WTC Records Folder 0140 label, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Basic Rescue, Recovery and Rebuilding

The Immediate Response

Activities in this category include debris removal, rescue and recovery, restoration of services and evidence collection, as well as funding for the families, businesses, non-profit institutions and governments victimized by the attack.

We have been relying on currently authorized Federal disaster assistance programs and, for the most part, these programs are working successfully. Two areas of key concern at this juncture remain bridge loans for small businesses and cash flow needs of the City and State.

Redevelopment of lower Manhattan

The magnitude of the redevelopment effort is complicated by the population and development density in the area of the attack, by its complex highway, transit and utilities infrastructure, by ownership and insurance issues, and by the sheer volume of the debris to be removed. Redevelopment activities include: a) supporting and retaining businesses that remain in the affected area; b) bringing back those that left; and c) the physical reconstruction of buildings, roads, tunnels, subways and other components of the mass transit system.

As a result of the destruction of the Port Authority and MTA stations and tunnels, approximately 375,000 daily subway riders have been closed out of their regular stations. This represents nearly half of the daily riders in downtown Manhattan. Additional Federal financial support will also be necessary to develop, implement and maintain the enhanced security measures required to keep the most extensive mass transportation system in the nation — which transports more than 1.4 billion passengers over 330 million miles annually — operating safely and efficiently.

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NYC-WTC 000136750