§ 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