Trumpinfrastructureplancriticalbut Noidea Whatwilldo,Cityplannerstellnationalpressclubnewsmaker

FORNPCWIRE:March8,2017

TRUMPINFRASTRUCTUREPLANCRITICALBUT"NOIDEA”WHATWILLDO,CITYPLANNERSTELLNATIONALPRESSCLUBNEWSMAKER

PresidentTrump’sinfrastructureplanwouldmakecriticalimprovementsinthenation’sdecayinginfrastructure,thechiefcityplannersofPhiladelphia,Washington,andNewYorkCityalltoldaNationalPressClubNewsmakerTuesday. However,theyallagreedtheyhavenoideawhattheactualplanwilldo,sinceneitherPresidentTrumpnoranycabinetofficerhastoldthem. ClubPresidentJeffBallouopenedtheprogrambyaskinghowtherealinfrastructureneedmesheswith“whatPresidentTrumplaidout.” AnneFadullon,Philadelphia’sDirectorofPlanningandDevelopment,offered,“Wehavenomoreinformationthanyoudo.”

Fadullonadded,“Whetheryougettoatrilliondollars(PresidentTrump’spromisednationalnumber)dependswhatyoucountinthetrillion. I’mcautiouslyoptimistic. Thehopeissignificant.”

NewYorkCity’simmediatepastCityPlanningChairman,CarlWeisbrod,saidthat“infrastructurehassufferedfromdecadesofdisinvestment.” HesaidthatPresidentTrumpwascorrecttosaythat“tilesontheceilingaremissingintheLincolnTunnel.” Weisbrodasserted,“Bridgesandtunnelsareindireneed.”

Thefederalgovernmentshouldhelpwith“directfederalfundingratherthanloansortaxcredits,”Weisbrodsaid. “Taxcreditsaremoreusefultonewprojectswherethere’sapublic-privatepartnershipthancrumblinginfrastructure.” EricShaw,DC’sDirectoroftheOfficeofPlanning,saidthattherehasbeen“flatfederalfunding”and“thegovernmentneedstobeapartner.”

WeisbrodandShawbothagreedthatinfrastructureneedstoprotectfromfloodingandclimatechange. Allthreeplannerscalledfor“green”programs. Eachusedtheterm.

Allthreeplannersalsoagreedthattheyarereadytofixinfrastructure,andtheyneedimmediatehelpbeforelongterm. “Ifwecan’tsupporttheinfrastructurewehavenow,howcanwesupportfutureinfrastructure,”Fadullonstated.

Fadullonsaidthatinfrastructurefundinghasbeen“federal15%and65%cityfunding,”withtheremainderfromprivatecompanies. WeisbrodandShawsaidtheirfundingratiosweresimilar.

Whenaskedhowtoworkthroughearmarkbanswhentheproposalsgothroughthelegislativeprocess,Weisbrodsaid,“Itrequiresrevenuesharingwithaflowtothecities,soeachcitydeterminesitsownpriorities.” WeisbrodandFadullonstatedthattheNortheastRailcorridorwasapriority. Fadullontalkedaboutreconnectinghercity’swaterfrontwiththecity.

Thethreeplannerssaidthatupdatingcurrentcitytransitsystemswasapriority. Inaddition,theyagreedinfrastructurespendingifdirectfederalfundswillcreatemanyjobsincurrentconstructionandabetterfutureeconomy. Theysaidthatabetterrailsystemandsubwaywillallowpeopletogettotheirjobs. Fadullonaddedthat,forasmanyas75-85%ofthecity’sresidents,betterpublictransitwould“improveaccesstotheirjobs. Ithashugejobspotential.”

Whenaskedifprotectionagainstcyberattacksonpowerandwatersystemgridswouldbeanimportantpartofinfrastructure,Weisbrodsaidyes,butaddedthattheNewYorkCityPolice havebeenoutstandinginthisarea.