Strategic
Affiliations

The GCA’s affiliation with the American Public Transportation Association connects us with a national and international network of public transportation agencies, private companies, and industry experts. With more than 1,600 member organizations, APTA is the only association in North America representing all transit modes, including rail, subway, bus, paratransit, ferry, and high-speed rail services. The association provides industry-leading research, standards development, workforce education, and policy advocacy, helping transit systems address evolving mobility needs and capital project challenges. Through this partnership, the GCA contributes not only to national discussions on federal funding, regulatory policy, and sustainable transit investment, but also directly supports advocacy for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) right here in New York, benefiting millions of daily riders.

The GCA maintains a longstanding partnership with the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a national trade association that has represented the transportation construction industry since 1902. ARTBA works to expand investment in transportation infrastructure, advance federal policy initiatives, and support a wide array of industry participants, including contractors, public agencies, designers, and manufacturers. With more than 8,000 members nationwide, the association advocates for modernizing and maintaining critical transportation networks that support major economic activity and millions of jobs. Through this partnership, the GCA gains access to research, regulatory engagement, and market intelligence that informs our work and strengthens our advocacy for sustainable transportation investment across New York.

The GCA participated in the Better Way to LGA Coalition, a broad group of community leaders, economic development organizations, and transportation advocates committed to improving transit access to LaGuardia Airport. The coalition supported the proposed AirTrain LGA, which was cancelled in 2022 but was intended to reduce severe roadway congestion and provide more predictable travel times for the millions of passengers who use the airport annually. LaGuardia is the only major East Coast airport without a direct rail connection, a challenge recognized by civic and business leaders who emphasize the need for reliable alternatives to vehicle-based travel. The hope is that the project can be revisited in order to advance modern and sustainable access to LaGuardia for regional travelers.

The GCA participates in the Build Gateway NOW Coalition, an alliance dedicated to advancing the Gateway Program—one of the most critical infrastructure initiatives in the nation. The coalition advocates for upgrading the 112-year-old rail infrastructure between Newark and New York, which nearly 200,000 daily commuters depend on, and supports projects that will ultimately double capacity along the Northeast Corridor. Through this partnership, the GCA contributes construction and engineering insight to discussions about project sequencing, long-term maintenance considerations, and delivery feasibility. The coalition also emphasizes the need to replace aging assets such as the North River Tunnel, whose deteriorating condition continues to threaten regional mobility and the broader economy. This collaboration reinforces the urgency of sustained federal investment, coordinated planning, and timely action on a project essential to the region’s future.

The GCA is an active participant in the Build More New York Coalition, a statewide alliance dedicated to reforming New York’s 140-year-old Scaffold Law. Nearly 50 civic, business, and labor organizations formed the coalition to advocate for replacing the state’s unique absolute liability standard with a comparative-negligence model used everywhere else in the country, a change expected to reduce construction and insurance costs significantly. Studies referenced by coalition partners show that the current law inflates project costs by anywhere from 5–10%, diverting funds away from critical infrastructure and housing projects and the creation of thousands of good-paying construction jobs—and more importantly, careers. Through this partnership, the GCA supports responsible reforms that maintain safety while fostering a fairer, more sustainable construction environment across New York.

The GCA is a member of the Clean Water Construction Coalition, a national alliance advocating for increased federal investment and streamlined delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The coalition represents over 10,000 firms across 28 state construction associations and focuses on improving clean water systems nationwide through stronger federal funding and smarter project delivery frameworks. Its mission centers on securing robust support for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and advancing policies that modernize failing infrastructure while safeguarding environmental quality. Through this partnership, the GCA helps elevate the needs of New York’s water infrastructure sector within national advocacy efforts. The coalition’s work supports long-term strategies to ensure communities have resilient, reliable, and environmentally sound water systems.

The GCA partners with the Coalition for the Northeast Corridor to advocate for consistent federal investment in the nation’s busiest and most economically vital passenger rail corridor. CNEC represents business and transportation stakeholders whose employees rely on the corridor to support economic activity and job creation across the region. The coalition highlights the importance of preventing major service disruptions on a corridor that generates a significant portion of the nation’s economic output and supports millions of daily passenger movements. Through this partnership, the GCA helps elevate the construction industry’s perspective on modernization needs, long-term capital planning, and the necessity of predictable funding. CNEC’s work strengthens the case for infrastructure resilience and modernization across the entire Northeast Corridor.

The GCA serves on the Penn Station Working Advisory Group (SWAG), convened by Amtrak, to gather broad stakeholder input on the redesign and expansion of Penn Station. The group provides feedback on reconstruction initiatives aimed at improving safety, circulation, platform access, and the overall passenger experience at one of the busiest transit hubs in the country. SWAG also reviews proposals for increasing station capacity to accommodate substantial growth in peak-hour train volumes for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit between New York and New Jersey, as well as facilitate better train and passenger flow for MTA Long Island Rail Road and, in the near future, MTA Metro North Railroad. Observations shared during meetings consistently reaffirm challenges such as crowding, insufficient vertical circulation, and confusing concourse layouts—issues at the core of the reconstruction effort. Through this engagement, the GCA ensures that construction realities, engineering constraints, and project delivery considerations inform the planning process.

The New York Road & Infrastructure Coalition (NYRIC) is comprised of construction trade associations and unions that design and build NY’s highway, transit and clean water infrastructure. Members include the NYS Laborers, the General Contractors Assn of NY, the Long Island Contractors Assn, the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & the Hudson Valley, the Associated General Contractors of NY, the Empire State District Council of Carpenters, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of NY, among others. NYRIC advocates in Washington and Albany for transportation and infrastructure funding in the State.