STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On Wednesday, Republican members of the New York State Senate proposed a set of bills aimed at scrapping congestion pricing and implementing major reforms within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
While budget discussions proceed in Albany, the state Senate Minority Conference has introduced a set of bills designed to curb what they describe as "unbridled expenditure" by the MTA.
A proposal put forth by State Senator Jack Martins, a Republican representing Nassau County, aims to abolish congestion pricing and call for an independent examination of the transportation agency’s finances.
Senator Andrew Lanza, a Republican who has represented Staten Island’s South Shore since 2006, proposed additional legislation aimed at increasing criminal penalties for offenses occurring on buses, trains, and MTA premises.
"The MTA requires greater accountability and transparency, with an emphasis on enhancing rider safety — the legislation introduced by my fellow members of the Senate Minority Conference aims to tackle these concerns and bring much-needed order to the poorly managed MTA," stated Senator Rob Ortt, a Republican who represents portions of Western New York.
Other bills that were put forward also encompassed:
The proposal to examine the MTA mirrors a bill introduced by Assemblymember Michael Tannousis, a Republican who represents the East Shore of Staten Island as well as portions of Brooklyn, in 2024.
Tannousis' legislation aims to abolish the MTA's congestion pricing initiative, which he characterized as "simply a cash grab."
This law would alter the composition of the MTA board as well. The number of voting members would increase from 16 to 17, with each of the five boroughs guaranteed one required appointee.
The last part of the legislation requires an external auditing firm to review the MTA’s finances, a measure that critics of congestion pricing had advocated for earlier.
On Tuesday, New York once again missed the deadline for approving its state budget, marking the fourth consecutive year this has happened. State legislators opted instead to pass a three-day extension of the current budget.
The resolution of the budget could take even more time, according to State Budget Director Blake Washington on Monday. Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed readiness to wait "however long necessary" to ensure her discovery laws and involuntary commitment proposals are enacted.
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