Bonds Away!

The Post reports that a state panel has failed for the second time to approve a bond proposal for the MTA that would include $1.45 billion for transportation projects you probably thought were already well-funded and underway, including the Second Avenue subway and a LIRR tunnel to Grand Central Terminal. What's at issue is how that billion and a half will be split up: the Rail Link from downtown to JFK and Long Island is in the mix, too. The four people who make appointments to the state panel--the Governor and Mayor, Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Majority Leader Bruno--each have a favorte. Five years ago, it took forever to put language together to put the bond issue on the ballot. That was when Voters narrowly rejected the $3.8 billion bond proposal put on the ballot to fund. Five years later the MTA is trying again, and not getting much traction. Unions, contractors and transit advocates are still complaining how they didn't have enough to promote the plan and worried they won't have any more luck this time around. --Matthew Schuerman