Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will make a rare trip to Washington on Wednesday, meeting with Democratic members of the New York congressional delegation and the transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, as New York City suffers through an ongoing transit crisis.

The face-to-face meeting with the federal government’s top transportation official comes at a crucial moment for Mr. Cuomo amid intense public scrutiny on the state of New York City’s deteriorating subway system, and how to fix it.

Mr. Cuomo will discuss New York’s infrastructure needs with Ms. Chao, including the Gateway project, which would create a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey, and “the need for the federal government to step up and fund those projects,” according to a person with direct knowledge of the governor’s plans, who spoke before the trip had been announced.

The governor, in a statement released Tuesday night, confirmed the trip and characterized the Gateway project as “what may be the most important transportation project in the region.”