Gov. Cuomo Does a Track Improvement Demonstration in Midwood

Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the Avenue M Station in Midwood on Wednesday to demonstrate track improvement work that are to be accelerated now with the Subway Action Plan fully funded. Some 39.8 miles of track are to be outfitted with continuously welded rail, with the goal of eliminating rail joints in the system that can serve as key points of failure and cause delays. The MTA is set to double the rate it is installing continuous welded rail, from 19.9 miles to 39.8 miles of track by the end of the year.

At the event, Governor Cuomo said: “My father, G-d rest his soul, used to talk about Aristotle’s formula for success. Which I don’t really believe was Aristotle’s formula for success but I think he said that to give it greater credibility. He said two steps, one caveat … Step one is decide what you want to do. Step two is to do it. The caveat is, step one is very difficult. Deciding what you want to do. We didn’t decide what to do on the Tappan Zee Bridge for 20 years. We didn’t decide what to do on the MTA for 50, 60, 70 years. Decide what you want to do. We need to improve the system. We need to invest. We need to improve on it dramatically. We have now decided that we’re going to do it. That’s the Subway Action Plan funding and that’s congestion pricing. Now do it. We have the personnel. We have the expertise. We have the ability. We’re now doing it. The caveat was the difficult point. Getting the funding and getting the commitment and the political will to actually make the changes.”