Friday NY Politics Roundup
Congestion pricing fallout, state legislative primaries, and more
Happy Friday!
Last week, on the heels of our launch, Gov. Kathy Hochul made the jarring announcement that she was putting New York’s long-awaited congestion pricing plan on an “indefinite pause.”
In response to Hochul’s disappointing failure of leadership, a robust, unprecedented coalition of advocacy groups, business groups, and rank-and-file New Yorkers (including many of you!) came together to voice their opposition and pressure our state legislators not to settle for a stopgap MTA funding plan in lieu of the program.
Our pressure campaign is working: legislators rejected Hochul’s slapdash proposals.
What happens next is anyone’s guess; we’re in uncharted territory. With congestion pricing in limbo, the MTA announced it would scale back several critical modernization projects it had planned, with devastating effects on all transit riders—and especially New York’s disabled community. A coalition of affected organizations has announced that it will litigate if congestion pricing does not go into effect on June 30.
If you want to stay involved, we recommend following Riders Alliance, Transportation Alternatives, and Open Plans, who are among several fantastic organizations informing and mobilizing New Yorkers on issues of transit and public space.
We’ll let you know how this fight for a New York with better subways, faster buses, safer streets, and cleaner air evolves. In the meantime, read on for updates about what else is happening in New York politics!
Have a great weekend,
Catherine
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State legislative primaries heat up.
Most of New York’s state legislative elections are effectively decided in June primaries, rather than in November. We’re focused on competitive races where candidates differ substantially on Abundance-related issues: housing and homelessness, public transit and public space, and renewable energy and resiliency. A couple of races to watch:
In Greenpoint and Williamsburg, State Assemblymember Emily Gallagher faces a challenger who has attacked her position on the McGuinness Boulevard street safety redesign.
On the Upper West Side, housing champion Micah Lasher is running for an open Assembly seat. If elected, he will join a growing faction of legislators who can push for housing policies more ambitious than what we saw pass this year.
The primaries are June 25, and early voting starts tomorrow! You can find your poll site and get more information about races in your district here.
New York City budget process nears the finish line.
Kathy Hochul is not the only flip-flopper holding executive office; Mayor Adams has given New Yorkers whiplash over the past few months with a series of budget cuts and partial reversals.
The City Council will negotiate changes to Adams’ proposed budget this month and officially adopt a budget by July 1, the start of the 2025 fiscal year. Stay tuned for more updates on the budget process—and news on whether more challengers announce runs against a historically unpopular mayor in the 2025 primary.
Community Boards weigh in on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.
In the fall, the City Council will be voting on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, a zoning reform proposal that will make it possible to build “a little more housing in every neighborhood” via multiple levers: upzoning in transit-rich areas, legalizing accessory dwelling units and basement apartments, allowing office-to-residential conversions, incentivizing affordable units, and legalizing mixed-use, “town-center” zoning. Ultimately, the changes are estimated to add 60,000-110,000 new homes to the city supply.
New York’s 59 Community Boards are now voting on the proposal. While Community Boards are merely advisory entities, they exert significant influence on elected officials. If you’re on a Community Board, or would like to testify at an upcoming meeting, reply to this email and we can send along key materials and talking points.