§ 14-J — Special rail and aviation transportation program

§ 14-j. Special rail and aviation transportation program. 1. The\ncommissioner is hereby authorized to enter into a contract, lease or\nagreement with the New York state thruway authority for the financing by\nsuch authority of special rail and aviation transportation program as\nauthorized by law.\n 2. The commissioner is hereby authorized to approve funding for the\ncosts for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, reconditioning\nand preservation of rail freight facilities and for the cost of\nintercity rail passenger facilities and equipment. For rail freight\nprojects, the commissioner shall give priority to projects which are\ncoordinated with community economic development objectives, improve the\nsafety of rail operations, promote intermodal services, provide rail\naccess to relieve highway congestion, provide for the efficient\nrestructuring of urban rail facilities or facilitate the transition of\nbranch lines from large operations to shortline operations. For\nintercity rail passenger facilities and equipment projects, priority\nwill be given to projects which improve the quality, performance, speed\nand safety of intercity rail services.\n 3. The commissioner is hereby authorized to approve funding for the\ncost of construction, reconstruction, improvement, reconditioning and\npreservation of municipal airports, privately owned airports and\naviation capital facilities, excluding airports owned by the state or\noperated by a bi-state public benefit corporation, for which federal\nfunding is not available provided projects are part of an approved\nairport layout plan. Such improvements shall include, but not be limited\nto, acquisition of certain traffic control navigational aids utilizing\nthe global positioning system technologies and applications.\n Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, for airports\nfunded pursuant to this section, the owner of a municipal airport may,\nwith the approval of the commissioner, contract directly with the office\nof general services to provide for the removal of fuel tanks under such\nterms and conditions as set forth by the office of general services,\nincluding provision for the deposit of funds of such airport with the\nstate comptroller, who is authorized to receive and accept the same for\nthe purposes of this subdivision, for expenditure on such project costs\nor, as appropriate, for the return of any excess deposit to such\nairport, on vouchers approved by the office of general services.\n 4. The program shall provide forty million dollars to be made\navailable as follows:\n Rail Aviation\nState Fiscal Year 1993-1994 $7.5 million $2.5 million\nState Fiscal Year 1994-1995 $7.5 million $2.5 million\nState Fiscal Year 1995-1996 $7.5 million $2.5 million\nState Fiscal Year 1996-1997 $7.5 million $2.5 million\n