Cuomo wrong about MTA funding

To the editor,

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s understanding of how public mass transportation works leaves much to be desired. Consider his recent spoken words: “The MTA is saving time and money by completely outsourcing most of the work to private engineering firms. Let the private sector bid it, get the best bid, let them bid it internationally, get the best bargain for the taxpayer. Get government out of the construction business” (Source: “MTA tech upgrades on track this year” by Danielle Furfaro, New York Post, Jan. 9).  

Perhaps Mr. Cuomo is unaware that over $6 billion of the proposed $28 billion dollar Metropolitan Transportation Authority 2015-2019 Five Year Capital Program will come in the form of capital grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration. This doesn’t include billions more in Sandy Recovery and potential future New Starts funding. Included in each Master Grant Agreement between the USDOT FTA and MTA is a contractual requirement to meet all Buy America rules and regulations.  How will companies based outside of the USA be able to meet this requirement? You can count on one hand the number of Buy America waiver requests nationally submitted by transportation agencies such as the MTA that are approved by USDOT FTA on a yearly basis.