$2.2 million to fund Belmont Park deck project

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on April 3 that $2.2 million in state funds will be used to replace a deck at Belmont Park.

Herald file photo

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on April 3 that $40.69 million in state funds will go toward nine New York Works projects that will repair 86 miles of state roads and six Long Island bridges. The projects include $2.2 million for the replacement of a deck above the vehicle-pedestrian access road to Belmont Park, along Hempstead Turnpike.

“[This] is an important infrastructure project that invests not only in the replacement of the deck, but is a positive investment that will help us with our future economic development action plan for Belmont,” said Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola), adding that the NY Works program represents a “common sense approach” to efficiently repairing the state’s roads and bridges.

“Simply stated, investments in roads and bridges are critical components in our economic and community welfare,” he said. “The funding will improve our state’s infrastructure while also creating jobs to stimulate our economy.”

Martins worked with Cuomo on getting the Belmont Park project approved, as part of the NY Works program.

Under the state plan, Cuomo said, the NY Works Task Force will be created to coordinate capital plans across 45 agencies and authorities, oversee investment in projects and access to funding, and facilitate the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

Prior to the NY Works initiative, Cuomo said, no comprehensive state plan existed for the $16 billion in annual capital expenditures by 45 state agencies and authorities. In some cases, including with respect to projects by the Port Authority, the MTA, and the Department of Transportation, billions of dollars of taxpayer or commuter funds were being used to fund transportation plans in the same region, with no coordination between the agencies, he added.

The task force will be comprised of 15 members, including finance, labor, planning and transportation leaders, and will recommend financing options for projects and methods to accelerate construction, Cuomo said. Cuomo will appoint nine of the task force’s members and the Legislature will appoint six, according to the plan.

Cuomo added that all major state agencies and authorities will participate in a council to coordinate capital planning, and all NY Works projects will be posted on the web with real-time updates so that residents can track the progress of projects in their communities. The full list is expected to be posted online over the next several days.