How three ‘State of the State’ proposals will affect Queens commuters
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Andrew Cuomo spent a chunk of his State of the State Address describing major transit projects, as well as law enforcement plans. Photo by Darren McGee, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.
By Jonathan Sperling
Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his annual State of the State address Wednesday, after rolling out 34 proposals he described in the weeks leading up to the speech — including three transit proposals that will have a major impact on Queens commuters.
American-made steel links Brooklyn and Queens
Cuomo proposed making the New York Buy American Act permanent. The legislation would require all state road and bridge construction projects with contracts worth more than $1 million to use only American-made structural steel and iron.
The current law, signed by Cuomo in 2017, is set to expire in April 2020. A total of 6,850 tons of American-made steel were used for the first two phases of the Kosciuszko Bridge, which links Maspeth and Greenpoint — and which Cuomo shouted out by name during his speech. The Kew Gardens Interchange, a complex series of highways that includes the Grand Central Parkway, the Jackie Robinson Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway, also used 11,500 tons of American-made steel during a recent renovation project.
Banning sex offenders from the subway
Cuomo proposed a controversial plan to ban certain sex offenders from the subway system.
Under the proposal, the MTA could prohibit individuals who commit repeat sex-related violations of the MTA code of conduct, or who are considered “high-risk” sex offenders, from using MTA transit services for three years.
In addition, the proposal creates a new transit-related sex crime where, if an indivdual is convicted, a prohibition order may be imposed by a judge to ensure the safety of the public. Individuals who violate order could be charged with Transit Trespass, a class A misdemeanor.
The judge may also issue a temporary prohibition order as a condition of pretrial release.
Reinforcing the relationship between police and communities
Cuomo also used the speech, and the lead up to the actual address, to advocate for strengthening the relationship between police officers and the communities that they serve.
A proposal shared by Cuomo’s office ahead of the speech specifically notes that some communities are “severely stressed following several viral videos showing recent interactions between police and civilians.”
Last summer, police were drenched with water by teens and men across Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, leading to outrage from the NYPD. The proposal would launch a new policy in which State Attorney General Letitia James would address tensions in police-community relations and identify solutions.
That proposal comes as the MTA plans to introduce 500 new transit police officers into the subway system.
