Less than a week after Gov. Kathy Hochul paused the MTA’s implementation of congestion pricing, Chairman Janno Lieber discussed the agency’s next steps.
At a news conference Monday, Lieber said the MTA’s top goal will be to ensure that riders “do not suffer the impacts of disinvestment in public transportation.”
“For New Yorkers, public transportation is like air and water. We need it to survive,” he added.
Lieber said the focus will be on three key areas: how it affects the capital program, how it affects operations and how to manage the agency’s obligations under a 2019 state law that created that program.
As for capital funding, Lieber said the agency will do an “intensive review” on how to reprioritize and reduce the MTA’s current capital funding program from 2020 to 2024.
“It’s not something we do lightly. But we simply cannot award contracts without specific funding,” he said.
Lieber said the agency should prioritize “Status of Good Repair” work that ensures the basic safety of the transit system.
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According to Lieber, the agency will also study the state of federal funding and how to preserve grants already awarded, including the one for the Second Avenue subway project.
According to Lieber, Special Advisor for Federal Policy Naomi Renek will focus on how to preserve federal grants.
Lieber said he has spoken to some elected officials, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres. Jerrold Nadler, Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, who have committed to minimizing the impact on federal funding of the MTA
“We don’t want to lose that funding, although there are some real complexities right now,” he said.
According to Lieber, MTA Deputy Chief Financial Officer Jaibala Patel will monitor the operating budget to determine how the loss of revenue from congestion pricing will affect the investment program.
Lieber said there are “a lot” of MTA employees who are paid “largely or in part” from the capital budget.
“We have to figure out how the operating budget will be affected as we adjust the capital program,” Lieber said.
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Lieber added that the MTA is going to “fight like hell” to try not to reduce service.
Albany lawmakers on Thursday rejected Hochul’s last-minute proposal to replace the congestion fee with a tax on New York businesses that she said would raise the $1 billion needed for planned transportation improvements. for a long time.
During a news conference late last week, Hochul said he had spoken to numerous officials about the decision. However, Lieber maintained that he was informed of the decision “the night before.”
Lieber said the MTA cannot start the congestion program without approval from the New York State Department of Transportation.
He said the agency will continue to move forward with the details of the congestion tolling program to ensure they are ready “if and when we get the green light.”
He concluded by saying that the agency will continue defending lawsuits against the plan.
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