To the Editor,
When it comes to transit, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State speech and contents within the accompanying 275-page book left out how she was going to pay for all her promises.
No details have been provided on how Hochul’s proposed $5.5 billion Interboro Express Brooklyn to Queens light rail connector will be paid for. No details have been provided on how Albany will procure its matching 25% share or $4 billion toward the $16 billion Phase One (two new tunnels plus rehab of the two existing tunnels) and another $4 billion more to pay for the full build $33.4 billon Gateway Tunnel.
No details have been provided for the cost to the MTA for providing a 24/7-discounted flat fare city ticket for Bronx residents boarding Metro-North trains at stations within NYC.
No details about new or additional funding to deal with the MTA multi-billion, multi-year financial shortfall.
No details about how to deal with $500 million in lost revenue due to fare beaters from 2022.
No details about any progress made by the MTA Traffic Mobility Review Board, which is supposed to determine prices for congestion toll pricing. Will the process be transparent and meetings open to the public? Tolling is suppose to be implemented within the next 12 months.
Larry Penner
