Agency leaders have changed their tune since last month, when they said Hochul's pause on the tolling program would force them to halt major upgrades to the city's mass transit.
MTA leaders said on Monday that they will take New York Gov. Kathy Hochul “at her word” when she promised to restore the $15 billion she cut from the transit agency’s construction budget through her last-minute pause of congestion pricing last month.and purchase of hundreds of new train cars — that were to be financed by the Manhattan tolling program. During the agency’s June board meeting, MTA leaders hinted they may formally nix those projects from the agency’s 2020-2024 construction plan.
“The assumption is that the projects funded by congestion pricing are moving forward,” Torres-Springer said at an MTA committee meeting. “As the governor has said, and we take her at her word, the $15 billion will be restored.”At the time, Hochul vowed to work with state lawmakers to fill the hole left in the agency’s budget, but the state Legislature left Albany days later without reaching a deal. The governor also asserted her move was “a temporary pause" on June 30.
"I think that they are being cautiously optimistic,” said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. “I think that they've been given assurances by the governor, but we were all given assurances that congestion pricing was gonna start on June 30.
MTA board member Marc Herbst said it was crucial for the agency to find a way to fund the projects as soon as possible.
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