Transit Funding
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Transit Lockbox Passes Senate Unanimously, Needs Final Push In Assembly
This afternoon, the transit lockbox bill passed the State Senate, where it was sponsored by Brooklyn Republican Marty Golden, and according to the Senate's twitter feed, the vote was unanimous. The legislation, which would bar the governor from raiding transit funds while raising the political cost of legislative raids through a series of disclosure requirements, now moves to the Assembly.
June 22, 2011
Eight Senate Democrats Join GOP in Vote to Repeal MTA Payroll Tax
In a 40-22 vote last night, the State Senate voted to phase out the payroll mobility tax, which generates about $1.5 billion per year for the MTA. The Senate proposal would eliminate the tax entirely in suburban areas while reducing it in New York City. Though the bill is expected to go exactly nowhere in the Democratic Assembly, it's a sign of the intense opposition to the payroll tax among Republicans and in the suburbs, as well as the collective delusion about the state of the MTA's finances.
June 16, 2011
Transit Lockbox Picks Up Five Sponsors After Advos Make Their Case in Albany
Efforts to protect dedicated transit funds from Albany budget raids moved forward on Tuesday as a coalition of transportation advocates went to the state capitol to lobby for transit riders. The transit lockbox bill immediately picked up five sponsors, and more seem poised to sign on.
May 26, 2011
Albany Update: Will Any Transpo Bills Make It Out Alive?
This year's legislative session is rapidly coming to a close in Albany. With the state legislature wrapping up its regularly scheduled official business on June 20, the Capitol is entering a period of intense activity as legislators and lobbyists make a final push for their priorities.
May 24, 2011
With One Month Left In Session, Advocates Push For Transit Funding Lockbox
Momentum is growing in the push to protect dedicated MTA funds from Albany's predations, but with only one month left in the legislative session, time is ticking. Assembly Member Jim Brennan and Senator Marty Golden, the bipartisan sponsors of the transit funding lockbox bill, stood today with a broad coalition of transit advocates in the Times Square subway station to make a final push for their legislation.
May 19, 2011
Swap the Suburban Payroll Tax for East River Bridge Tolls — Deal or No Deal?
Five Senate Republicans, led by Sen. John Bonacic, are making transit advocates an offer they can probably refuse. The payoff is appealing: state authorization for bridge tolls on the East River bridges. But the price they are demanding in return, the total repeal of the payroll mobility tax outside New York City, is too high to pay.
April 25, 2011
Assembly and Senate Would Strip Another $170M From Transit Riders
When Andrew Cuomo released his executive budget in February, it included a $100 million raid on dedicated transit funds. As Cuomo hammers out the budget in negotiations with the State Assembly and Senate, however, it seems that the MTA could lose up to another $170 million. Both houses of the legislature are seeking cuts and the issue appears to be very much alive.
March 24, 2011
Cuomo Budget Amendments Claim End to MTA Raids After This Year
In amendments to the state budget released last week [PDF], the Cuomo administration claims that its $100 million raid on dedicated MTA funds was a one-time deal that won't be repeated in the next three years.
March 7, 2011
Albany Lacks Leadership on Transit as Time Runs Out on MTA Capital Funding
The MTA is still staring down a $10 billion hole in its capital plan, and the consequences of that deficit continue to roll closer. Unless money is found by the end of the year, transit expansions like the Second Avenue Subway will slow down and important maintenance will be left undone. But despite the approaching deadline, no one in Albany seems willing to step up and even begin to tackle the issue.
March 1, 2011
Cuomo Cuts $100 Million to Transit [Updated]
Reactions to Governor Cuomo's proposed budget are beginning to come in. The cuts to transit, which are being pegged at $100 million, are being portrayed as painful, though perhaps not devastating.
February 1, 2011
