Transit leaders in New York City are preparing to scale back billions of dollars’ worth of upgrades to the nation’s largest transit network after Gov. Kathy Hochul halted a tolling program that would have paid for improvements and repairs.
During its first meeting after Ms. Hochul’s decision to halt the program, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday viewed presentations from the authority’s staff detailing sweeping project cuts that prioritize only the most critical repairs.
Gone were plans to make subway stations more accessible to riders with disabilities, repairs to some nearly century-old infrastructure and the expansion of the Second Avenue subway line, among other now-deferred projects.
The board has yet to officially revise its capital plans but did pass a resolution on Wednesday to remain prepared to put the congestion pricing program into effect once it gets the green light from Albany. Governor Hochul has not indicated when that might be.