Rep. Fossella to MTA: Relocate Operations to the Teleport

Fossella Says Proposal Represents Win-Win for Staten Island & Taxpayers

[Washington, DC] – Congressman Vito Fossella today proposed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) scrap its plans for a $150 million renovation of the former New York City Transit headquarters in downtown Brooklyn and instead open offices at the Teleport on Staten Island.

Fossella said the move would help revitalize the long-struggling Teleport, which is managed by the Port Authority under a long-term lease with New York City, and serve as an economic boost for the borough. Under Fossella’s proposal, the Teleport would serve as the new home to the MTA’s proposed Business Service Center, which would bring 400 jobs to Staten Island by 2010 with more likely to follow after that.

Fossella said, “I believe this proposal would be a win-win for the MTA, the Port Authority and the taxpayers of New York. This proposal has the potential to revitalize the Teleport on Staten Island while saving the MTA money on its proposed Jay Street rehabilitation project – money that could be returned back to straphangers and commuters in improved services. In the wake of the MTA’s recent decision to increase bus fares and bridge tolls and its ongoing budget shortfalls, I believe it is incumbent on the agency to find a more cost-effective alternative to rehabilitating its Jay Street facility. I believe that option is the Teleport.”

Fossella said the Teleport represents a more cost-effective solution in light of chronic cost overruns on MTA projects and long delays in completing jobs. Fossella predicted that the cost of renovating 370 Jay Street, which calls for a full interior rehabilitation as well as the replacement of the facade and all windows, would likely increase by millions of dollars and span years before the project is completed. As an example, Fossella cited a 2001 statement from an MTA spokesman in the New York Times claiming the renovation of the Jay Street office would cost $100 million – a figure that has escalated by 50% in less than seven years.

In addition, a report released this month by the New York State Comptroller on the agency’s proposed 2008-2013 Capital Program revealed that current MTA expansion projects are now “significantly behind schedule and almost $4 billion over budget.”

Fossella said, “As we have seen over the years, MTA projects typically cost significantly more than initial estimates. On Staten Island, the cost of building the new bus depot alone is tens of millions of dollars more than was originally suggested. The MTA’s track record on renovation projects provides little comfort for taxpayers – for instance, the renovation of 2 Broadway in Manhattan cost more than four times the initial estimate, or hundreds of millions of dollars more in overruns.”

By comparison, Fossella touted the Teleport as “an ideal site” that is located just 11 miles from Manhattan and situated on 100 wooded acres adjacent to a wildlife preserve.  The Teleport features “five Class A office and specialized buildings, a communications center and three ready-to-build development sites,” according to the Port Authority.

Fossella said that the Teleport, which has an occupancy rate of about 50% and two empty buildings to meet the MTA’s unique needs, offers reliable power and communications, a highly secure environment, low operating costs and other financial incentives, and prime, pre-approved building sites.

Fossella added that the Teleport’s location on Staten Island is accessible by mass transit or car, which would give MTA employees several commuting options.

Fossella said, “While some in the MTA have acknowledged that Staten Island lacks adequate mass transit services, the agency’s recent decision not to proceed with the queue jumper on the Gowanus and refusal to make improvements to the poorly planned Verrazano Bridge construction project suggest the agency believes commuting to and from the borough is acceptable. Therefore, MTA employees traveling from any of the four other boroughs to Staten Island would experience a commute similar to residents here – a commute the MTA does not consider prohibitive.”

Fossella said an added benefit of having the MTA utilize space at the Teleport would be an increase in revenue for the Port Authority, which could dedicate the money to lowering tolls on commuters.

Fossella said, “As we have seen, the Port Authority, much like the MTA, has an insatiable appetite for significantly raising tolls on hard-working commuters. By moving operations to the Teleport, the MTA would help increase revenue for the Port Authority, which could dedicate this money to toll relief and forestalling future toll increases.

As well, see the following editorial from the Staten Island Advance for further information on this important project.

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