Their hands are tied: MTA Board laments Hochul’s pause in first board meeting since reversal.

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Jun 26, 2024 View in browser   By Jason Beeferman The MTA board met for the first time since Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an indefinite pause to the congestion pricing toll program. | Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA BOARD FINALLY CONVENES: Gov. Kathy Hochul boxed them in, and now they’re begrudgingly following along. The MTA board held its first meeting today since the governor abruptly announced an “indefinite pause” to the city’s congestion pricing program without any proposed solutions to recoup the billions of dollars in toll revenue now gone. Three weeks later, the toll's future remains unclear. The meeting illuminated just how bleak the fiscal and operational future of the nation’s largest transit system now looks, and that funding needed to replace the toll plan is greater than originally thought. “The accessibility impacts break my heart,” said Janno Lieber, the agency’s CEO and board chair, after it was revealed today that 23 subway stations now need to indefinitely cancel accessibility improvements. “The fact is, the MTA — it's just a reality — cannot start implementing congestion pricing without the New York State DOT signoff,” Lieber said. The meeting was a significant scene in the emotional saga that has unfolded since the governor’s surprise move. Nearly all of the MTA board members — including two of her direct appointees — expressed deep regret for Hochul’s last-minute move. They voted 10-1 to adopt a resolution promising to implement congestion pricing once the state is ready. (Only the firmly anti-congestion pricing and visibly sleepy board member David Mack voted against). “I've been working in this space for 20 years, and I truly came to believe that my role in getting congestion pricing would represent perhaps the single most important thing I could do to benefit the climate,” said Hochul-appointed board member Samuel Chu, an environmental advocate. Tim Mulligan, the agency’s deputy chief development officer, laid out the losses: $16.5 billion from the capital program will be nixed indefinitely. The toll plan was expected to bring in $1 billion annually for 15 years, and the agency will lose $1.5 billion in the cost of tolling cameras and forgone federal funding. Repairs to bridges, signal systems, procurement of hundreds of new buses and subway cars, nearly two dozen station accessibility upgrades, a $5 billion subway expansion and more projects have all been stalled indefinitely, Mulligan said. There’s also likely additional losses to the agency’s operational budget because it expected the program to boost ridership and fare revenue. But just after the meeting, Hochul issued a statement saying no one would have to worry. “This administration’s proven commitment to the MTA, as well as my record of delivering resources for critical priorities in the State budget, should provide the MTA with full confidence in future funding streams,” she said. “While the timing of the next budget may necessitate temporary adjustments to the timeline of certain contracts, there is no reason for New Yorkers to be concerned that any planned projects will not be delivered.” She did not say how she would find that funding. — Jason Beeferman   Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more.     From the Capitol House Democrats indicated Latimer would be welcomed by their caucus in Congress despite defeating an incumbent who was their colleague. | AP HILL READY FOR LATIMER: It’s not common to see a primary challenger get a warm welcome on Capitol Hill after ousting an incumbent. But various House Democrats from different factions of the caucus predicted today that Westchester County Executive George Latimer could fit right in after toppling Rep. Jamaal Bowman in Tuesday's contentious and expensive primary. (The party has to get through the general in NY-16, but Latimer is expected to win election in the Democrat-dominated district.) “I think George will be a great member,” said Rep. Grace Meng of Queens, who was neutral in the primary and served with Latimer in the state Assembly. “I’m also thankful to have been able to serve with Jamaal Bowman. He is our colleague, and his voice had a role in our caucus as well.” Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, which endorsed Bowman in his primary, said, “Look, when any person wins — and there’s been various members that have been challenged previously, and new members have won — they come in and they become part of this team.” Rep. Jerry Nadler of Manhattan predicted only “maybe a couple of people” would have hard feelings toward Latimer. — Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz IT WASN’T JUST THE MONEY: Pro-Israel groups dropped a nearly $15 million hammer on Bowman in his blowout loss to Latimer. But Latimer’s allies insist it wasn’t just the flood of cash that flowed to the district from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its super PAC, the United Democracy Project. “It would have been a lot tighter because of just the factor that Bowman is an incumbent,” Democratic Assemblymember Amy Paulin, who supported Latimer, told Playbook. “But the Jewish community really came together in a way before that I’ve never seen for a candidate.” A veteran politician in Westchester County, Latimer benefited from unusually high name recognition for a candidate challenging a two-term incumbent. And then there were the self-inflicted wounds for Bowman, like his misdemeanor conviction for pulling a fire alarm during a House vote and his vote against an infrastructure spending package. “If you have the right message, the money will help you project it and get it to voters,” New York Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs said. “If you don’t, all the money in the world won’t help you.” — Nick Reisman GOP GAINS: Republicans want to cut into the Democratic supermajorities in the state Legislature. And the Republican State Leadership Committee is trying to make it happen. A day after primary voters left incumbent state lawmakers unscathed, the RSLC signaled New York is among a handful of blue states whose legislatures the 527 group is trying to target. “Targeting states like New York and Illinois, where Democrats hold supermajorities, could pay off as Republicans have the potential to erode these overwhelming margins, restoring more balanced legislative power,” the group’s president Dee Duncan wrote in a memo to donors sent today. But making gains in New York is a challenge for Republicans, who lost their final lever of statewide power when Democrats gained a full majority in the state Senate in 2018. Even in good years for Republicans — like 2022, when crime and the controversial cashless bail law created a backlash for House Democratic candidates — the party has struggled to make meaningful strides in the state Assembly or the Senate. — Nick Reisman IN OTHER NEWS — BOWMAN TAKEAWAYS: Five things to learn from the Bowman-Latimer primary. (The New York Times) — HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS: The mayor still hasn't released a report detailing how often his administration clears homeless encampments and the costs involved. (Gothamist) — AOC IS A-OK: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez survived a primary challenge from former Wall Street banker Marty Dolan. (New York Post) — HOW DID PACS DO?: The Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America saw some gains in Tuesday’s primary, but the power of PACs were felt strongly. (Times Union) Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? Read it here.   Follow us on Twitter Jason Beeferman @JasonBeeferman   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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