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Cuomo plans to sign police reform bills

Cuomo held his briefing in the new Terminal B of the redeveloped LaGuardia Airport, which he gave as an example of 'energizing the reopening.'

QUEENS, N.Y. — On Wednesday Governor Andrew Cuomo held his daily coronavirus and New York news briefing from the new Terminal B in the redeveloped LaGuardia Airport.

Cuomo said that Wednesday is 102 of the virus in New York, and day 17 of civil unrest following the death of George Floyd.

The governor said he plans on signing bills that would repeal 50-a, ban chokeholds, and have the state's Attorney General as a special prosecutor in officer-involved deaths. 

For more on the bills heading to the Governor's desk: State Legislature sends several bills on police reform to Gov. Cuomo

Long Island entered phase 2 today, the latest region to re-open.

Cuomo said that New York tests more than any state, or country per capita. 

The state's reopening is and will be data-driven, the governor added. Other states that are reopening have seen spikes, and Cuomo says that New York will guide it's reopening using the data on cases we have here.

He added that he would like to see two things happen simultaneously: 

  • Monitor the reopening - watching the numbers, being diligent. 
  • Energize the reopening - stimulating the economy with large scale development projects, and capitalize on the moment where there is reduced activity. 

Some examples Cuomo gave of this include the acceleration of $2 billion in MTA capital projects, and the fast-tracking of the LaGuardia Airport.

LaGuardia Airport will be the first major new airport to be built in the United States in 25 years. Denver International was the last major airport to be built in the U.S.

LaGuardia is currently building a new airport, on top of the old one, while still operating the current airport. According to LaGuardia's website, the airport will cost $8 billion and is 80% privately financed.

Cuomo was joined by Rick Cotton, the executive director Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who says that now a third of people coming through LaGuardia are coming through new gates and concourses. 

On Wednesday, the Port Authority celebrated the opening of LaGuardia's Terminal B arrivals and departures hall. 

The new Terminal B is 50 percent bigger than the one it replaces, and includes new features and new attractions for travelers.

The redevelopment of the airport has created 7,000 direct jobs in construction, and 7,000 indirect jobs. 

$1.4 billion in contracts for the airport went to Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE), and more than $500 million in contracts went to Queens based businesses. 

The new LaGuardia features 9.2 miles of new roadways, 24 new bridges, and eliminated 19 of 22 airport traffic lights. There is also new access to two future AirTrain stations and separate arrivals, departures, and dedicated high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) levels.

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