In the News-New York State
MTA Releases Proposed 2025-2029 Capital Plan
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) this week released its proposed 2025-2029 Capital Plan, outlining a $68.4 billion investment in the region’s subways, buses, railroads, bridges, and tunnels over the next five years.
The proposed Capital Plan assumes a fully funded 2020-2024 Capital Plan and looks ahead to the next slate of improvement projects, “informed” by the MTA’s Twenty-Year Needs Assessment.
“This Capital Plan was developed by the most comprehensive analysis the MTA has ever undertaken to truly understand the needs of the system, the challenges and opportunities,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “After years of underinvestment, more than 90% of this proposed plan – the largest in MTA history – focuses on bringing the system to a state of good repair. These investments are necessary to serve the following generations and the future of the region’s economy, environment, and social and economic equity.”
The MTA Board will vote on the plan at the September Board meeting, Wednesday, September 25th. A board-approved Capital Plan must then be submitted to the MTA Capital Program Review Board (CPRB) by October 1, which has 30 days to review and approve the plan. In mid October, the MTA will kick off a series of open houses around the New York region and a public education campaign to inform New Yorkers on the capital plan. Regarding funding, the MTA will work with partners in local, State, and Federal government to ensure that the proposed capital plan is fully funded.
“The MTA proposes, Albany disposes. That’s really when the question about funding is going to be answered,” Lieber said in published reports.
According to Lieber, the proposed 2025-29 Capital Plan begins to scale investment to match the $1.5 trillion system, focusing on increasing the pace in certain categories to catch up with decades of underinvestment. A third-party evaluation carried out by JP Morgan determined that in order for the MTA to maintain a capital investment level comparable to private industry peers, the Authority would need to invest $23 billion annually – more than twice the current pace. Highlights of the plan include:
Purchase New Rail Cars – S 10.9 billion
- Order 1,500 subway cars, replacing about 22% of the entire fleet.
- Purchase of more than 500 new railcars for Metro-North and LIRR.
Modernize Signals – $5.4 billion
- Replace at least 75 miles of signals with Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) on the Broadway N Q R W Line, Liberty Av A Line, Rockaway A S Line, and Nassau St J Z Line.
Upgrade Maintenance Facilities –- $ 4 billion
- Invest in a range of train maintenance facilities, including the Livonia Shop and the 240 St Shop.
Renew Power Systems – $4 billion
- Invest in power substations and other key power infrastructure to help prevent service disruptions.
Rebuild the Grand Central Artery – $1.7 billion
- Fund major renovations to the Grand Central Artery. The proposed plan focuses investment for major renovations to structural supports and facilities and continued replacement of the Train Shed roof, along with investments to the Park Avenue Tunnel, and Grand Central Terminal itself.
Repair Critical Structure – $9 billion
- Repair and rehabilitate key bridge and tunnel structures in the transit system.
Build the Interborough Express: $2.75 billion
- Complete the environmental review, design, and preliminary engineering for the project, and begin construction. Under the project, the IBX will transform a freight railway into a light-rail line serving almost 1 million nearby residents and connecting 17 subway lines, more than 50 bus routes, and Long Island Rail Road.
Improve the Station Environment: $7.8 billion
- Repair or replace deteriorating elements at more than 150 subway stations, and fully renovate 10 stations. New safety features like platform fencing will be installed at 100 stations and flood protection equipment will be added or improved in the most critical locations.
Make More Stations Accessible: $1.7 billion
- Continue the MTA’s American with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades with at least 60 subway stations and at least six railroad stations slated for ADA improvements
Install Modern Fare Gates : $ 1.1 billion
- Roll out new fare gates at 150 stations in all five boroughs. These stations will be selected based on ridership, fare evasion rates, accessibility needs, and whether they are a major transit hub.
Grow MTA’s Zero-Emissions Bus Fleet – $1.4 billion
- Purchase 500 zero-emissions buses and install charging infrastructure at bus depots.
In addition, the MTA will invest $700 million in storm water flooding prevention measures and $800 million to protect the Hudson Line.
In the News-New York City
Mayor Adams Launches New DSNY/NYPD Ghost Car Task Force to Remove Illegal Cars From NYC Streets
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new interagency task force that will help remove illegal “ghost cars” — cars that are untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers because of forged or altered license plates — from parking spaces on city streets.
Uniformed members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) will be assigned strictly to parked ghost car removal, under the direction of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The task force began regular operations on September 10th, and over the first five nights of operations removed 295 ghost cars.
According to the Mayor, current city and state enforcement efforts against ghost cars focus on enforcing against these automobiles while in motion, on the streets, or at toll plazas. This new task force will apply interagency best practices to the rest of the day, when these unregistered, uninsured, or stolen vehicles are parked. The vehicles seized by this task force will be held at NYPD lots where they will be processed and either claimed, auctioned, or destroyed after all investigations are complete.
This initiative mirrors a prior interagency collaboration between the NYPD and DSNY on a related issue — removing abandoned vehicles from streets. In the first year of that effort, the Abandoned Vehicle Task Force — structured similarly, with NYPD officers detailed to DSNY — the number of vehicles removed from city streets by DSNY more than doubled.
This work builds on additional ongoing efforts to combat ghost cars. In March, Mayor Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber launched a multi-agency, city-state ghost car task force. The task force includes the NYPD, the New York City Sheriff’s Office, MTA Bridge and Tunnel officers, the New York State Police, the New
York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. On Saturday, the task force completed its 41st operation; in those operations, the task force made 490 arrests, issued 20,640 summonses, and seized 2,303 vehicles whose owners owed a total of over $21 million in unpaid tolls, taxes and fees.
Briefs
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Expand Health Care Access for New Yorkers
Governor Kathy Hochul this week signed a legislative package to ensure equitable access to essential health care and improve patient outcomes across communities.
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Chapter 317, sponsored by Senator Michelle Hinchey and AM Anna Kelles, requires Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance services when treatment in place is administered and/or when transportation is provided to alternative health care settings instead of a general hospital.
Chapter 318, sponsored AM Carrie Woerner and Senator Hinchey, authorizes ground ambulance and advanced life support first response services to store and distribute blood and initiate and administer blood transfusions, mirroring authorizations provided to air ambulance services.
“On behalf of our over 4000 members we applaud the Governor signing these two excellent EMS bills,” Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics & Inspectors-FDNY President Oren Barzilay said. “These bills will help EMS providers stem financial losses from handling calls where members treat patients in the field or at home without having to transport to a hospital which may be many miles away in parts of New York. Giving us the ability to carry whole blood on many of our ambulances and do transfusions in the field has been proven to save lives when seconds count.”
NYS Proposes Health Equity Regulation Requiring Insurers to Collect Voluntarily Disclosed Demographic Data
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has released a proposed regulation aimed at continuing the State’s efforts to close the health equity gap and reduce health disparities.
According to Superintendent Arlene Harris, the proposed regulation requires health insurers to request race, ethnicity, preferred language, sexual orientation and gender identity data. She asserts that the Department seeks to ensure that this self-reported data is available to more clearly understand insurance benefit use and develop policy solutions to better serve the needs of all New Yorkers, including underrepresented communities.
The regulation prohibits insurers from using the data for unfair or unlawful discriminatory purposes, including eligibility, rate setting and underwriting determinations, and requires insurers to collect the data in a separate and supplemental questionnaire at the time of application for new insureds or at renewal for current insureds. Any rate filing or rate manual submission by an insurer must include an attestation to the Department that the insurer is complying with the data usage restrictions. Consistent with best practices in demographic data collection, the proposed regulation promotes the collection of self reported data while ensuring consumer responses to questions are optional.
The proposed regulation applies to insurers licensed to write accident and health insurance in New York, not-for-profit insurance corporations, health maintenance organizations certified under the Public Health Law, and student health plans. It will be subject to a 60-day comment period upon publication in the State Register.
Comptroller DiNapoli: Local Sales Tax Collections Up 3.8% in August
Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 3.8% in August compared to the same month in 2023, according to data released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Overall, local collections totaled $1.85 billion for the month, up $68 million year over year.
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“Growth in local sales tax collections improved in August, year over year, after being flat in July,” Comptroller DiNapoli said. “While this growth is certainly encouraging, local officials must keep in mind sales tax revenues can be volatile and budget cautiously.”
New York City’s collections totaled $793 million, an increase of 4.4%, or $33 million, compared to the same time last year. County and city collections in the rest of the state totaled $945 million, an increase of 3.5%. Most (45 of 57) counties experienced year-over-year increases.
Governor Hochul Announces Applications for
$50 Million Municipal Restore New York Program
Will Launch on September 23rd
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that applications for the $50 million Round 9 of the Restore New York Communities Initiative grant program will launch on Monday, September 23rd. The funding supports municipalities’ efforts to demolish, rehabilitate, and restore blighted structures and transform them into residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments.
The program is administered by Empire State Development (ESD) and, in this round, priority will be given to projects designed to address recovery efforts related to tornado and storm damage that occurred on July 15-16, 2024.
Communities interested in applying are encouraged to register for ESD’s instructional webinar, scheduled for Wednesday, September 25. An intent to apply form must be received by ESD by Wednesday, October 23. The program application and guidelines will be available Monday.
State Comptroller DiNapoli and Department of Financial Services Superintendent Harris Designate New Banking Development District To Support Community Banking in South Bronx
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris announced the approval of Community District 9 as a Banking Development District (BDD) and presented $35 million in New York state deposits to Ponce Bank’s Westchester Avenue Branch.
The BDD program, administered by the Department of Financial Services, supports the establishment of bank and credit union branches in areas across the state where there is a demonstrated need for banking services. Bronx Community District 9 (CD 9) is now a designated BDD, covering the
neighborhoods of Bronx River, Castle Hill, Clason Point, Harding Park, Parkchester, Park Stratton, Soundview, Soundview-Bruckner and Unionport.
To encourage participation in the BDD program, the State Comptroller’s office makes public deposits available to banks and credit unions to open or maintain a bank branch. Comptroller DiNapoli has deposited $35 million in public funds in Ponce Bank to support their operations and provide affordable and accessible banking products and services in the community.
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The Ponce Bank branch marks the state’s 56th BDD designation. As of September 17, 2024, the State Comptroller’s office had deposits totaling approximately $ $530.3 million in 14 banking institutions that have opened branches in BDDs across the state.
NYS Fall Foliage Report
New York’s brilliant parade of spectacular fall foliage
continues, with several parts of the Adirondacks expected to be
at midpoint of change this weekend, as well as a few spots in the
Catskills and Central New York regions. Elsewhere in the state,
most locations will see leaves that are just beginning to change,
and some areas – particularly in the state’s southernmost regions
– will see little to no change. This is according to the field reports
from more than 85 volunteer observers for the Empire State
Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.
Fed Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) automatically extended the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 36 months for lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. The extension was effective September10, 2024.
According to USCIS, lawful permanent residents who properly file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired Green Card may receive this extension. Form I-90 receipt notices had previously provided a 24- month extension of the validity of a Green Card.
USCIS has updated the language on Form I-90 receipt notices to extend the validity of a Green Card for 36 months from the expiration date on the face of the current Green Card for individuals with a newly filed Form I-90 renewal request. On September 10th, USCIS began printing amended receipt notices for individuals with a pending Form I-90 application.
These receipt notices can be presented with an expired Green Card as evidence of continued status. This extension is expected to help applicants who experience longer processing times, because they will receive proof of lawful permanent resident status as they await their renewed Green Card.
Mayor Adams Appoints Dynishal Gross as Small Business Services Commissioner
New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week announced the appointment of Dynishal Gross as the commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS). Gross previously served as acting commissioner and executive deputy commissioner.
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According to the Mayor, New York City has reached a record of 183,000 small businesses, with 55,000 small businesses created in the first two years of the Adams administration. The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island all have business vacancy rates below 9 percent.
Industries with the highest growth include restaurants and hospitality, with over 7,000 new storefronts since Quarter 1 of 2020; groceries and convenience stores with over 4,500 openings; and barber shops and hair salons, business and professional services, and health care storefronts with over 2,000 new openings each.
Adams Administration Announces Milestones and Strategies to Improve 911 Mental Health Crisis Response Initiative
Mental Health Emergency B-HEARD Teams Responded to 73 Percent of All Eligible 911 Calls in Pilot Area, Total of 14,900 Calls Over Last Fiscal Year
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released new data showing the progress of the Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD), New York City’s health centered response to 911 mental health calls. Over Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, B-HEARD teams responded to 14,900 calls, which accounts for 73 percent of all eligible mental health calls in the pilot area during the program’s operation hours.
The FY24 figure is more than double the previous fiscal year’s responses when teams responded to almost 7,200 calls, which comprised approximately 55 percent of eligible calls. In total, B-HEARD teams have responded to over 24,000 mental health 911 calls since launching in spring of 2021.
Additionally, the Adams administration announced two new policy strategies to strengthen its ability to provide as many New Yorkers as possible with a health-centered crisis response. Both strategies went into effect in June 2024. The first is to prioritize deploying B-HEARD teams to calls that have been fully triaged by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) Emergency Medical Services 911 call-takers where the teams are more likely to have the patient on-scene where they arrive, maximizing the time B-HEARD teams spend serving individuals in need. The second is to eliminate police precinct boundaries within the existing pilot area, which covers 31 police precincts. This program modification will allow existing teams to respond to nearby calls outside a precinct boundary once they have completed a call.
B-HEARD is an interagency collaboration between the FDNY and NYC Health + Hospitals with oversight from OCMH. B-HEARD partners with emergency medical technicians (EMTs)/paramedics and mental health clinicians to respond as a team to 911 mental health calls that do not have violence or weapons as the primary concern.
Coming Up
New York State
Monday, September 23rd
Metropolitan Transit Authority NYCT & MTA Bus Committee Meeting,
MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 9 a.m.
Metropolitan Transit Authority Bridges and Tunnels Committee Meeting, MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 10:15 a.m.
Metropolitan Transit Authority Joint Long Island Railroad & Metro North Committee Meeting, MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 10:45 a.m.
Metropolitan Transit Authority Diversity Committee Meeting,
MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 12:15 p.m.
Metropolitan Transit Authority Capital Program Committee Meeting,
MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 1 p.m.
Metropolitan Transit Authority Finance Committee Meeting,
MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 2:15 p.m.
Wednesday, September 25th
Metropolitan Transit Authority Board Meeting,
MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, 9 a.m.
New York City
Monday, September 23rd
Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m. Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m. Committee on Public Safety, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Hospitals, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Aging, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, September 24th
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 16th floor, 11 a.m. Committee on Land Use, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 16th Floor, 12 p.m.
Committee on Women and Gender Equity, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 16th Floor, 1 p.m. Committee on Parks and Recreation, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 14th Floor, 1 p.m. Committee on Children and Youth, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 16th Floor, 1 p.m. Committee on Immigration, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, September 25th
Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management,
250 Broadway – Committee Room, 16th Floor, 10 a.m.
Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 14th floor, 10 a.m.
Thursday, September 26th
City Council Stated Meeting, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1:30 p.m.
Friday, September 27th
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Criminal Justice, Committee Room – City Hall, 10 a.m.
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