Policy
MTA
'Doing nothing is not an option'
ABNY hosts a panel to debate the merits of congestion pricing.
Andrew Cuomo
Policy
Cuomo’s ‘half-baked’ health care revenue proposals
Budget analysts and industry advocates are puzzled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposals to raise revenue for the state by drawing $1 billion from the corporate veins of the state’s health care industry. They call the raft of taxes and fees unreliable resources and poor policy. Lawmakers, likewise, have scrubbed elements of those proposals from their budget plans.
New York City
Policy
Could the long-stalled state DREAM Act finally advance this year?
As the national debate rages about the DREAM Act, the New York state version is back in the spotlight as well. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included it as an education priority in his executive budget, and the Assembly has included the bill in its budget resolution as well, although state Senate Republicans remain opposed.
Bill de Blasio
Policy
UPK was a big success. 3K for All won't be so easy.
De Blasio’s universal pre-K program has been his biggest success. Expanding it to 3-year-olds won’t be so easy.
New York State
Policy
The voting reforms that New York should pass
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a number of election reforms. What difference would each of them make?
Policy
Bratton still hopping mad over Vance's turnstile jumper policy
At a roundtable hosted by the Manhattan Institute, former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. made a “mistake” when he announced his office would no longer prosecute the “overwhelming majority” of subway turnstile jumpers.
Andrew Cuomo
Policy
Which party would really benefit from Cuomo’s voting reforms?
So if Republicans block Cuomo’s election reform proposals making it easier to vote, they may be protecting their party but losing an opportunity to make politics less divisive.
Policy
Why Uber is in favor of congestion pricing
Earlier this month, Uber threw its support behind the Fix NYC congestion pricing plan proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s task force. The ridesharing giant, which has previously worked to stifle regulatory legislation in elected bodies across the country, has joined forces with a group of advocacy organizations and unions to form a coalition to promote congestion pricing in New York state’s 2019 budget.
New York City
Policy
U.S. Attorney Berman sues MTA for disability violation
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoff Berman, a Trump appointee, joins an existing suit by disability rights advocates.
Infrastructure
Policy
The subways are a mess. Can congestion pricing help?
New York City Transit President Andy Byford, New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez give take on the congestion pricing proposal and its chances of passage this year.
Infrastructure
Policy
As Trump threatens veto over Gateway, regional economy hangs in balance
If Pres. Trump vetoes a budget including the Gateway Access project, the Northeast's transportation and economy could suffer.
Policy
Recycled proposals in Puerto Rico’s fiscal plans
Before and after Hurricane Maria, with or without the Fiscal Control Board, and under different party administrations, the proposals included in Puerto Rico's fiscal plans for the Island are pretty much alike.
MTA
Policy
Can the state implement congestion pricing without NYC’s approval?
It appears as if the congestion pricing process will be far different than it was in 2008, as it is being driven by the governor rather than the New York City mayor - and the state has the right to decide what happens on the city’s streets.
MTA
Policy
How value capture can save New York City’s subways
Value capture, in which the public sector recovers some of the value created by government actions like the construction of a transit line or a rezoning, has recently joined congestion pricing among the most discussed potential funding streams for New York City’s troubled subway system. And it can work.
Labor
Policy
Gothamist is back. But what about its union?
Gothamist is back, but its new owner, WNYC, is grappling with a culture shift as union and management prepare for contract talks.
Policy
Previewing the Somos el Futuro 2018 Albany conference
This weekend, the annual spring Somos el Futuro conference in Albany gets underway. The nonprofit Somos organization partners with state lawmakers to discuss matters that are critical to New York’s Hispanic population, including health care, education and economic development. National debates on immigration and Puerto Rico are also bound to come up.
Rikers Island
Policy
Nine years to go? Panelists clash over closing Rikers
At a "Is closing Rikers Island a dream or a reality?" forum sponsored by City & State and the New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, players on all sides of the nuanced debate gave their thoughts on closing the jail.
Policy
New York's plodding pace on P3s
Despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo's support for design-build procurement in certain instances, New York still lags behind many other states when it comes to public-private partnerships, also known as PPPs or P3s. As of January 2017, 37 states had legislation allowing the use of P3s to complete a variety of projects while New York has not enacted any.
Andrew Cuomo
Policy