City Council members and a variety of civic advocates on May 18 called on New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to address mounting city infrastructure needs.
"It's obvious but it's so hard to miss," Councilman Brad Lander from Brooklyn said on the steps of City Hall at a midday press conference arranged by the think tank Center for an Urban Future. "With gridlock in [Washington], we must explore creative options for New York City to even afford the additional infrastructure investments we so desperately need: pay-as-you-go capital, congestion pricing and an infrastructure bank."
The center last year issued a report "Caution Ahead," that called for $47 billion in spending over five years just to keep all facets of infrastructure, including transit systems, in a state of good repair.
The groups praised de Blasio's 10-year, $83.8 billion capital plan - up 24% from his preliminary estimate in February -- while saying greater investment is needed. They urged the mayor to identify and embrace new capital funding options.
De Blasio's 10-year strategy calls for significant investments in schools, housing and bridges.
Earlier in the day, the council's finance committee held a hearing on the city's budget structure and capital plan.
The Citizens Budget Commission has "two overarching concerns" about de Blasio's strategy, its director of city studies, Maria Doulis, told the council. She cited insufficient information available to judge the investments, and concerns that the investments will add to the city's already high debt burden.
"Investments should be undertaken based on clear analysis that demonstrates increased economic activity, improved operating efficiency, or enhanced service delivery," said Doulis. "The capital strategy, the capital budget, and the other available documents do not provide a sense of whether this is the case."
