§ 14-j. Special rail and aviation transportation program. 1. The
commissioner is hereby authorized to enter into a contract, lease or
agreement with the New York state thruway authority for the financing by
such authority of special rail and aviation transportation program as
authorized by law.

2. The commissioner is hereby authorized to approve funding for the
costs for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, reconditioning
and preservation of rail freight facilities and for the cost of
intercity rail passenger facilities and equipment. For rail freight
projects, the commissioner shall give priority to projects which are
coordinated with community economic development objectives, improve the
safety of rail operations, promote intermodal services, provide rail
access to relieve highway congestion, provide for the efficient
restructuring of urban rail facilities or facilitate the transition of
branch lines from large operations to shortline operations. For
intercity rail passenger facilities and equipment projects, priority
will be given to projects which improve the quality, performance, speed
and safety of intercity rail services.

3. The commissioner is hereby authorized to approve funding for the
cost of construction, reconstruction, improvement, reconditioning and
preservation of municipal airports, privately owned airports and
aviation capital facilities, excluding airports owned by the state or
operated by a bi-state public benefit corporation, for which federal
funding is not available provided projects are part of an approved
airport layout plan. Such improvements shall include, but not be limited
to, acquisition of certain traffic control navigational aids utilizing
the global positioning system technologies and applications.

Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, for airports
funded pursuant to this section, the owner of a municipal airport may,
with the approval of the commissioner, contract directly with the office
of general services to provide for the removal of fuel tanks under such
terms and conditions as set forth by the office of general services,
including provision for the deposit of funds of such airport with the
state comptroller, who is authorized to receive and accept the same for
the purposes of this subdivision, for expenditure on such project costs
or, as appropriate, for the return of any excess deposit to such
airport, on vouchers approved by the office of general services.

4. The program shall provide forty million dollars to be made
available as follows:

Rail Aviation
State Fiscal Year 1993-1994 $7.5 million $2.5 million
State Fiscal Year 1994-1995 $7.5 million $2.5 million
State Fiscal Year 1995-1996 $7.5 million $2.5 million
State Fiscal Year 1996-1997 $7.5 million $2.5 million