Austin C. Jefferson

Before becoming Albany Bureau Chief in late 2025, Austin C. Jefferson was a state politics reporter for City & State NY, covering state government, elections and major legislative debates. His reporting has also appeared in the Daily Freeman, Chronogram Magazine and The Legislative Gazette. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, he’s always happy to argue about where Upstate New York truly begins.

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Streetsblog Empire State |Bicycling

State Pols Could Regulate E-Bikes Despite Not Knowing What They Are

State lawmakers are flirting with the idea of regulating e-bikes as if they were cars, but don't have all the facts.

Austin C. Jefferson

January 23, 2026

Streetsblog Empire State |Auto Insurance

Heastie Undecided On Gov. Hochul’s Uber-Backed Push to Lower Car Insurance Rates

The Assembly Speaker is definitely not sold on Gov. Hochul's effort to reduce car insurance costs by lowing payouts to victims.

Austin C. Jefferson

January 22, 2026

Subways

SCOUT’s Honor: Hochul To Expand MTA Program Pairing Nurses and Cops to Combat Mental Illness in Subways

Gov. Hochul's pitch to state lawmakers follows a nine month-long investigation by Streetsblog into how New York's social safety net struggles to help ill people in the subway.

Nolan Hicks

January 13, 2026

Streetsblog Empire State |Transportation Policy

Advance Look: Hochul Offers Major Transportation Policies in 2026 ‘State Of The State’ Speech

Why wait for the governor to start her annual address? We have the goods for you now.

Austin C. Jefferson

January 13, 2026

Streetsblog Empire State |Speed enforcement

State of the State Exclusive: Hochul Will Push ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill Through Her Budget

City motorists with a documented pattern of excessive speeding would be required to install speed-limiting devices inside their cars, Gov. Hochul is expected to announce today.

Austin C. Jefferson

January 13, 2026

Streetsblog Empire State |VMT

Bill Watch: New York Still Needs to Commit to Lowering Vehicle Miles Traveled

The state Legislature could use 2026 as a year to find a solution to reducing the number of cars traveling across the state, but it may be more of the same. The post Bill Watch: New York Still Needs to Commit to Lowering Vehicle Miles Traveled appeared...

Austin C. Jefferson

January 9, 2026

Streetsblog Empire State |Government Organizations

Open Session: What We Need to See From Albany in 2026

The new legislative session is a big opportunity for the pols and Gov. Hochul, as well as the advocates pressuring them, to make substantial progress on transportation policy. Will they take it?

Austin C. Jefferson

January 6, 2026