Should NYC use residential parking permits to fund the MTA?

A long-discussed plan to sell monthly parking passes is back on the table [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] To raise money for the MTA, lawmakers push for residential parking permits in NYC Plus: More than 20% of the LIRR's trains can't run into Grand Central Madison. The Port Authority officially scrapped plans for the AirTrain to LaGuardia. And New Yorkers remain pumped about the new subway cars on the A line. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- [State Sen. Michael Giannis inside the Captiol chamber] Hans Pennink/AP/Shutterstock Democratic state lawmakers have a new idea to fund New York City’s ailing public-transit system: $30-a-month residential parking permits. The budget proposal released this week by the state Senate’s Democratic majority dismantled much of [Gov. Kathy Hochul’s own plan to boost the struggling MTA]( which relies on revenues from proposed casinos, contributions from New York City and a payroll tax increase. Instead, [the Senate plan]( proposed a number of different revenue streams — including a residential parking system in New York City, with all permit fees flagged for the MTA. "We agree with the governor’s goal (of saving the MTA), but then were struggling to come up with other ways to provide funding for the MTA," said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris of Queens. "And one of the ideas that's been around for a very long time that many neighborhoods in the city have expressed an interest in exploring was this idea of residential parking." Under the Senate’s plan, the City Council would have broad authority to implement a permit-parking program for residents of specific boroughs or neighborhoods. By charging for the city's roughly 3 million curbside parking spots that are currently free to use, Senate staff estimates the permit program could generate up to $400 million a year. There are objections from certain Democratic lawmakers, who see the idea as unfeasible or an unfair charge for city taxpayers who already provide 70% of the MTA's funding. It's also unclear if residential parking permits, which have been considered by city officials in the past, would even make it easier for car owners to park in their own neighborhoods. [Streetsblog reports]( that a 2019 study published by then-Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer looked at permitting programs in other cities and found that "low, flat-fees do more harm than good by incentivizing further vehicle ownership, as most strongly evidenced in the Boston and Chicago cases." Hochul and lawmakers have until April 1 to come to a budget agreement before the start of the state’s fiscal year. — [Reporting by Jon Campbell]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Port Authority kills AirTrain proposal, opts for better bus service to LaGuardia [a rendering of the AirTrain terminal] Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office A project pushed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to build a $2.1 billion AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport [is officially dead](. After 17 months of deliberations, an "expert panel" convened by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey this week recommended beefing up bus service to the airport instead of building a rail link from Willets Point in Queens. The group recommends a new non-stop shuttle bus between the airport’s terminals and the Astoria Boulevard subway station on the N and W lines. The panel also suggests improving the Q70 bus from Jackson Heights — which is currently free to ride — by giving the route transit signal priority, which flips stop lights to green when a bus approaches. Additionally, the group calls for adding a mile-long busway on the northbound side of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway between Northern Boulevard and Astoria Boulevard to speed up service on the route. The decision to prioritize bus service comes after the Port Authority released 14 alternatives to the AirTrain, including extending the N and W subway line to LaGuardia, building a light rail service and extending ferry service to the airport. — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's what else is happening More than 20% of the Long Island Rail Road's train cars are either too tall or don't have the right equipment to run through the East River tunnels serving the new Grand Central Madison station. The service plan for the launch of Grand Central Madison — which caused chaos for some commuters who now have to transfer at Jamaica Station — could have been more flexible had the MTA made good on previous plans to order 160 new train cars for service into the new terminal. ([Gothamist]( Four local House members have formed a caucus aimed exclusively at killing the plan to charge who enter Manhattan below 60th Street. Democrat Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) formed the group with Republicans Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-7) after failing to get support for a plan that would've cut federal funding for the MTA if the tolls were approved. ([Gothamist]( Meanwhile, an anti-congestion pricing rally in Midtown last weekend got drowned out by counterprotesters who support the toll. Councilmembers Joe Borelli, Bob Holden, and Vickie Paladino — three big-name congestion pricing foes who were on the bill for the "Axe the Tax" protest — failed to show up. ([Hell Gate]( Family members of nearly 150 transit workers who died of COVID-19 will soon lose their MTA-provided health insurance benefits. The MTA stated at the beginning of the pandemic that the next of kin of transit workers who died from the coronavirus would receive health care for three years, plus a $500,000 lump sum. ([THE CITY]( The city, citing budget cuts, has officially killed plans to build a pedestrian bridge over the Major Deegan Expressway in Van Cortlandt Park. Since 1999, Bronx community groups have been asking for the footbridge as a way for East Bronx residents to get to the pool, playing fields and museums on the park's west side. ([Gothamist]( Most MTA board members barely use their free MetroCards. Data from June through November 2022 show only seven of the 23 MetroCards provided to MTA board members and NYC Transit President Richard Davey got swiped at least twice a week, which suggesting the people who oversee the transit system aren't experiencing it firsthand. ([Streetsblog]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- And Finally: More R211 appreciation [a video of teens getting on a brand new A train]( [@kellyy.gxx/TikTok]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list