Letter to Administrator Szabo

Letter

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to work with western New York stakeholders and City of Niagara Falls officials to finalize the last procedural steps to unlock an approved $16,500,000 in Department of Transportation (DOT) funding for the Niagara Falls Intermodal Transportation Center. Schumer noted in his letter to FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo that he successfully pushed the DOT to approve the $16.5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery II (TIGER II) grant in October of 2010 for Niagara Falls to complete the final phase of construction on an international train station that would serve as a regional gateway.

Western New York stakeholders and Niagara Falls officials have planned for 24 years to redevelop and convert the site surrounding the 1863 U.S. Customs House at the base of Whirlpool International Bridge into an international rail hub for the region. Now that construction on the first two phases of the Niagara Falls station is complete, Schumer is calling on the FRA to move quickly to obligate these approved funds so that Niagara Falls officials can avoid delays and meet their goal to finish construction of the new station by 2014.

"When it comes to a new international rail hub in Western New York, every step of the approval process must roll into the station on schedule," said Schumer. "After 24 years of planning and preparation, Niagara Falls, and all of Western New York should see no further delay of this plan, which paves the way for improved transportation service for local residents and tourists; it also opens the gates for high-speed rail passenger service, economic growth and job creation in the region. Once the Federal Railroad Administration obligates this $16.5 million grant to Niagara Falls, western New York will be able to complete construction on a station that could generate millions in tourism revenue from international and domestic visitors arriving from Canada and throughout the Northeast. For more than two decades, an international railway station has been a dream for Niagara Falls and western New York, and the FRA should work with local stakeholders to make sure this dream swiftly becomes a reality."

"Every day we wait for this station to be completed, we are losing potential jobs, investment and tourism revenue," said Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster. "I applaud Senator Schumer's initiative to cut bureaucratic red tape and keep this critical, regionally-significant project moving forward. Niagara Falls is a world-class destination, and it deserves a world-class intermodal station to serve both residents and the millions of visitors who come here every year. As the border-crossing station for the line that connects two of North America's greatest cities--New York City and Toronto--this facility will play a critical role in the future development of rail transportation, including President Obama's vision for high-speed rail, in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Locally, it will also help facilitate rail travel between tourism venues in Niagara Falls and neighboring Buffalo, home to a vibrant arts and cultural scene and two professional sports franchises with strong Ontario fan bases. It will create jobs for construction workers in the short-term, and stimulate economic development in the long term. It's a great project--that's why it was awarded the largest TIGER II transportation grant in New York State in a very stiff competition."

Schumer called on FRA Administrator Szabo to work with Niagara Falls officials and project stakeholders to help them take the final steps necessary to obligate the $16.5 million TIGER II grant that represents the final infusion of funding needed for the City of Niagara Falls to complete construction on the Niagara Falls Intermodal Transportation Center.

In his letter, Schumer urged the FRA to work proactively with the community to clear away the remaining procedural hurdles that stand in the way of this important project, and its goal to complete the project by 2014. Schumer urged the FRA Administrator to prioritize approving the final aspects of the grant agreement needed to allow the City to begin accessing the $16.5 million in federal funding. The grant agreement is needed to allow the project to move to the construction phase, and has been under review and negotiation by the FRA for over 16 months. Schumer said that the FRA should not allow any further delays to stand in the way of this important project.

In addition to the previous restoration and rail phases, the Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Intermodal Center Project includes a 500 foot-long high-level platform and over 26,000 square feet of new space. The station also incorporates the Customhouse, built in 1863 and operated by the federal government until the 1980's, as a border inspection facility once again. The Customhouse will also accommodate an Underground Railroad Interpretive Center featuring historic exhibits detailing Niagara's role in Underground Railroad history, as blacks and whites worked together to help slaves escape the south to find freedom in Canada. A new station building connected to the Customhouse will house the Amtrak facilities that will serve both domestic and international travelers. This dynamic and transformational project will create a new transportation and cultural hub that will bring dollars, jobs and tourists to the area.

The TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant Program was included in the Recovery Act to spur a national competition for innovative, multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, a region or the nation. Projects funded with the $1.5 billion allocated in the Recovery Act include improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities.

Schumer has worked tirelessly over the years to see the project through to completion securing millions in federal funds along the way to help the local community reach this point. He will continue working to ensure FRA's continued focus on cooperation with stakeholders to quickly unlock these funds.

A copy of Sen. Schumer's letter appears below:

Dear Administrator Szabo:

I write today to urge the Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to work with the City of Niagara Falls to complete the final procedural steps in order to obligate the $16.5 million in TIGER II funds for the Niagara Falls Intermodal Transportation Center.

In October of 2010, DOT awarded the City of Niagara Falls TIGER II funds to complete final phase of the project to build an intermodal transportation center on the site around the 1863 U.S. Customs House at the Whirlpool International Bridge. When completed, the Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Intermodal Center Project will include a 500 foot-long high-level platform and over 26,000sq. ft. of new space and incorporate the Customhouse as a border inspection facility once again. This project not only represents the development of a rail hub and improved transportation for the region, but it also will be the catalyst for revitalization and economic development in the City of Niagara Falls.

While I understand obligating these funds is a complex process, the grant agreement has been under review for nearly 16 months. Therefore, it is critical that the FRA work with the City of Niagara Falls to overcome the final procedural hurdles to have these vital job creating funds obligated. Further delays could put the project behind schedule and put on hold the positive impacts this station will have on western New York.

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