ALBANY—David Paterson said he expects congestion pricing plans will have a political revival, given the authority’s persistent cash problems.
“Well, I think the concept will come back. I don’t know that it will work, because I don’t know if people understand why the M.T.A., structurally, can never be profitable because it just doesn’t raise Read More
ALBANY—David Paterson said he will reverse one of the worst aspects of the M.T.A.’s just-adopted “oh-crap-we-have-no-money” budget: the elimination of free Metrocards for students.
“Had we established the tolls, the M.T.A. would not be in the difficult financial situation right now causing the M.T.A. to take some very drastic actions, one that I Read More
ALBANY—David Paterson has no sympathy for M.T.A. head Jay Walder, who next week must figure out how to deal with a $343 million end-of-year deficit.
Paterson was asked during the signing of a bill to increase oversight of public authorities—including the M.T.A.—if he had any message for Walder, especially because Paterson took $143 Read More
ALBANY—Add another group of lawmakers frustrated with the M.T.A.’s found-again deficit: Hudson Valley Republicans.
They’ve been decrying the bailout bill for the authority, which included the underperforming payroll tax, since it passed in May without their votes. One major complaint is that the legisation evenly distributes money across all counties in the M.T.A. Read More
ALBANY—Here we go again.
The M.T.A.’s top financial official told the authority’s board that a payroll tax–passed in May to avoid fare hikes and service cuts–is not providing as much revenue as projected, by about $200 million. That comes on top of a $143 million sweep of M.T.A. funding in the just-enacted Read More
ALBANY—Regardless of what David Paterson thinks, State Senator Martin Malave Dilan pledged to go ahead with hearings on a plan to fund roads and bridges upstate.
"Instead of a five-year transportation capital program, Governor Paterson saw fit to release his take on the plan while simultaneously striking it down and placing the onus Read More
ALBANY—In what may well be an exercise in budgetary saber-rattling, David Paterson just pooh-poohed five-year plans for funding the M.T.A. as well as upstate roads and bridges as "simply unaffordable given New York's current fiscal condition."
Paterson indicated he would support neither plan, and said that "if the Legislature does not work with me to Read More
