NEW YORK CITY-The opening sentence of Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch’sreport on transportation infrastructure, released this pastThursday, spells out the problem in stark terms: “New York Statecurrently lacks the revenues necessary to maintain itstransportation system in a state of good repair, and the state hasno credible strategy for meeting future needs.” Developing thatstrategy will entail the state mapping out what Ravitch calls “along-term blueprint that explains how it will meet itstransportation needs. Otherwise, the state risks losing its abilityto deliver projects that are essential for preserving safety,improving quality of life and maintaining economiccompetitiveness.”

It’s an argument with which Richard T. Anderson, president ofthe New York Building Congress, wholeheartedly concurs. “LieutenantGovernor Ravitch has produced a report that expertly lays out thechallenges and choices we must confront regarding New York’s vastnetwork of roads, bridges and mass transit,” Anderson says in astatement. “His report can serve as a blueprint for the Cuomoadministration and the State Legislature, which will need toquickly develop a set of priorities and financing options toreverse the recent declines in the condition of our highways,physically maintain the existing transit system, and continue withsuch major projects as the Second Avenue Subway and East SideAccess.”

Although the issues Ravitch describes exist statewide, they’reespecially germane to New York City and its metropolitan area.Large-scale capital projects such as the Second Avenue Subway andEast Side Access, both under the aegis of the MetropolitanTransportation Authority, face funding shortfalls. These twoprojects alone account for $3.5 billion of the $10-billion gap inthe MTA’s current five-year plan.