NEW YORK, NY December 19, 2007 —The Port Authority has signed off on the biggest capital spending plan in its history. The plan includes a major expansion of the region's rail and airport capacity. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

One of the most ambitious projects on the agency's to-do list is a makeover of the 57-year-old midtown bus terminal to increase capacity, while reducing congestion and pollution. For Martin Treat, with the Hells Kitchen Neighborhood Association, such relief can't come soon enough.

TREAT: Gridlock at every rush hour, on weekend afternoons and evenings. Port Authority buses, charter buses, private vehicles - all competing for the same limited space. Our community district suffers from the third highest rate of respiratory illness reported in Manhattan.

Other big ticket items include a second Hudson rail tunnel and an overhaul of the PATH train, as well as major improvements to the authority's airports and the addition of Orange County's Stewart Airport to the regional system. For WNYC, I'm Bob Hennelly.

OUTRO: The authority's capital plan is predicated on the final approval of a toll increase on bridges and tunnels and PATH train fare hike. In other Port Authority business, a behind-the-scenes squabble between commissioners resulted in the delay of approval for a major deal with the Westfield Group to develop a 500,000 square foot retail complex at ground zero.