NEW YORK (PIX11) – Transit advocates are expected to turn up the heat on city officials during a City Council hearing Wednesday over promised bus lanes.
Advocates argue that Mayor Eric Adams has not complied with the Streets Plan law, which mandated that the city build 30 miles of bus lanes. The Adams administration completed 5.2 miles of bus lanes in 2023, less than 20% of what's mandated.
Advocates also said that buses have gotten slower.
Congestion pricing is also expected to be discussed during the meeting. While New York and New Jersey battle it out in court, New Yorkers are getting ready to dig deeper for driving their car or taking a rideshare below 60th Street.
The MTA promised that the money generated from congestion pricing would be funneled into subway and bus improvements.
Gov. Kathy Hochul defended congestion pricing on "The View," saying, "We're at a crisis. I can walk faster in heels… now we've got a public safety problem as well."
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who approved the plan in 2019, weighed in on it in an op-ed piece this week. He said in part, "What impact will an additional $15 entry surcharge have on New York City’s recovery in this moment — when the migrant crisis, crime, homelessness, quality of life and taxes are all pressing problems? More important, the policy’s success hinges on people’s confidence that mass transit… is a safe alternative."
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.