NEW YORK — New York’s legislative session ends Friday without finding a plan to fund critical MTA projects those were dependent on money from congestion pricingSources tell CBS New York political reporter Marcia Kramer.
If Governor Kathy Hochul can come up with a deal that the Legislature approves, she should call them back for a special session.
The MTA needs $15 billion in funding to make necessary upgrades and repairs to the subway system and continue with projects like the Expansion of the Second Avenue Subway in East Harlem.
When Hochul announced that it would postpone congestion pricing indefinitelyshe promised that the state had “set aside funding to support the MTA capital plan” and was exploring other funding sources.
Sources tell CBS New York political reporter Marcia Kramer that the governor offered to sign bills she initially opposed in an effort to get lawmakers to bail out the MTA.
The governor proposed a new payroll tax, but lawmakers rejected it. They also considered a plan called the “IOU Bill,” in which the state pledged to back $1 billion worth of MTA bonds without identifying where the money would come from. The bill would have allowed the MTA to sell bonds that would finance critical infrastructure projects.
A lawsuit is underway to sue Governor Hochul for delaying the congestion charge
A number of lawmakers have said publicly that the governor’s decision to curb congestion pricing was illegal because it was a bill passed and signed by the Legislature. Kramer has learned that a lawsuit is underway to sue Hochul and force her to recant.
If the lawsuit is successful, the governor will have to allow congestion pricing to start.
