The transit lockbox bill, which would help safeguard dedicated transportation funds by requiring the state to disclose the impact of transit raids, still awaits a signature from Governor Cuomo following unanimous Senate and Assembly votes earlier this year. Now, two upstate newspapers are calling on the governor to sign the bill.
This year's bill, which applies to each of the state's more than 130 transit agencies, passed both chambers unanimously during the final weeks of the legislative session in June,. "We were thrilled that this bill went forward," said Nadine Lemmon of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. "Senator [Marty] Golden and Assembly Member [James] Brennan pulled it out at the end."
The governor has three choices: He can veto the bill, sign it, or do nothing and allow it to become law at the end of the year. Lemmon urged Cuomo to sign the bill. "He might as well take credit for this," she said. "There's certainly huge support for it."
That support isn't limited to New York City. "Usually you see a divide between downstate and upstate," Lemmon said. "But I think legislators' attitudes are changing a little bit. Clearly it's a bill that benefits everyone."
The Buffalo News agrees. "While we’re normally not in favor of adding to the red tape imposed by the state, in this case a dose of transparency will be a good thing," its editorial board wrote, adding that while only a constitutional amendment could prohibit the governor from diverting funds, the lockbox bill "will help ensure that the money reaches its intended beneficiaries."
The New York Public Transit Association has sent a letter to the governor [PDF] on behalf of more than 130 transit agencies across the state; the majority of its members do not operate within the MTA's downstate service area.
But it's not just upstate transit agencies that stand to benefit from more transparency from the state about its budget raids. "Refusal to [sign the bill] impacts transportation companies across the state, including Nova Bus and Bombardier here in the North Country," Plattsburgh's Press-Republican wrote.
"When they get a contract, everyone knows, because it has an impact on jobs," said Lemmon.
Tri-State and other advocates have already drafted a letter to the governor about the bill, with more than 60 organizations signing on. The groups have not yet sent the letter to the governor's office; Lemmon noted that these types of letters are usually sent when the governor calls up bills for his signature or veto.
Will the governor call up the bill? "We've had radio silence from the governor's office," Lemmon said. Cuomo has already signed numerous bills that passed in the session's final weeks, including speed cam legislation. So what's the holdup on the lockbox bill? Lemmon said it could just be that it's August, and things slow down while people are on vacation. She also noted that action could be on hold until after election season.
But if Cuomo continues to stall well after November 5, Lemmon said transit advocates would consider asking New Yorkers to take direct action by contacting the governor's office to ask him to sign the bill.
In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation.
From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.
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