Gov. Cuomo orders panel to bust NYC gridlock, bring money to MTA

over 6 years in NY Daily

Gov. Cuomo Thursday said he’s convened a panel to bust the gridlock on the city streets and bring more money to the MTA, following his embrace of the controversial congestion pricing plan.

The so-called Fix New York City panel — announced as Mayor de Blasio is in the thick of his reelection campaign — will draft a report of proposals by December on tackling traffic and devising a way to bring a constant stream of money to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"New York City is home to some of the most gridlocked streets in the nation and with this new advisory panel, we take a major step forward in coming up with a real solution to tackle the issue of congestion while helping to fund mass transit moving forward,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I look forward to hearing the panel's proposals to help bring relief to millions of New Yorkers and visitors who drive on our streets and rely on mass transit every day.”

Cuomo, who effectively runs the MTA, has been butting heads with de Blasio about funding mass transit.

Cuomo and his appointed MTA Chairman Joe Lhota have pressured de Blasio into funding half of a $836 million plan to stabilize the faltering subway system.

De Blasio has refused, telling Cuomo to put back money intended for the MTA that the state had raided for its budgets.

Meanwhile, when it came to long term funding for the MTA, Cuomo and de Blasio took different sides in the debate.

Cuomo embraced the idea of congestion pricing — an idea to charge motorists for entering Manhattan’s core.

In this new 16-person panel, he appointed “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz, the famed transportation engineer and mastermind behind the Move New York plan that proposes tolls on the East River bridges, while cutting toll on bridges connecting the outer-boroughs, like the Verrazano Bridge.

“This is gonna be the Cuomo plan, not Sam’s plan, and I recognize that,” Schwartz told the Daily News. “I’ll have the opportunity to describe the Move New York plan in full detail to the panel and there are lots of elements that I certainly hope that the panel does accept.”

De Blasio spokesman Austin Finan dismissed Cuomo’s panel.

"We've yet to see a real plan from the governor on congestion pricing, and city riders don't need yet another commission to tell them that the state has failed their transit system,” Finan said. “Riders deserve real solutions and a dedicated transit funding stream like the millionaires tax the mayor has already proposed.”

De Blasio had his own idea — a transit-dedicated tax on New Yorkers making more than $500,000 or households that earn more than $1 million. The tax has to be passed in Albany, where there are hurdles in passing the tax in a Republican-controlled state senate.

One thing is certain to former MTA boss Tom Prendergast, who’s also on the panel: the transit system could use more money.

“There’s a lot of focus right now on the needs of the MTA,” Prendergast told the Daily News. “One of the most important priorities is getting the revenue necessary for those needs to be met."

The panel will get technical help from infrastructure firm HNTB Corporation and state Controller Tom DiNapoli will crunch the financial numbers on the proposals.

Along with Prendergast, the panel includes four MTA board members - Vice Chairman Freddy Ferrer, Regional Plan Association Chairman Scott Rechler, Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen and New York Hotel Trades Council President Peter Ward.

From the business world, Kathy Wylde of the Partnership for New York, Bill Rudin of the Association for a Better New York and Kevin Law of the Long Island Association are on the panel.

In politics, former Gov. David Paterson, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, former Brooklyn Assemblyman and Cuomo housing official Darryl Towns, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, former Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro and former Rep. Floyd Flake will sit on the panel.

Mitchell Moss, director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management is also on the panel.

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