Thursday Headlines: Climate Law, Shmimate Law Edition

According to the second floor, the climate law that was supposed to lead New York to the future is ripe for change.

But now Politico is reporting that Gov. Hochul is considering changes to the state’s climate law — a series of mandates passed by state lawmakers in 2019 to cut emissions in New York — amid concerns of cost and implementation. (Sound familiar? She said the same thing when she paused congestion pricing and is saying the same thing now as she tries to lower auto insurance premiums.)

It’s bad enough that the state Department of Transportation keeps widening roadways, but if the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act is actually revisited as part of budget negotiations this spring, it would be a real curveball.

We’ll keep you posted.

In other news:

• The feds and the MTA duked it out in court over New York’s wildly successful congestion pricing program. (NY Post)
• A Metro-North car caught fire at the Scarsdale station this morning, leading to delays on the Harlem Line. (The Journal News)
• The MTA hit a new record for overtime spending after doling out $1.5 billion in 2025. (Newsday)
• Whew! New York City’s speed-camera tickets are legal! (amNY)
• Police identified the homeless woman killed by a car driver Monday on Route 347 in Lake Grove as 46-year-old Elizabeth Jensen. (Newsday)
• The NYPD sergeant who killed a Peekskill man last week after driving on the wrong side of the road hasn’t been charged, but has filed for pension, a move that could preserve her retirement benefits if she is not fired. (Gothamist)
• North Country man Ryan Bordeau was charged with manslaughter after police said he drove drunk on state Route 11 before losing control and crashing, killing his passenger. (WCAX)
• No one wants to be Gov. Hochul’s running mate, which only ends up fueling the “Draft Dave Colon” rumors. (NY Post)
• Other papers caught up to Streetsblog Empire State and covered Amtrak’s Heisman move against Metro-North. (NYDN, NY Post)
• State DOT’s project to remove the Interstate 81 Viaduct is going to free up 12 acres of land in Southside Syracuse, but city and state officials are at loggerheads over who will control it. (Central Current)
• Also RIP to any barbz among Streetsblog readers. (X)