Cuomo Avoids Subway Mess While Touting $4B LaGuardia Project

FLUSHING, NY – With subway problems putting a major dent in his poll numbers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday turned his attention to LaGuardia Airport. It was the second time he's been at the blighted hub, touting a $4 billion project to build a new terminal with 35 gates.

While the deal was actually sealed in June 2016, Tuesday’s speech featured a “ceremonial” lease signing after Cuomo spoke.

“There’s no doubt but that it’s going to help grow the economy in the future,” Cuomo said. “But it’s also helping the economy today.”

The public-private partnership featuring Delta will bring a new garage and roads along with the new terminal.

The speech came as a recent Quinnipiac poll showed more New Yorkers blaming Cuomo than Mayor Bill de Blasio for the beleaguered state of the subways.

Cuomo avoided talking about de Blasio or the MTA on Tuesday. But he did take a dig at President Donald Trump.

“Candidate Trump when he was running for president said 'We have to invest in infrastructure' and ‘I pledge $1 trillion in infrastructure,'” Cuomo said. “He was right. I don’t know what happened to the trillion dollars, but he was right when he said it.”

The governor recently concluded Trump has no infrastructure plan after a July trip to Washington, D.C.

We can’t fix Penn Station or update the subway’s signal systems. But we can give voice to your frustration, hold those in charge accountable and find creative ways to make commuting more pleasant. Patch is partnering with WNYC and Gothamist to do just that. Join "We the Commuters" and you’ll receive tips, inspiration and a megaphone for your voice this summer.

Lead image by Frank Franklin II/Associated Press.