AFTER FORMER STATE SENATOR TIM KENNEDY LEFT THE CHAMBER FOR CONGRESS, SENATOR JEREMY COONEY WAS OFFICIALLY TAPPED TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

WE SAT DOWN WITH THE NEWLY MINTED CHAIR TO UNDERSTAND HIS VISION FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THE YEARS TO COME.

HERE'S THAT CONVERSATION.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINS US TODAY, SENATOR.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CHAIRMANSHIP.

>> OH, THANK YOU.

>> NOW, AS A NEWLY MINTED CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION OF THE COMMITTEE MOVING FORWARD.

>> WELL, TRANSPORTATION EVOKES ROADS AND BRIDGES, BUT THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THAT.

RIGHT?

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE MODERNIZING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS SAFE FOR OUR DRIVERS, SAFE FOR OUR COMMUTERS, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN A WAY THAT EMBRACES TECHNOLOGY, THAT HAS WORKPLACE SAFETY, THAT MAKES SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF WORKERS AND RESIDENTS ACROSS NEW YORK TODAY.

AND OUR WORK IN OUR COMMITTEE DOESN'T FOCUS ON ONE REGION OF NEW YORK STATE.

IT'S OVER UPSTATE, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ON LONG ISLAND OR IN THE HUDSON VALLEY OR THE FIVE BOROUGHS.

SO TRANSPORTATION IS AN ECOSYSTEM AND IT'S ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO FUND IT, RESOURCE PIT CREATE POLICIES THAT MAKES IT SAFE TO GO FROM LONG ISLAND TO WESTERN NEW YORK.

>> AND HOW WILL YOU BALANCE THE DIFFERENCES AND APPROACHES TO LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION UPSTATE VS. DOWNSTATE, JUST GIVEN THE DIFFERENT NEEDS?

>> FORTUNATELY IN MY OWN LIFE, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF NEW YORK STATE.

SO WHILE I REPRESENT MY HOMETOWN OF ROCHESTER, I ALSO LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY.

MY WIFE IS FROM LONG ISLAND.

SO WE TRAVEL QUITE A BIT ACROSS NEW YORK, AND HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE USERS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS.

WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUS SYSTEMS HERE AND IN THE ALBANY CAPITAL REGION OR WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBWAYS AND LONG ISLAND RAILROAD, OUT ON LONG ISLAND.

THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TO US RECOGNIZE THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH TYPE OF COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S EQUITY BETWEEN UPSTATE AND DOWNSTATE.

WE DON'T WANT REGION TO GET MORE RESOURCES THAN ANOTHER.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S FAIR BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR POPULATION IN NEW YORK IS MORE MOBILE.

THEY'RE MOVING AROUND.

RIGHT?

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR HOUSING IN UPSTATE.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR JOBS IN DOWNSTATE.

RIGHT?

MAYBE THEY ARE GROWING A FAMILY ON LONG ISLAND AND THEY WANT TO LIVE SOME PLACE ELSE AND THEY WANT TO OR MAYBE THEY'RE GROWING A LITTLE BIT OLDER AND THEY WANT TO DOWNSIZE, RIGHT?

WE HAVE TO HAVE TRANSIT OPTIONS TO MEET NEW YORKERS WHERE THEY ARE.

>> AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE FOCUSED ON RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES BY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY DIVIDED COMMUNITIES.

CAN YOU UNPACK THAT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND I'M GLAD THAT OUR STATE GOVERNMENT AND OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS RECOGNIZING SOME OF THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND HARM THAT WAS DONE IN THE LATE '60S AND EARLY '70S WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING PEOPLE FROM POINT A TO POINT B, BUT TAKING APART NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO WE BUILT ALL THIS ROADWAY INFRASTRUCTURE, THESE BIG, YOU KNOW, BUSTLING HIGHWAYS AND BIWAYS BUT THEY TRANSECTED THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS.

MEANING THAT WE DISPLACED PEOPLE.

WE DIVIDED COMMUNITIES AND IN MY OWN HOMETOWN OF ROCHESTER, WE HAVE AN INNER LOOP, WHICH GOES AROUND THE ENTIRE CENTER CITY PORTION, BUT THAT DISCONNECTS THE NEIGHBORS FROM THE DOWNTOWN.

THERE'S NO REAL PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ISSUE.

WE LOST ALL THAT DEVELOPMENTAL LAND.

SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS DOLLARS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL COMING THROUGH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO HELP RECONNECT THESE COMMUNITIES AND IMPORTANTLY INVOLVING NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES IN THE DECISION MAKING OF WHAT TRANSIT OPTION WORKS FOR THEM.

SO IN MY HOMETOWN OF ROCHESTER, WE REPLACED ONE PORTION OF THE INNER LOOP WITH HOUSING, RETAIL.

WE EXPANDED THE STRONG MUSEUM OF PLAY, WHICH IS A MUCH BETTER USE FOR THAT LAND THAN AN UNDERUTILIZED FREEWAY.

SO WE'RE DOING IT ALL ACROSS NEW YORK STATE.

HERE HAD ALBANY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 787 CORRIDOR.

WE'RE LOOKING AT I-81 IN SYRACUSE, KENSINGTON AND BUFFALO, WESTERN NEW YORK.

SO ALL OF THESE CITIES ARE NOW LOOKING AT, ARE WE GETTING PEOPLE FROM A TO B IN AN EFFICIENT WAY, AND IS THERE A BETTER USE OF LAND?

CAN WE BE MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY?

CAN WE CREATE MORE HOUSING NEEDS ACROSS THE STATE OF NEW YORK?

THAT'S EXCITING TO KIND OF SEE HOW TRANSPORTATION COMES ALONG WITH OTHER AREAS, SUCH AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

>> AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BALANCE THESE BIG TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS WITH ALSO PROMOTING A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT?

>> WELL THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN BE FOCUSING ON AS CERTAINLY A STATE GOVERNMENT OR JUST AS CITIZENS OF OUR WORLD.

IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE LEAVE NEW YORK A BETTER PLACE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

SO TRANSPORTATION HAS A BIG WAY OF CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT.

SO WE KNOW BY INVESTING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AGAIN, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBWAYS OR TRAINS OR WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UPSTATE BUS SYSTEMS THIS IS A WAY TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF VEHICLES, PERSONAL AUTOMOBILES, AND INTO A PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT GETS PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT THEY NEED TO GO.

WE KNOW THAT RIDERS GENERATIONALLY ARE LOOKING FOR MORE OF THAT.

THIS IS ACTUALLY BECOMING AN ASSET.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WORKERS WANT TO BE, THEY ARE LOCATING IN CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT OFFER ROBUST PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS, RIGHT?

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EXPERIENCE, WHETHER IN ROCHESTER OR IN ROCKLAND COUNTY IS VERY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF OFFERING THOSE TYPES OF AMENITIES TO OUR RESIDENTS.

SO FOR ME, OUR BEST SHOT AT REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EMBRACING TECHNOLOGIES AND PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM INNOVATIONS THAT ALLOW US TO GET PEOPLE WHETHER INTO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WHETHER ON A BUS ROUTE, WHETHER THROUGH HIGH SPEED RAIL, WHICH WE HOPE WE TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG FOCUS OF MINE.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CARBON THAT GOES INTO OUR AIR.

>> AND CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR APPROACH TO HIGH SPEED RAIL?

>> WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.

EVERY YEAR, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TALKS ABOUT HIGH SPEED RAIL, GETTING PEOPLE FROM UPSTATE TO DOWNSTATE IN A FASTER WAY, BUT I THINK WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT WAS EVEN 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I BEGAN WORKING ON THESE ISSUES AS A CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER IS THAT THE TECHNOLOGY HAS EVOLVED AND THE COST HAS CHANGED.

THERE'S ALSO MORE FEDERAL RESOURCES BEING DEPLOYED.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER STATES, LIKE FLORIDA, NEVADA, CALIFORNIA, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE GOING INTO CREATING HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEMS.

SO THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION JUST CUT THE RIBBON ON GOING FROM LOS ANGELES TO LAS VEGAS, RIGHT?

FOR US IN NEW YORK, LET'S THINK ABOUT CONNECTING ECONOMIC HUB OF TORONTO, WHICH IS BIGGER THAN CHICAGO, BY THE WAY.

TORONTO TO NEW YORK CITY, AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE DOWN TO NEW YORK CITY, CONNECTING YOU ALL UP AND DOWN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.

RIGHT?

IT ALSO, IN MY OPINION, BECOMES THE MODERN DAY ERIE CANAL FOR NEW YORK STATE.

AS THE TRAIN GOES, ALL THOSE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES ALONG ITS PATH GET TO SEE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INCREASED POPULATION BUFFALO, ROCHESTER, SYRACUSE, ALBANY, UTICA, ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITIES GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GROWTH.

JUST LIKE THE CANAL DID A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

HIGH SPEED RAIL IS THE FUTURE.

THE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE.

NOW IT TAKES THE POLITICAL WILL TO GET THAT DONE IN NEW YORK >> WHEN I THINK ABOUT THESE PROJECTS, I CAN'T HELP BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT LABOR.

SO WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO LABOR LEADERS AND UNION MEMBERS?

WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY TO GARNER MORE SUPPORT?

>> WELL, I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN A SUPPORTER OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

MY MOTHER WAS A UNION TEACHER.

I GREW UP IN A LABOR HOUSEHOLD.

WE KNOW THAT SO MUCH OF THE BUILDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE SEE IN NEW YORK IS DONE BY OUR FRIENDS IN LABOR.

SO I THINK OF IUOE, THE OPERATING ENGINEER.

I THINK ALL OF THE LABORERS WHO ARE DOING THE WORK ON OUR ROADWAYS, RIGHT?

ALL OF THESE LABOR UNIONS ARE CREATING JOBS AND IT'S OUR ROLE AS STATE POLICYMAKERS, WHEN COMING UP WITH THE BUDGET, WHEN COMING ONE THE CAPITAL PLAN, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH WORK FOR THEM.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET YOUNGER PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE TRADES.

THAT'S A GOOD THING.

A MORE DIVERSE WORKFORCE, THAT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT?

BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S WORK FOR THEM TO DO HERE IN NEW YORK.

WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND ALL THIS TIME TRAINING PEOPLE AND HAVE THEM GO OUT OF STATE TO FIND WORK.

SO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.

OUR ROAD,S, OUR BRIDGES, OUR TRAIN STATIONS, OUR AIRPORTS ALL NEED WORK TO BE DONE.

LET'S UTILIZE OUR TALENTED WORKFORCE.

LET'S GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN A LIVING WAGE, PREPARE FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND LET'S MODERNIZE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WE CAN BETTER COMPETE WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

>> AND AS WE'RE IN A POST-BUDGET SEASON, I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT ROLE YOU PLAYED IN SECURING FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET?

>> I HAVE BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

I SAW A BIG INCREASE IN DOLLARS GOING BOTH TO THE MTA IN NEW YORK CITY AND ALSO TO OUR UPSTATE TRANSIT SYSTEMS.

FOR ME THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE'S EQUITY IN TRANSIT.

A LOT OF THE JOBS THAT ARE BEING CREATED IN NEW YORK STATE, THINK OF MICRON OUTSIDE OF SYRACUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET THE WORKERS TO CLAY NEW YORK?

IT'S NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN SYRACUSE.

HOW DO WE GET ALL THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE MAYBE UNDEREMPLOYED, LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY, LOOKING TO BREAK PAST THE MINIMUM WAGE AND EARN A LIVING WAGE, WHY DON'T WE GET THEM OUT TO THAT JOB SITE?

TRANSPORTATION IS THE WAY TO CONNECT THAT.

FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY HAVE MORE RESOURCES SO THEY CAN GET MORE PEOPLE TO THE PLACES THAT THEY NEED TO GO.

I THINK WE DID THAT WITH THE BUDGET.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT IN A BIG WAY NEXT YEAR MOVING FORWARD AS MORE AND MORE OF THESE JOB OPPORTUNITIES COME UP ACROSS THE STATE.

THIS IS NOT JUST UPSTATE.

THIS IS DOWN ALONG LONG ISLAND, TOO.

I THINK THAT'S-- I THINK THAT MINDSET OF RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT REPAIRING A ROAD.

IT'S ABOUT GETTING A PERSON TO A JOB, GETTING A MOTHER TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, GETTING A SENIOR CITIZEN TO THE GROCERY STORE.

THOSE ARE THE VALUES AND THE PERSPECTIVES THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP WHEN COMING ONE TRANSPORTATION POLICY IN NEW YORK STATE.

>> WHAT WERE THE ADVICE THAT FORMER STATE SENATOR TED KENNEDY AND NOW CONGRESS MEMBER GIVE YOU AS YOU WERE HEADING INTO BEING THE CHAIR OF TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE?

[LAUGHTER] >> HE TOLD ME NOT TO FORGET ABOUT BUFFALO.

YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT GOING TOO FAR BECAUSE HE STILL HAS MY PHONE NUMBER, AND HE'S CALLING ME ALL THE TIME.

I JUST READ THIS.

ARE YOU GOING TO TALK TO THIS PERSON?

HE LOVES TRANSPORTATION.

BUT I THINK THE ADVICE THAT REALLY STUCK WITH ME IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT WORKER SAFETY.

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT RETAIL THEFT.

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT SOME OF THE DANGERS FACING OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND THE WORKERS IN THERE.

BUT ALL ALONG THESE PROJECTS ARE WORKERS, WHETHER THEY'RE ON THE ROADSIDE OR WHETHER THEY'RE BUILDING THESE NEXT BIG TOWERS OR TRAIN STATIONS.

WHAT ABOUT THEIR SAFETY?

WHAT ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES?

WE JUST HAD AN UNFORTUNATE DEATH IN MY OWN DISTRICT ABOUT A WEEK AGO ON THE FREEWAY.

WE KNOW TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT, INJURED OR DYING BECAUSE OF FAST-MOVING VEHICLES OR JUST HARASSMENT.

WE'VE GOT TO PROTECT THESE WORKERS, AND I KNOW SENATOR KENNEDY CARED ABOUT WORKER SAFETY.

HE CARED ABOUT PASSENGER SAFETY WITH THE WORK AROUND LIMOUSINES.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO CARRY THAT TORCH, TO MAKE SURE THAT SAFETY IS DRIVING, PUN INTENDED, IS DRIVING OUR POLICY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW TO GET PEOPLE FROM A TO B IN NEW YORK.

>> AND YOU ARE THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY TO BE CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

SO WHAT DOES THAT FACT HAVE ON THE WAY THAT YOU'LL SORT OF LEAD THE COMMITTEE?

>> I DO FIND IT TO BE ESPECIALLY PLEASING THAT DURING AAPI HERITAGE MONTH HERE IN MAY, I NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THIS COMMITTEE.

AND I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF RECOGNIZING THAT THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK IS PRESENT AND VISIBLE.

WE ARE THE FASTEST-GROWING ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATION IN THE COUNTRY AND ALSO HERE IN NEW YORK STATE.

SO BEING REPRESENTED IN GOVERNMENT, BEING AT THE TABLE WHEN TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION POLICY IS IMPORTANT.

ISSUES SUCH AS LANGUAGE ACCESS, ISSUES SUCH AS POVERTY, ISSUES SUCH AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS IN ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE, RIGHT, THESE ARE ALL BIG COMPONENTS TO THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN NEW YORK STATE.

SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO CARRY THEIR VOICE AS AN INDIAN,&IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE, BUT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND IT THAT WE WANT TO BE AN INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING STATE FOR ALL AND I'M VERY PROUD TO PLAY A SMALL ROLE IN THAT PROCESS.

>> AND WHAT TYPE OF LEGACY ARE YOU HOPING TO HAVE ON THE COMMITTEE?

>> WELL, I THINK I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN GETTING THE ISSUE OF MAKING SURE THAT TRANSPORTATION CONNECTS PEOPLE TO OPPORTUNITY.

A LOT OF TIMES COMMUNITIES, WHETHER THEY'RE GEOGRAPHIC COMMUNITIES OR ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES, HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF SOME OF THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE IN NEW YORK BECAUSE THERE'S A BARRIER TO TRANSPORTATION.

THE BUS SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK WELL ENOUGH.

WE DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE TO GO TO THE LOCATION.

WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT LEVEL OF TRANSIT.

THOSE ARE THE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK TO BREAK DOWN.

TRANSPORTATION CAN EMPOWER GROWTH IN NEW YORK STATE.

I WANT TO BRING PEOPLE BACK TO NEW YORK.

TRANSPORTATION IS THE KEY.

THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO INVEST IN TRUCK.

THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO SUPPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THAT MEAN WE HAVE TO EMBRACE INNOVATION IN THE TRANSIT SPACE.

IF WE DO THAT, WE CREATE A MUCH MORE EXCITING DYNAMIC FOR NEW YORKERS AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO EITHER STAY HERE OR COME BACK TO NEW YORK AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO LEAD US TO A MORE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH US.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CHAIRMANSHIP.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> AND WE WERE SPEAKING WITH STATE SENATOR JEREMY COONEY, CHAIR OF THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE TRANSPORTATION THE COMMITTEE AND THE SENATOR'S VISION ON OUR WEBSITE.

THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.