The problem with Cuomo's infrastructure roadshow

Somewhere on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk is a nine-year old report from Polimeni International on building a tunnel beneath the Long Island Sound, complete with engineering studies, environmental and traffic reports and a summary of the economic benefits for the region; the very concept the governor recently announced as the subject of a $5 million publicly funded study.

As a public service, Polimeni is prepared to republish our report and hand deliver it to the governor’s office, thereby saving millions of dollars while getting the tunnel closer to construction.

What we dubbed the Sound Link Tunnel in 2007 would carry vehicles beneath the Long Island Sound from the intersection of Route 135 and Jericho Turnpike in Syosset to the intersection of I-287 and I-95 in Rye, Westchester County, taking advantage of the existing highway infrastructure. The project would be a triple bore, comprising two tunnels with three lanes of traffic in each direction and a centrally located service tunnel. Light rail would also need to be considered.

We studied the underlying geology of the sound and conducted an in-depth review of state-of-the-art boring technology that would be needed to conquer it. We also looked closely at the entrances, realizing they needed to remain within New York state because Connecticut would put this project into the courthouse for generations.

Our review detailed how construction debris would be trucked out, the positive benefits to the region’s air quality through the scrubbing of auto emissions, driver behavior, and of course, how to finance the multibillion dollar project.

All of this is in a document that was presented to Cuomo years ago.

Which begs the question why the governor’s Infrastructure Roadshow is being hailed as something new and visionary? His call for MacArthur Airport to become an international gateway requires at least 1,500 more feet of concrete for runways to accommodate overseas flights. A deep water Shoreham port was an action item on his father’s gubernatorial watch. How do we get beyond the road show and get to actually appropriating the hard dollars needed to address an obsolete infrastructure?

The underlying issues are twofold. Without Cuomo’s commitment to expand the portfolio for public-private partnerships in mega projects such as a tunnel, these concepts are dead on arrival. We need to be as innovative and visionary in funding these efforts as we are in proposing them, and have the political will to follow through.

Second, the governor offered his infrastructure comments with a postscript.  He told the Long Island Association they need to convince state lawmakers to support his proposals, knowing full well that Long Island can’t agree on where to put a stop sign. (The lawsuit filed against a regional master plan introduced by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone is a reminder how reactionary the region is to strategic visioning.)

The governor may have floated these billion-dollar public works projects with the understanding that we are incapable of forging a consensus strong enough to take up his offer. In the meantime, if Cuomo wants to create a legacy truly worthy of a master builder, there is a studied and reviewed tunnel plan that could use a political leader prepared to go beyond rhetoric to get it done.

Michael Polimeni is the CEO of Polimeni International and an executive board member of the Association for a Better Long Island.