ALBANY—State Senator Martin Malave Dilan, the chair of the chamber's transportation committee, had to think for a minute when asked just now if action to help bridge the M.T.A.'s deficit was on the back burner.
"I think the budget bill is the priority," he said, before emphasizing that negotiations are still ongoing. He said Read More
ALBANY—Most Democratic state senators have spent the day defending themselves from reporters asking if they feel responsible for the M.T.A. fare hikes. The answers are variations on it's not our fault and the M.T.A. should have worked with us.
State Senator Martin Malave Dilan, the chairman of his chamber's transportation committee, told me that Read More
ALBANY—Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver just said any M.T.A. fare hike is "unacceptable" and is pointing blame toward Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith.
In a statement emailed to reporters Silver wrote:
"Let me be clear, the Assembly Majority is ready to pass a plan to save the MTA and prevent a massive fare hike. Our plan Read More
ALBANY—About forty hours before the M.T.A. board will vote on whether to adopt a "doomsday budget" (unless state lawmakers enact a revenue package), Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith left a closed-door meeting with the other members of the state government troika. He had no good news.
"I'm not saying the deadline is of no Read More
ALBANY—It seems that Malcolm Smith and the Senate Democrats have come up with a plan that's easy to hate.
Transportation advocates, business groups and the governor are all taking shots at the Senate majority leader's just-announced plan to address the M.T.A.'s budget shortfall.
Near as I can tell, Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives struck Read More
ALBANY—Democrats in the State Senate finally have a plan they say will plug the M.T.A.'s current $1.2 billion operating deficit with a payroll tax and four percent fare increase, but does not address the authority's long-term spending needs.
"It deals with their short-term challenge on operation, and we will deal with their capital Read More
ALBANY—Here's a group of state senators--many of whom opposed bridge tolls--getting ready to present their own M.T.A. plan, which does not have tolls.
For the truly devoted: NY1 is carrying the event live.
ALBANY—Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is unrolling a plan to bail out the M.T.A. that does not include any bridge tolls, scraps plans for a regional bus authority and calls for a payroll tax that's lower than the one in other proposed M.T.A. plans the commuter tax, a source familiar with the framework said. Read More
ALBANY—After two weeks of public hemming and hawing on the issue of the M.T.A. bailout, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith will present a plan to members this afternoon to plug the M.T.A.'s deficit, sources say.
Sources involved in formulating plan with Senate leadership said that central staffers worked on the plan all weekend, and Read More
ALBANY—The M.T.A. board just
Transit advocates—including the Empire State Transportation Alliance, which has also been lobbying in Albany—testified about the need to act as quickly as possible as people holding signs urged action in the State Senate.
Yesterday, Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith accused the M.T.A. of "holding the public hostage" by Read More
ALBANY--For the second consecutive week, legislators left the Capitol without passing a package that would alleviate the M.T.A.'s budget deficit. There is still no consensus.
Before session, State Senator Martin Malave Dilan was sipping coffee in the corner of the chamber when I approached him. He was unenthusiastic, following a report in Read More
To be clear: The package that legislators in Albany are negotiating (or not negotiating, as the case may be) for Read More
Few politicians would admit to being enthusiastic about putting tolls on the East and Harlem River bridges, but the same cannot be said of urban planners, environmentalists or mass-transit enthusiasts. To be clear: The package that legislators in Albany are negotiating (or not negotiating, as the case may be) for the M.T.A. is about money, Read More
ALBANY—Between licks on a lollipop, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. told me he remains opposed to tolls, and floated something new to plug the M.T.A.'s deficit: a reinstatement of the commuter tax.
"Let's bring it back," Diaz said. "I've been telling everybody that wants to listen. People that live outside of the city, Read More
ALBANY—State Senator Kevin Parker said there is a "false dichotomy" between tolls and taxes or cuts and fare hikes as the only possible options for addressing the M.T.A.'s deficit.
"I reject out of hand that payroll taxes and the bridge tolls are the only way out of this," he said in a Capitol hallway. Read More
