MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH GOVERNOR PATAKI REGARDING LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AT JFK AIRPORT
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced an agreement with Governor George Pataki that allows the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to begin building the Light Rail System at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport while ensuring that the Port Authority can not offset its construction costs against airport rent it owes the City. It also permits the City, State, Port Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Authority to go forward in analyzing the best means of constructing the direct rail service link from Manhattan to La Guardia International Airport.
"I am very pleased that we were able to come to this agreement," said Mayor Giuliani. "I want to thank Governor Pataki for his efforts in making this agreement a success. It was important for us to make sure the City was not left paying the bill again. This agreement ensures that the City will not suffer a reduction in the rent it receives from the Port Authority because of the Port Authority's costs associated with the Light Rail System at JFK. In addition, it also allows us to begin reviewing construction plans for the direct rail service from Manhattan to La Guardia International Airport."
Under the terms of the agreement the State will work with the Port Authority to see that it does not offset the Port Authority's cost of the Light Rail System at JFK against the lease payments due to the City. The State also agreed that in the event that the Port Authority does offset its cost of the Light Rail System against the lease, it will reimburse the City for the amount of any reduction in rent. This agreement restores the City's original understanding that the Port Authority's projected $300 million costs for the Light Rail System would not be offset against rental payments due to the City. The projected balance of funding for the Light Rail System approximates $1.2 billion is to be paid with Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) collected by the Port Authority at the City's airports.
The Light Rail System will consist of a 3.3 mile railway that will connect the Metropolitan Transit Authority subway station at Howard Beach to the JFK Central Terminal Area (CTA). It will also include a 3.1 mile long railway that will connect the Long Island Railroad at Jamaica to the Howard Beach Light Rail System and the JFK CTA.
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