MTA

The Albany budget deal reached over the weekend makes it official: Governor Cuomo has broken his promise to make up for cuts to the MTA payroll tax in 2011. While the state shrinks its commitment to he MTA, other Cuomo economic development priorities are moving ahead, including an expansion of the Van Wyck budgeted for $564 million.

New York derives much of its economic strengths from the city's subways and buses. Instead of using his budget to ensure that these systems can continue to support jobs and growth, Cuomo is drawing down support for transit so he can make splashy announcements about airports, highways, and convention centers.

Assembly lawmakers want to restore the $65 million transit cut in Governor Cuomo's draft budget. To reverse the cut, the draft budget released by the Carl Heastie-led Assembly [PDF, page 65-2] reallocates $65 million from New York Works, Cuomo's infrastructure piggy bank, to the MTA.

Governor Cuomo wants to cut $65 million from the state's annual contribution to the MTA. An analysis by the Riders Alliance and Regional Plan Association identifies transit improvements that money could pay for.

Governor Cuomo's proposed budget slashes $65 million from the state's general fund contribution to the MTA, breaking a promise he made five years ago. Now a bipartisan group of 65 Albany legislators are calling for those funds to be restored in the final budget.

Five years ago, Cuomo promised to allocate $320 million annually to the MTA to make up for cutting one of the agency's dedicated revenue streams. At the time, advocates warned that Cuomo wouldn't keep his promise for long. They were right: This year the governor's draft budget calls for a $65 million cut to MTA funding.

Andrew Cuomo personally intervened to get the Second Avenue Subway running by January 1. But when it comes to the less flashy task of getting the whole subway system to run reliably, the governor is nowhere to be seen.

On fare hike day, straphangers should remember that Cuomo broke a promise that would have helped keep money in their pockets.

The subways remain vulnerable to routine weather events setting off enormous disruptions, while the governor touts bells and whistles like underground internet connectivity.