NEW YORK—U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today stood in the crater of Ground Zero to launch construction of the new transit hub that will serve the heart of Manhattan’s Financial District, signaling the start of some of the most highly-visible progress in the rebuilding effort since the site was destroyed by the September 11 terror attacks.

The Bush Administration is providing 100 percent of the financing for the $1.92 billion effort to rebuild the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) terminal at the World Trade Center site.  The new facility, expected to be operational by 2009, will serve an estimated 80,000 PATH riders daily, and will feature a pedestrian-friendly street level entrance and climate controlled pedestrian concourses to future ferry service and the city’s subway network.

“New York is taking off again, and set to soar to greater heights than ever before,” said Secretary Mineta. 

Secretary Mineta said people cleaning up from Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast should be able to “find hope and inspiration in New York’s example.” 

He added, “Americans are strong in the face of tragedy; they don’t quit, they rebuild.” 
Secretary Mineta was joined by the governors and U.S. senators from New York and New Jersey, the New York City’s mayor and transit officials for today’s ceremony.

The PATH WTC Terminal Project will restore and enhance the level of services that existed prior to September 11, including a new transit hall and additional platform capacity. It also will provide better pedestrian connections on the east to the Fulton Street Transit Center and on the west across West Street (Route 9A) to the World Financial Center and World Financial Center Ferry Terminal. 

The new World Trade Center Hub and the Fulton Street Transit Center are two of the recovery projects that are being funded by the Bush Administration through the U.S. Department of Transportation under a $4.55 billion program to rebuild transportation infrastructure in Lower Manhattan. 

The program is administered by the Federal Transit Administration’s Lower Manhattan Recovery Office, a special field office that was established in 2002 to expedite the delivery of the funds and development of the projects.

PATH Terminal Construction Launch

Working closely with New York Governor George Pataki and other state and local officials, the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded to date $3.85 billion to several locally designated high priority transportation projects.  These projects are the Fulton Street Transit Center ($750 million), the South Ferry Station ($420 million), the World Trade Center Hub and related infrastructure ($1.92 billion), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey security center for the southern World Trade Center site ($478 million), and Route 9A/West Street ($287 million).