Meng, Joined By Borough President Richards, Highlights Federal Infrastructure Bill and What It Stands to Provide to Queens
December 20, 2021
QUEENS, NY – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), joined by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, today hailed the recent enactment of the federal infrastructure bill, and called for funding from the measure to be directed toward improving local infrastructure in Queens.
Meng helped pass the historic and bipartisan legislation through the House of Representatives last month (on November 5th), and she recently joined President Biden at the White House (on November 15th) when he signed the $1.2 trillion measure into law. It will provide billions for New York's roads, bridges, highways, mass transit, airports, high-speed internet, clean drinking water, clean energy and more.
But the Congresswoman urged the city and state to make sure that funding flows to the borough, including to her congressional district, as they receive this federal money and decide where it will go.
"These funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be a boon for New York over the next several years," said Congresswoman Meng. "They will enhance travel, improve safety, create union jobs, and strengthen our economy. But a significant portion of this funding must make its way here to Queens, and today I call on the city and state to ensure that this happens. Here in our borough, and in my district, we depend heavily on our infrastructure, from getting us to work to ensuring our health and safety. We have many pressing infrastructure needs and it is imperative that Queens receives its fair share to address our aging roads, failing catch basins, and the need to upgrade our mass transit, replace old lead pipes, increase broadband access, and so much more. These overhauls are long overdue, and the improvements would benefit our neighborhoods for decades to come."
"Over nearly two years, many of my constituents have had their lives turned upside down," Meng added. "My congressional district was the heart of the epicenter when COVID-19 first struck our nation, and in September, areas I represent were hit hard by flooding from Hurricane Ida. Many families remain devastated and continue to struggle, and much of our local infrastructure failed them. Queens stands to benefit from the infrastructure bill. The city and state need to hear our calls for funding, and must step up and deliver for our borough and my district. I look forward to working with the Governor and incoming Mayor."
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is critical for Queens and a chance for our resilient future," said Borough President Richards. "From housing our airports to recovering from Hurricane Ida's devastation, Queens has a real need for infrastructure investment and I am grateful for our partners in Congress, especially Congresswoman Grace Meng, for their advocacy."
The Borough President especially highlighted the need for funding for Queens following the devastation caused by Ida.
Some of the key projects for which Meng is advocating include the rebuilding and reopening the shuttered Elmhurst Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station, funding for elevators and platform extensions at the LIRR stop in Forest Hills, electric vehicle charging stations in areas she represents, median replacements, road repairs and catch basin upgrades in her district, making local subway and train stops accessible to the elderly and disabled, replacing lead pipes, and connecting more constituents to the internet, among other initiatives.
Last week, Meng led a letter to the Acting New York State Health Commissioner and the head of the state's Center for Environmental Health to encourage the state to expeditiously create an inventory of all lead service lines.