Friday Headlines: Pump The Funds Edition
Upstate transit is still getting nickel-and-dimed by the state.
State Operating Assistance, colloquially known as STOA, is used by transit authorities outside of the MTA region to fund services. But many of these authorities, including those in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, have been crying out for more assistance as they face the possibility of cutbacks.
State Operating Assistance funding for upstate transit was $349.2 million going into the year. Gov. Hochul proposed a $20 million increase, while the state Legislature proposed an increase of up to $52.4 million. In the end, funding increased $25 million, or 7 percent, to bring the total to $374 million.
The New York Public Transit Association, which advocates for transit funding in upstate New York, was seeking a 15-percent increase, but appreciated that it got more funding at all.
“Public transit is the backbone of daily life for many New Yorkers across the state, including upstate – delivering affordable transportation at a moment when it has never been more critical,” said Miguel Velázquez, president of The New York Public Transit Association, in a statement. “And just as New Yorkers are feeling the strain of rising costs, so too are the systems they depend on every day.”
And state Budget Director Blake Washington noted that when it comes to funding, every year is an uphill battle for every sector of government.
“I would just say, take a survey of every area of this budget, and you know, it’s never enough, because there’s always needs in every area of the state budget,” he said Thursday.
For now, transit agencies will have to make do and hope a dedicated funding source beyond State Operating Assistance comes to bear…eventually.
More news:
- Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman will be able to rely upon public matching funds for his Republican gubernatorial campaign after a protracted legal battle. (Newsday)
- And he’s showing defiance when it comes to collaborating with immigration enforcement, even as many counties are expected to wind down existing agreements. (The New York Post)
- Crash survivors are hoping that the super speeders law reins in the carnage on New York City streets. (NY1)
- For the governor, making the budget sausage is supposed to be painful and time-consuming. (City & State)
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier in her primary challenge against Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan). (The New York Times)
- Westchester County Democratic Chair Suzanne Berger backed Cait Conley’s congressional campaign. (The Journal News)
- The Adirondack Rail Trail is getting a new terminus in Lake Placid (WAMC)
- The Orange County Industrial Development Agency’s help could bring back the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry on a trial basis. (The Journal News)
- State DOT is pushing back on claims that its collaboration with state police who disguised themselves as road workers amounts to entrapment. (The Syracuse Post-Standard)
- Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit’s decision to move a bus stop away from a shopping center has business owners miffed. (The Ithaca Times)
Read More:
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