OP-ED: Christmas comes early - President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan has goodies for everybody

Just what really are “the next level of detail” on transportation aspects of President Joe Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan provided? It has been reported that Edward McGlone, U.S. Department of Transportation deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs, shared with some Democratic and Republican members of Congress a spreadsheet proposing how the $621 billion in transportation money in the $2 trillion proposal would be spent.

Perhaps Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer or my other New York State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand or U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (all D-NY) who were on the distribution list would be kind enough to share this information with everyone else. After all, don't taxpayers, commuters, transit advocates and local elected officials deserve to know what they will be obtaining in exchange for these expenditures?

I look forward to being able to provide a detailed analysis once this information is made public. My review would include which investments could be realistic versus wishful thinking as to the viability of many Metropolitan New York area proposed transit projects. It will be based upon my previous work experience for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 office in the development, funding, construction and benefits of similar projects.

The plan includes a total of $85 billion that would go toward transit, including $55 billion for transit state of good repair, $25 billion for transit expansion and $5 billion for Americans with Disabilities Act implementation.

When this list for "next level of detail" is available, there needs to be details for the following:

• How many of these transportation projects have already been programmed on transportation agencies' current, five- and 20-year capital program plans?
• How many of these projects have already been programmed on the local and state transportation improvement programs?
• How many projects are really shovel ready? This means that construction contracts can be advertised and awarded, followed by initiation of work within months after transit agencies actually receive Federal Transit Administration grants to pay for projects.
• How many projects are years away from being shovel ready? This means there is much work to do including environmental reviews, completion of design and engineering, along with meeting other requirements before grants can be awarded and contracts advertised.
• How many projects are backing out previously programmed local, state or federal formula funding to be substituted by this new pot of federal funding? This is the old bait and switch when transit agencies double dip. They use federal funding to pay for work they previously intended to pay for and reprogram those dollars for other purposes. Others use federal funds to balance budgets and cover deficits.

Recent history has told us time and again that too many transit expansion projects are either concepts, recommendations from a recent planning study or in some cases undergoing the environmental review process. Few have advanced into final design and engineering. Many have no realistic implementation schedule or approved funding to progress from design and engineering to construction. Estimated costs as a result of a planning feasibility study are seldom a reliable indicator of what the final cost will be at completion of construction and opening of revenue service.

Too many projects may be in the conceptual planning stage. Cost estimates change. Few project environmental reviews have been completed. Following the National Environmental Protect Act (NEPA) is mandatory to be eligible for Federal Transit Administration funding. History has shown that estimated costs for construction usually trend upwards as projects mature toward completion of final design. Final design refines the detailed scope of work necessary to support construction. Costs are further refined by the award of construction contracts followed by any unforeseen site conditions and change orders to the base contracts during the construction phase. The final potential cost can never be known until reaching beneficial use, acceptance of maintenance manuals for the physical assets, inspection and acceptance, completion of all contract punch list items followed by release of retainage and final payment to the vendor(s).

President Biden promised to conduct the most open and transparent administration in history. As the Wendy's spokesperson Clara Peller was fond of saying in the 1984 television commercial, "Where's the beef?"

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Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions of dollars in grants which provided funding for capital projects and programs to the NY MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island and Metro North Rail Roads, MTA Bus, NYC DOT, NJ Transit and more than 30 transit agencies in New York and New Jersey.