The chairman of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday implored the federal government to help his and other transit systems rebuild from Hurricane Sandy's devastation.
"Clearly this is much more than a New York issue or a national issue. It's a national need, and we're going to need help from the federal government to rebuild the MTA," Joseph Lhota said
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., chaired the hearing at the Russell Senate Office Building. Lautenberg was a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1978 to 1982.
Lhota called his system, which operates New York City subways and buses, Long Island and Metro-North railroads, and several vehicular bridges and tunnels, the backbone of a $1.4 trillion regional economy.
Saltwater flooded subway tunnels, according to Lhota, "marinating" switches and other electronic devices. Lhota and other MTA officials last week, a preliminary estimate, said the system sustained $5 billion worth of damage, which will require additional borrowing.
"Hundreds of millions of saltwater flooded our tunnels and we will feel the effect for months, if not years, to come," said Lhota, a former deputy mayor under Rudolph Giuliani and Madison Square Garden executive.
While the MTA has drawn widespread praise for preparing for the superstorm and rapidly restoring service after pre-emptively shutting it down, "even all our preparation could not prevent us from the full force of Sandy's wrath," Lhota added.
Also testifying on Thursday were Joseph Boardman, president of the National Railroad Passenger Corp.; Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and James Weinstein, executive director of New Jersey transit.
