De Blasio Meets with Cuomo in Albany Amid Disagreements Over MTA Funding
Mayor Bill de Blasio met with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in Albany on Monday afternoon to discuss "what really matters to New York City"-including a "lockbox" guarantee on funds from a congestion pricing proposal that will go toward the city's subways and buses-after a three-hour testimony before the New York State Legislature.
From article, (Mayor Bill de Blasio met with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in Albany on Monday afternoon to discuss “what really matters to New York City”—including a “lockbox” guarantee on funds from a congestion pricing proposal that will go toward the city’s subways and buses—after a three-hour testimony before the New York State Legislature.
The mayor said he told the governor there are some “bottom line matters” that are “essential” to the city and that he has has been “very open-minded” about the congestion pricing plan proposed by Fix New York City, a panel formed by Cuomo last year to study the issue.
But he pointed to his repeated calls for a “lockbox,” ensuring that funds for the MTA are not diverted.
“I’m someone who had a lot of doubts about congestion pricing, but I said what his commission did was actually a breath of fresh air compared to the previous proposals we had seen,” de Blasio continued. “I said it doesn’t work unless there’s a lockbox—an absolute, binding legal requirement that all the money raised through congestion pricing goes to New York City subways and buses.”
He signaled to Cuomo he would be open to supporting the congestion pricing proposal if that guarantee is included.
“We are the center of the metropolitan region—the MTA, the subways and buses are the center of the economy, of the whole region—and it’s all happening in the five boroughs,” the mayor added. “That’s where the money needs to stay. So if we don’t have that lockbox, it’s very hard to support such a proposal. If we have it, it might be the kind of thing that could actually work for the long haul.”)
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