Thursday Headlines: Unfinished Business Edition

State lawmakers are ticking off policy left and right, but the free bus question still looms.

As of Wednesday afternoon, a fare-free bus pilot in New York City hasn’t been a focus at the negotiating table, according to state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris. Instead, shoring up agreements on auto insurance, climate law, immigration and infrastructure regulations have sucked most of the air from the room, as well as the Stop Super Speeders Act, funding for New York City and pension reform.

“I think we haven’t gotten to it. None of the policy issues are, for the most part, settled. We’re going to turn to this kind of thing,” Gianaris told Streetsblog. “So I think the next few days will help determine whether we can get it.”

This is the Queens lawmaker’s final year in the statehouse, as he is not seeking reelection, and the free bus pilot’s first iteration in 2024 was his and then Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani’s lovechild.

He’s seeking to stand up another pilot, this time with three routes per borough rather than the original one per borough program, which would cost roughly $45 million. The Assembly also backs a free bus pilot, albeit with just one route per borough and a $15 million price tag.

Mamdani, who was elected mayor of New York City on the back of populist campaign promises that included fast and free buses, has seen Gov. Hochul display no enthusiasm at the prospect of a $700 million program that would deprive the MTA of a revenue source.

And she has suggested that Mamdani has put the idea on the back burner, focusing on making buses fast rather than free.

Gianaris said for now, the topic is “dangling.”

In other news:

• The Stop Super Speeders Act is in the final budget.
• Pollution got worse in the Bronx after congestion pricing was implemented. (The New York Times)
• Fair Fares or free buses are the question in New York City. (NY1)
• Officials in New York want the state Environmental Quality Review Act reformed in the state budget. (The Journal News)
• If you follow the money, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Rockland County) is a political operative through and through. (Politico New York)
• The state Working Families Party isn’t endorsing a candidate in the state comptroller race. (City & State)
• A Hudson Valley Assembly candidate is suing over the validity of his petitions to get back onto the ballot. (Mid Hudson News)
• Croton-on-Hudson is expanding its e-bike sharing program. (Mid Hudson News)
• Dutchess County adopted a transportation safety plan with several dangerous crash hotspots identified in the region. (Highlands Current)
• State lawmakers are proposing plate seizure as a punishment for toll evasion. (The Times Herald-Record)
• The Town of Ulster is seeking $20,000 in Hudson River Valley Greenway funds. (Hudson Valley One)
• Okay, Carl Heastie might have a point. Money is taking a backseat to policy in state budget negotiations. (WAMC)
• An alleged Working Families Party line hijacker can stay on the ballot in a Capitol Region Assembly race. (The Times Union)
• Hopeful replacements for Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz are already getting their ducks in a row. (The Buffalo News)
• Driving is dangerous, not just because of physics, but also because of xenophobic law enforcement. (New York Focus)
• Budget friction and a malfunctioning air conditioning system in the state Capitol go hand in hand. (State of Politics)