA security checkpoint, and that can usher in more speed, more com
munity development, and more economic opportunity. When people can come in easily and out easily of an airport, they use it more, they travel more but also businesses will come here more to the region and stay here more in the region,” Schumer continued on the importance of the funding.
“Albany International is also going to use these dollars to improve the air filtration system, to expand their cargo operation, because of the e-commerce market more cargo is coming here and to create a maintenance hangar for general aviation,” Schumer added.
Albany International Airport CEO Phil Calderone detailed how vital is to make the most of this transformative funding opportunity.
“This funding will be used for critical infrastructure needs as the senator mentioned,” Calderone said.
“Like 9/11, this pandemic has forever changed the aviation industry and the world as we know it. It has presented us with a generational opportunity to upgrade our infrastructure to more safely and intelligently improve the passenger experience, incorporating smart design, blockchain, 5G, robotics, artificial intelligence, and biometrics to create the airport terminal of tomorrow, today,” Calderone detailed on the ability to further modernize the airport’s facilities.
Schumer also spoke to when he expects the funds to go into effect.
“This passed the Senate, it has broad support in the House, it’s bipartisan, and the President’s all for it, he helped negotiate it. So, we expect that these funds will be all signed into law sometime this fall and then start being available in the spring and then for five years afterwards,” Schumer explained.
He also expressed confidence that New York’s soonto-be Governor Kathy Hochul would ensure the funds will be allocated in a timely fashion.
“I spoke to Kathy Hochul a week ago. I promise to cooperate with her for the good of New York and I expect to be working with her administration to make sure these funds are spent well,” Schumer said.
Along with the airport funding, Schumer outlined additional spending for Capital Region infrastructure. Within the bill, there is $113 million to CDTA for the next five years for transit funds, which will help them add more electronic buses. It also increases CDTA’s funding by 30% during that time span. For highway and formula bridge funding, there is $13.5 billion and an additional $12.5 billion for competitive bridge program that states and localities can apply for.
According to Schumer, 190 bridges in the nine-county Capital Region are deemed to be in poor condition that would qualify for funds. Plus, there is $688 million dollars dedicated for new train sets to serve the Empire line. There’s also $175 million in the next five years for EV charging network in the state. Additionally, there’s $20 billion dollars for clean drinking water carveouts to replace lead pipes.