November
29, 2006
Transportation Committee Meeting
Summary
Kenneth Adams, The Business Council
Frank J. Ambrosio, URS Corporation
John
Armstrong, Southern Tier Logistics
Robert
W. Badger, Clough, Harbour & Associates
Fred Buse, Schwartz Heslin Group, Inc.
Christopher Cernik, Greenberg Traurig
Carla Chiaro, NYS High Speed Rail Task
Force
Brian Clark, C&S Companies
Peter Cohen,
(call in) Amtrak
Mary Ann Crotty, Consultant & Transition
co-chair
Garry Douglas, Plattsburgh-North
Country Chamber
Robert Doyle, Golub Corporation
Richard
Dunne, Northrop Grumman Corporation
John
Egan, NYS High Speed Rail Task Force
Terry
Everetts, Dresser-Rand Company
Bill Fahey,
NY School Buss Contractors Assoc.
Kathryn
Gorman, Access Health Systems
Mary Griffin,
Citigroup Inc.
Joe Hoggan, Peters, Hoggan & Carpenter,
LLP
Bill Joyce, NYS Motor Truck Association
Amy Kellogg, Harter, Secrest and Emery
Joe Landry, New York Capitol Consultants
William McCormick, Erdman, Anthony & Associates,
Inc.
Brian McMahon, Edwards and Kelcey
Raymond
Melleady, CDTA Authority
Tom Minnick, The
Business Council.
Steve Morgan, Featherstonhaugh,
et al.
Maurice O’Connel,l CSX Corporation
John Poorman, CD Transportation Committee
Stan Posluszny, Koshii Maxelum America,
Inc.
Gary J. Prophet, Empire State Passengers
Association
Robert Reid, Weingarten, Reid & McNally
David A. Rocco, Walkway Over the Hudson
Elliot “Lee” Sanders, Rudin
Center & Transition co-chair
Norm
Schneider, RONY
Chris Sever, US Airways
Donald J. Smith,
Urban Engineers
Scott Sopczyk, Greater
Glens Falls Transit
Mary Sperr, Erdman,
Anthony & Associates,
Inc.
Stephen R. Spoljaric, General Electric
Company
Richard Stack, Albany Port Railroad
Corporation
Steve Stallmer, Associated
General Contractors
John Tauzel, New York
Farm Bureau
John W. Vandervort, The Vandervort
Group, LLC
Walter Windus Erdman, Anthony & Associates,
Inc.
Laura Zaepfel, (call in) Uniland
Development Company
Meeting Summary
November
29, 2006
1:30 - 4:00
PM
Call to Order & Welcome
John Armstrong, Southern Tier Logistics
John
Armstrong, Committee Chairman, called
the meeting to order shortly after
1:30 PM at The Corporate Woods offices
of The Business Council.
Introduction and remarks by
Kenneth Adams, Business Council President & CEO
Ken
Adams, in his new role since November 1
st, took the opportunity to introduce himself
to the committee members and welcome them
to the meeting. With his eleven years at
the helm of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce,
he stressed his “chamber” approach
to leading The Business Council. He reinforced
the “member driven “ nature
of the organization and invited the attendees
to become more active. Ken focused on
the current membership numbers and committed
to significantly increasing them. He
also discussed the recent member survey
on issues of importance to Business Council
member companies and reported that the
response to this survey is twice what
the usual survey responses had been.
He was excited about getting to work
with the new Administration and Legislature
on behalf of businesses in New York State.
He warmly welcomed our guests, Lee Sander,
John Egan and Carla Chiaro.
On transportation issues, he remarked
about Congressman Nadler’s past
and current active involvement in successfully
sponsoring transit projects in the greater
New York area. Ken stayed through the
presentations of both guest speakers.
Guest Speakers
John
Egan, Executive Director & Carla
Chiaro, Administrative Director
New
York State Senate High Speed Rail Task
Force
John and Carla returned with a follow
up to their initial presentation to the
committee in February. The theme of their
presentation was “Yes, we can” and “Yes,
we will” and John’s message
to our group was positive and upbeat.
He emphasized that the charge to the
Task Force was not to just produce a
rail study and make recommendations but
to devise a workable program and then
implement it given financial and other
constraints.
He described the six Empire Corridor
Program phases over the next 20 years
ending with a maglev project in about
2025.The phases include an initial South
Corridor express train from Albany to
NYC this year (which is scheduled to
begin shortly), an added express by 2009
with enhanced West Corridor service,
new cars by 2013 followed by a new operations
plan, expanded upstate service for both
corridors by 2015 and the projection
of a maglev or other state-of-the-art
technology project by 2025.
The first phase of the capital program
initiative is underway with $22 million
for rock slope work at the GW Bridge
and extension of platforms at the Hudson
and Albany/Rensselear stations. These
are designed to enhance the current and
expanded Albany to NYC service. A second
current task force initiative is work
on demonstration service between Saratoga
and Albany with possible use of the “Colorado” car
currently made in Colorado but to be
made in New York State.
John emphasized the importance of an
integrated rail network in (i) assuring
NYS economic competitiveness, (ii) moving
more people and goods, (iii) creating
businesses, jobs and growth, (iv) revitalizing
communities, and (v) preserving the environment.
Lee Sander, Co-Chairman of
the Spitzer Transportation Policy Advisory
Committee, Director of the Rudin Center
of NYU and Senior Vice President at
DMJM Harris in Manhattan
It was a real treat to have Lee join
us at the meeting. His transition committee
co-chair, Mary Ann Crotty, dropped in
before the meeting to meet and greet
with our members but had to leave for
a previous commitment just as our meeting
started. Two additional Transportation
Policy Advisory Committee members, John
Egan, our previous speaker and John Poorman
from the Capital District Transportation
Committee, were present at our meeting.
This was a very impressive group and
a reminder that actively participating
on The Business Council Transportation
Committee gets one close to the influential
transportation policymakers in New York
State. A fifth Transportation Policy
Advisory Committee member had been registered
but was unable to join us.
Lee preferred to keep his remarks brief
and let the attendees drive the discussion
through Q & A. He echoed prior remarks
by Governor-elect Spitzer to flatten
barriers to progress and enhance the
use of coalitions to get things done.
Transportation is a top priority of the
new Administration. He reminded the group
of Mr. Spitzer’s early support
of the recent bond act. He reiterated
major projects to be advanced: high speed
rail to NYC, the completion of I-86,
the Peace Bridge, the 2 nd avenue subway
and the “one seat ride” to
JFK airport and spent a few minutes on
several aspects of the Tappan Zee Bridge
project. In discussing the bridge, he
mentioned it as a candidate for a public-private
partnership for those non-highway features
that toll revenue would not cover, such
as a rail component. Lee continued that
public-private partnerships would be
very project specific.
He also remarked on the need to focus
on systems to improve execution of short
and long term plans and actions, and
the development of the DOT as an institution
of people.
Lee fielded a variety of questions
and comments from the group which included
the following topics:
- smart growth aspects of transportation
- the importance of coalitions
- the movement of very large pieces
of industrial equipment
- permit issues & multi-state
movements
- Canadian border issues
- the empowerment of DOT personnel
- Stewart Airport contract status
- funding stability
- more business/government relationships
Lee appreciated having the opportunity
to address us at the meeting and looks
forward to finishing the work of the
transition committee and reporting to
Governor-elect Spitzer.
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Garry Douglas, President of the Plattsburgh-North
Country Chamber of Commerce, updated
the group on the status of this federal
move to require passports when returning
to the United States. Garry has reported
this issue to us before. Gary has worked
tirelessly with other chambers across
the country to strengthen border security
without causing serious negative economic
impact to the border communities. Beginning
in January 2007, a passport will be needed
to re-enter the U.S. by air. Recent federal
legislation extended the deadline for
new ID for land re-entry by 18 months.
The Department of Homeland Security and
the State Department have been the lead
agencies on this issue.
The 2006 Transportation Legislative
program was included in the meeting packet.
Committee members were urged to review
it and submit comments and recommendations.
The meeting adjourned shortly before
4 PM.
Please contact Tom Minnick at tom.minnick@bcnys.org or 518-465-7511 for meeting questions or further information.
