New York State SmartTranscripts:

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Brett Load, assemblyman Brett Loadz, chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. Today, we convene the fourth in a series of 14 hearings conducted by the Joint Fiscal Committees of the legislature to consider the governor's proposed budget for fiscal year twenty twenty six-twenty seven. These hearings are conducted pursuant to New York State constitution and legislative law. Today, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, together with the Senate Finance Committee, will hear testimony regarding the governor's proposal as it pertains to transportation. Now I will introduce the members of the assembly that are here. We have Assemblyman Magnarelli.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: I think someone just fell, was not. Does anyone need help or are we okay? Okay. Okay.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: All right. We have Assemblyman Magnarelli, Chairman of the Transportation Committee, Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, Chairman of the Corporations Committee. Also with us, we have Assembly members Mitaynes, Shimsky, and Ikis. I'll now introduce my colleague, Senator Liz Krueger, to introduce members of her conference.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: LYDRIC Good morning, everyone. Hi, I'm Liz Krueger, Chair of the Finance Committee. And I'm joined by Jeremy Cooney, our Chair of Transportation Leroy Comrie, our chair of Corporations and Authorities Senator John Liu and Senator Fernandez. And Tom O'Mara is the ranker for finance, and he'll introduce his colleagues.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: After Assemblyman Raw introduces his colleagues.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Excuse me.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Good morning. We are joined by Assemblyman Miller, our ranker on transportation, as well as Assemblyman Slater.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: And we're joined on our side by our transportation ranking member, Peter Oberacher.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Right now for the rules of the road, as we call them. Governmental witnesses are have allotted ten minutes for their presentation. Nongovernmental witnesses will be allotted three minutes for their presentation. As it pertains to legislators, the chairs of the committees relevant to each governmental witness will be allocated ten minutes with a second round of three minutes if required. Ranking members of these committees will be allocated five minutes each. All other members of the relevant committees will be alighted three minutes each To all witnesses, the chairs of the committee's relevant I'm sorry, written testimony has been submitted to the legislature in advance. Accordingly, we ask witnesses not to read their prepared remarks, but instead provide a summary. To all legislators. Please be advised that Senator Krueger and myself will be accepting a list of individuals wishing to speak. Following the conclusion of the opening remarks of each witness or panel, the speakers' list will be closed. All participants, both witnesses and legislators, are asked to locate the time clocks and remain mindful of it. When the clock reaches zero, you will be notified that your time has expired. Please be considerate and respect the clock so that all participants are afforded an opportunity to be heard. Please note that the allocated time includes both questions and responses. Members are therefore respectfully requested not to begin a new question without sufficient remaining time to permit the witness to respond. Given the length of our hearings, these time limits will be strictly enforced. I would also note that any witness scheduled to testify later today that has not checked in, please ask to do so at the top of the stairs. At this time, I will call our first witness, Jato sorry. Mr. Jato Lieber, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Chair Kruger, Chair Cooney, Chair Brownstein, and all of the members of the committees who have joined us today. Before I start, I just want to introduce my team. I think you know all of them, but Jay Patel to my right, your left, is our CFO. Shanifa Riera, further to my right is your Chief Customer Officer at the MTA. John McCarthy is the Chief of Policy and External Affairs. And it has been an honor to serve with this amazing team. I am glad to be back here, really glad, to be back for my fifth joint legislative budget hearing. And 2025, ladies and gentlemen, was arguably the best year in MTA history for a couple of reasons. We had hugely successful implementation of congestion pricing, no secret to this group. We passed, with your support, the largest ever MTA capital plan, supported by the business community who contributed to the taxes that made that possible. We have surging ridership and customer satisfaction across the board, best ever subway crime stats, with the exception of the COVID years when we didn't have the same kind of population around. Record setting construction of subway accessibility projects, really changing the subway system in terms of ADA accessibility. And we've made a major start on the IBX project and 2nd Avenue Subway Phase 2, to name a few of our major projects. I want to thank everybody in this group who supported Governor Hochul as we rebuilt and revived the MTA. In the past few years, I've come to you with some major front burner financial issue on the table that this year is different. There is no tin cup, and that's because this group and the entire legislature have been really, really great partners in supporting our transit riders. With Albany support and combined with some very aggressive cost cutting on the MTA's part, we balanced our budget for the third year in a row. The most recent audit of this agency shows that in real terms and I don't know how many other state agencies can say this but in real terms, we are actually spending 3% less than we did before COVID, even though we're providing a ton more service. And the out year deficits in our budget, which was just adopted in December, have shrunk to half a percent or less, something that Wall Street has clearly noticed since the rating agencies keep upgrading us a couple of times in the past year. I think everyone knows that congestion pricing is not only underway, but it's thriving. And we are well along in starting to invest that money as part of the historic twenty five to twenty nine capital plan that you approved last year. At our board meeting last week, MTA construction development president Jaime Torres Springer announced that 2025 was our biggest year ever in getting out capital money. We made commitments of $15,800,000,000 More than $5,000,000,000 of that work was enabled by congestion pricing. And we are getting the work done, ladies and gentlemen, faster, better, and cheaper than ever, having saved $3,000,000,000 on capital work since 2020. I'm going to skip over you have in my testimony a couple of the projects that evidence the success we're having in reducing the cost and maintaining budget and schedule on major projects. We're especially proud of the Park Avenue Viaduct project, the Grand Central train shed, ADA elevators, which are being installed four times as fast as years past. And we have finally brought our elevators and escalators, which are a huge issue for New Yorkers, into a state of good repair. We've replaced all the ones that had extended beyond their useful life, and we're actually in that state of good repair cycle that we all want to be in. Every project completion and there are many more to talk about supports our goal of delivering better service for our customers. And we are. Just to run through the numbers very quickly, transit, New York City transit, subways, buses, and paratransit carried 1,900,000,000 people or riders in 2025, a 7% increase over the year before, and 75% over where we were in 2021 when this team took over leadership at the MTA. The commuter railroads carried 150 more customers, and their on time performance was a record 97 plus percent on average last year. Riders are also coming back because they feel safer. And I won't give you all the stats. The bottom line is crime in the subway system is down 14% from where it was before COVID. And not only because we've worked so closely with the NYPD, but also because the governor paid contributed money for the NYPD to have additional police appointments, and she has been a huge supporter in getting started and continuing to grow our successful scout program, which is mental health outreach, purpose of getting seriously mentally ill people out of the public space and into treatment. We've also installed tens of thousands of security cameras throughout the subway system, platform barriers at more than 100 stations that number is going to go to 200 this year and redone the lighting throughout the system to create a much more favorable environment. So the challenge going forward is how do we continue to make rapid progress? How do we, you know, build on the success of 2025? There's gotta there's much that still has to be improved, no secret, and we do need your help. First up, get rid of wasteful spending. I'm proud that the MTA managed to cut $500,000,000 in annual recurring costs. And we've already done that, and now we're gonna up that number by another 250,000,000 per year by 2029. But, folks, the tort system is sucking up money that ought to be spent on more and better service. That's why I support governor Hochul's auto insurance proposals, which is, of course, first and foremost directed at reducing the cost for individual drivers and car owners. But it's also important to us as the owners and operators of an almost 6,000 strong bus fleet that we deal with wasteful tort tort the tort system. The MTA is a deep pocket that frequently gets sued. And even if we're only one one percent responsible for a crash, we get hit with the bill because we have that deep deep pocket in many cases. So we very much appreciate the governor's leadership on this issue, and I hope that you folks will be able to support it as well. Second challenge, we need your help pushing the city on climate policy, specifically storm water management. On every big storm, and they are getting more frequent, torrential rainfall overwhelms the city's the city sewer system capacity and backs up into severe flooding in stoppages in our subway system. So we have we need the partnership of the city, and we hope you can help us. We also could use your support in our many ongoing challenges with Am trak. Many of you are looking for updates about the Penn Station Access Project, which is going to bring railroad service to the East Bronx after one hundred years when trains just flew through the Bronx without stopping. We have not been able to advance that project at the pace that it should be advanced because a lot of problems are getting Amtrak to let us get the work done. It is their territory, and we're not allowed to get the work done unless they cooperate. And I know a lot of you are disappointed that Amtrak also simultaneously has backpedaled on the idea of Metro North service to Albany. So we are having some problems with Amtrak, and we need this group's help. The last item I want to manage is labor related. We are, as you know, planning for a potential Long Island Railroad strike that we do not want. And we've been begging the unions involved to come to the table, but they're refusing to do so unless we agree to break the pattern that's been the basis of agreements with 70% of the MTA's workforce. We live in a pattern bargaining world. We have 80 separate unions, and we just can't break patterns. So we need your help to get those negotiations going. I'm going to close by just saying, with your support and before I move off of the labor issue, I just want to say, we are willing to pay more to those Long Island Railroad unions, but provided they also agreed to work with us to eliminate wasteful, antiquated work rules So in effect, that they could pay for larger wage increases by giving us the opportunity to capture more efficiencies. That's the approach that settled the similar strike in New Jersey not long ago, and we very much want to see to take a similar approach to this situation. So as I said, with your support, we want to keep showing New Yorkers that this is a new MTA, a business like government operation focused on results for our customers, our riders. And with that, I'm happy to take your questions. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Mr. Lieber. We'll be joined by Assembly members Valdez, Tapia, Jacobson, and Burroughs. Now, before we start our questioning, our first questioner will be Assembly Member Magnarelli.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Except I'm going to sneak in a couple of senators Senator Bino, Senator Salazar, Senator Martinez. Do you have any others? No, Chris, are here. J.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And I failed to acknowledge Chair Magnarelli. I want to thank you for always hosting us here.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. Well, thank you very much for being here. It's always a pleasure to be brought up to date on the MTA. Where I live, there is no MTA. But it has a major impact on transportation in New York State. I have just one question that really has hit my office recently in the last few months. It's come to my attention. And that is the idea of using plate numbers that have been plates that have been turned in, either to the DMV or to the county clerk's offices across the state that have DMVs in them. And what's happening is, somehow or other, these numbers or plates are being used in other places, like New York City, on bridges. So I'm going to be asking everybody, not only you, sir, What are we doing about that? I want to say this. The first time we wrote to the MTA about this problem, we received a very I don't know how else to say it kind of a snarky response in the sense that it was like, hey, it's their problem. We'll fix it, but they've got to deal with it. Well, telling an elderly couple that they have to sit on a phone for hours or wait for a return call that never comes while you're getting correspondence that says they're going to do something to you if it's not a penalty, or they're it could be loss of a license or registry. I don't even know what was in it, Okay? But they were very upset. And the second time I wrote back, I probably was a little snarky. And I got a better response. So I know that somebody is looking at it. But it still comes down to, it's not our problem. It's the customer's problem. And that's what I want to say to you today. It's not. I can't live with that. It's not these people's problems. If they turn in their plates and that's an if, Okay? Because there are people committing fraud. There's no question about it. But if they turn in their plates and they get a receipt, they've done everything they're supposed to do. We have to make it good. And between you and the DMV, DOT, through way authority, we have to come up with a solution for that. Otherwise, we lose our credibility as government agencies. So I don't know if you have any response to that. I'd love to hear it.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Okay. So if we have to force our friendly Upstate electeds to resort to New York City snark to get anything done, we're not doing the right thing. So listen, this is there are two levels to this problem. One is there are some other government agencies that I think, in some cases, have issued plates that have the same numbers on them. And we have to get to the bottom of that and make sure that doesn't happen. That's mostly a DMV issue. But in some cases, it's also a state police issue. And we have to square that. So it doesn't happen, especially doesn't happen repetitively. The second is that some of these problems are because people are out there with fake plates, with ghost plates. And we've done the MTA has organized 150 and we've organized the other law enforcement operations the New York City region. I mean, I think there are a dozen law enforcement the county law enforcement, state police, New York City PD, NYPD, and so on to do these enforcement operations. We've done 100 plus of them. And it has led to over, I think, 1,500 arrests of people who had who are engaged in crime, because a lot of these ghost plates, these fake plates are used in crime, and who had warrants out for them. And in addition, has helped us to you know, we've impounded 6,000 plus cars. We need to do enforcement on plate fraud. Part of the challenge here that we we are facing, and this is on the, you know, on the docket for the legislature this year, is right now, people can get a ticket for a fake plate, even for a device that allows them to obscure a plate or alter their plate fraudulently and drive away with it because we have not you know, there's I I can't speak to the legislative debate that went on when we put that on the table a year or so ago, but we would ask the legislature to reconsider that. These plate fraud is a source of crime. It's not just a issue. It's literally a source of crime. And all of the agencies are doing it, but are combining to enforce on it. But all I say to you is, next time you have an unsatisfactory response, don't write back to the same people. Write to me. We will do our best. I'm we're highly imperfect as government agencies, but we ought to be able to at least set it something on a path to resolution to your satisfaction.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. I appreciate your answer. And if there's anything I can do to, or my committee can do, or the assembly can do, and I can advocate for you in this endeavor to stop the fraudulent use of plates and enforce that, I'm all for it. And so

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: There's a legislative proposal we'll share with you right away.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: DAVID Great.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID G.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: DAVID you very much, sir.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: You, excuse me. We are first going to be you're first going to be questioned by our Transportation Chair, Jeremy Cooney.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you, chair. Appreciate it. And good to see you, chairman. Appreciate your partnership and good work. And I appreciate your report as well. Chairman, it seems that almost every other day, the Trump administration is threatening transit funding from New York State, whether it's the 2nd Avenue subway, the busways, or the like. If you could comment briefly on how the MTA is budgeting and factoring in these on and off again threats from the White House, how that makes the capital plan, which is ambitious and I'm glad that we were able to get that done but how that factors into the execution of said plan.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, Okay. Number one, credit to you and to Governor Hochul. We, perhaps alone among major transit agencies in The United States, have a capital plan that is not disproportionately dependent on the feds. We are underfunded by the federal government through the transportation allocations that are set by Congress. We are something close. We push 50% of the nation's transit riders, but we get like 17% of the money out of Congress. It's not a secret to this group that there's a lot of inequality in how New York

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: is

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: treated federally. But the reality also is federal money only accounts for about 20% of our capital program. And most of that and I'll ask Jay to comment in a moment, the CFO on my right is formula money, which has not been a problem. The federal formula money has been flowing. Where we've gotten held up is a couple of the major projects that you mentioned, the 2nd Avenue Subway there in particular, which they announced was being held back. And they're pretty open about the fact that it was being used as leverage for the budget shutdown negotiations. But they haven't restored the money. And now the folks who run Gateway have actually had to initiate a lawsuit because that project is going to stop. Second Avenue Subway has not stopped, and we have the ability to cash flow it for a little bit longer. But at some point, we're not going to be able to award the next contract, which is an excavation contract, major excavation contract, unless that is resolved. So that's a big issue. The attempt to punish us for congestion pricing has failed, and a judge put an injunction on the feds on that. So that's not going anywhere. But Jay, do you want to talk very quickly about other ways that the feds are hitting us?

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: Sure. So on an annual basis, through federal formula funding, the MTA receives about $2,000,000,000 And as the chair said, that has not impacted us. It's the discretionary grants that are impacting the MTA. Specifically, we had the security grant that was held for a while from us. And so that was released because of our lawsuit. And we prevailed, so that was released to us very recently. But as the chair mentioned, the 2nd Avenue Subway Phase II FFGA has not been disbursed to us, similar to the Gateway Program. We've been putting in invoices, and the federal government has not disbursed any of that cash to us. That is roughly about $50,000,000 to date And since as the chair mentioned, the impact on funding, because the FFGA is 80% federally funded, we've been able to continue the project with the 20% local match that we our local match. And so we've been continuing the project without cash flow impacts to

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: the end.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. And I don't want to eat up all your time, but just one other major federal funding glitch that I need to mention, which is they owe us $600,000,000 of FEMA money, which has been sitting in a pile, not a secret that Secretary Christy Noem has insisted that everything above $100,000 get approved by her personally. And Republican Senator Tom Tillis actually, you know, went off in a long extended diatribe on the Senate floor last week about how that is hurting the entire country. So we're in that same pile with $600,000,000 that was promised to us in the first Trump administration for early COVID intervention. And I would ask all of the members of the legislature, of both parties, to join together STEINER: in

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: pressing for that. There's no reason that New York shouldn't be paid for FEMA money dating from the first Trump administration.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Well, Well, I appreciate that, Chairman. And I will say, on the record, that, of course, it is New Yorkers of both sides of the aisle who pay out of their taxpayer dollars into the federal system. So this is reinvestment. And I think you said this, Chairman and Jay, that this is money that we have paid in and that we have disproportionately not received back as New Yorkers. And that is a continued concern of mine. One of the things that you have done really well, Chair, is that I have met with you several times about procurement efforts and making sure that as we have this ambitious capital plan, that procurement is at least looked at favorably for New York based vendors and providers. And I appreciate your commitment to putting New York first. If you could comment, as you know, in my district I have Genesee Global Group, which is one of many vendors who is interested in potentially doing work with the MTA. But specifically, not on a specific contract, but specifically in terms of your commitment to New York or Upstate New York procurement, could you comment about what's coming down the pike? And whether we're talking about fare evasion technologies or otherwise, things that you can comment for opportunities for New York businesses.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. So the comments on the money yesterday, we announced through a press release that we have formed a new group within my office, in the chairman's Office, to focus exclusively on rolling stock procurements. We're going to buy 2,000 railcars, 1,500 for the subway, 500 for the commuter rail, in the new capital program. We have $7,000,000,000 for rolling stock, also 2,200 buses that are to be funded by that. And we would like to buy all of it if we could. We have to do, obviously, procurements that are on the level that are price sensitive and even handed. But we would love to do all of it from companies that

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: This is what Jesse's leading now?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Jesse Lazarus is we announced that yesterday. You know, she's the one who helped us get over the finish line with Omni, the transition to Omni, which is incredibly complicated

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Right.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Technology and procurement issues. And she's going to lead this next. She's a Harvard Business School graduate who's done a ton of work in the automotive area also. So we're thrilled that we have that. You know, it's not a secret. We have about one out of every four jobs created by the MTA capital program is outside the New York City region and in the state of New York. We're going to spend $15 plus billion, if the past gives us any indication, in the state of New York in this capital program. And we're thrilled to work with you and all those companies upstate to make sure it's a successful Well,

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: we appreciate it. I know firsthand the hard work that went in from you and your entire team on the rolling stock contract. And I know that our friends at Alstom and Senator Romero's district and, of course, part of my district as well are excited to be able to produce some

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: G. Of that rolling

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I just wanted to let you know, we also want to bring some new companies to New York

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: DAVID That's right.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: To get more competition and to have more jobs here in connection with the MTA capital program. We're working on that. Details to follow.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: DAVID Thank you. Speaking of jobs and I'm glad you raised that. You touched upon this earlier, Chairman, on your comments on labor. Of course, with the contract expiring with TWU, contracts outstanding with Metro North, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, you mentioned, for Long Island, Now the ACRE concerned with the Amtrak taking back over that Metro North contract for Citi to here in the capital region. It seems like there are some stumbling blocks here and some challenges with organized labor. Could you just talk about your commitment? You mentioned a number of units that you're already working with, bargaining units. Can you talk about your commitment to working with the men and women of organized labor?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID Listen, first of all, we actually work really closely with organized labor. We have 80 separate bargaining units at the MTA, so a lot of contracts to bargain, even when a pattern is established. So we're about 70% we're through about 70% of our representative workforce in that contract making cycle. And we're coming up on a new contract. That's why you're hearing so much a little bit of noise from some of our brothers and sisters in the union labor. But we're going to work with everybody. We want to work with them. We like to pay people more. We like to also look at how we can work together to improve efficiency and productivity. You know, this is not a factory. All we're trying to do is not to save money, but to enable us to pay people more and to put on more service. And we don't want paying people more to be in competition with our ability to run service for New Yorkers. That's what we're trying to balance always. But every project I've ever worked on has been a union project. And our partnership with organized labor, including some of the unions you mentioned, the couple who are on our board who are very active. And we are really close to them and we'll continue to work them. But, you know, it's a contract year, so you're going hear some noise. I can't mislead you.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: They're loud and strong. But we appreciate it. And thank you, Chairman.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: You bet. Thank you. Thank you very much. We've been joined by Assembly members Simon, Hooks, and Otis. Our next questioner will be Assemblyman Ed Brunson for ten minutes.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you, chairman and your team, for joining us today. I want to ask about fare evasion. I've heard numbers around maybe $750,000,000 a year was a number that I heard. I know there's been progress. Can you discuss that progress and give us a sense of what the hard number was that was lost through fare evasion last year?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. So thank you for the question. Super important issue. I am a bit of an outlier. I've been talking about fare evasion since about fifteen minutes after I was confirmed by the Senate, not just because it's a financial issue for the MTA. We don't want to waste lose revenue and waste It's a morale issue for New Yorkers. It's a fairness issue. What makes New York work is that we share the public space, and we all feel like the public space is a place you can count on everybody playing by the same rules. So while I we wanna have to make sure the system is affordable to everybody, and that's an important initiative you'll hear about from us always. We also want to make sure that we don't have a sense of disorder when people are just entering the system, which is what fare evasion conveys. What have we done? In the last year and a quarter, so five quarters, we have knocked down fare evasion in the subways by 30%. How do we do it? We took very aggressive action to make sure that the exit gate, what I call the superhighway of fare evasion, which was being popped open so ten, twelve, 15 people could walk in all at once, that that the exit gate was not improperly open. We changed the physical turnstiles a lot, and we took a lot of other actions as well, and it's been effective. The other the next step is that we have to install it's gonna take a little while. Fair gates, modern fair gates that are less, you know, conducive to fair evasion than our old fashioned turnstiles. We're gonna continue to make progress on fair evasion in the subways. The buses are a bigger challenge. It's not a secret. We let people on for you know, told them to just get on the back and don't pay during COVID, and we've had trouble getting the toothpaste back in the tube on that issue. But we have what we call eagle teams, people who are you know, folks who are mostly former law enforcement, but they're not cops and they're not armed doing that enforcement on the buses. We've been making progress. And with the advent, the full implementation of Omni, you know, the digital tap and ride system, we're gonna be able to have more what I call European style fare evasion initiative where there'll be fare inspectors getting on and asking people, can you show me your phone or your credit card or otherwise that I can validate that you paid? In Europe, they give out tickets for a €100 or a 100 plus dollars on the spot and say, pay up right now or else you get, you know, doubles in price. We won't be doing that, but we will be doing more fair vision enforcement. We have been successful in knocking down fair vision, honestly, on the commuter rails with working very closely with our unionized conductors, but also with the, you know, the new system we've implemented, which takes away incentives for people to play the game of hoping the conductor won't force you to activate your ticket. And, you know, I'm sure we'll hear from other members about that system, but it has already shown results in cutting commuter rail fare evasion significantly. We've done a lot and we're going do a lot more.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Do you have hard numbers?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: On the reductions How much? On the commuter rail?

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Not commuter rail. Overall, how much money does the MTA forego per year in Fair Vision?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. I mean, it's it's hundreds of millions of dollars. You the number you gave

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: have a number?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: What? I'll do the math in my head. But it it it's gone down by a third from when it was probably peaking in the area of 8 or $900,000,000. So it's in the 5 to $700,000,000 number. It's a huge number. But the point is this MTA is attacking it, and we're doing it in a way that says, this is not about criminalizing poverty. We have been aggressive in saying, let's do more fair fares so people who are at the low end of the economic spectrum get do get a discount just like seniors. And we're gonna continue to look for ways to discount things for people who are poor or working, you know, the working class. But at the end of the day, everybody has to play by the same rules, so the place feels very, very different. And and and it has and frankly, when we do fair vision enforcement, unfortunately, you get a ton of people who are either carrying weapons or have warrants out. Unfortunately, it is we we also want a fair payment system that discourages I'm

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: trying to

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I'm just I know. I'm just trying to get numbers just so we we can measure progress.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Right? You can you could I think I just gave you a number. I'd say that, know, in in the subway environment, I have to run the numbers again, but subway is probably two thirds of of the fare evasion. It's down by 30%. The bus system is you know, has not made as much progress. But once we get omni across the board, and there's no more coin on bus and no more metro card, we can check everybody's fare everybody's that everybody's paid. And I hope over time, we'll make the bus system come back to where it was when I you know, before COVID and when I was a kid when you didn't mess with the bus driver. I don't want those bus drivers have to enforce. I'm gonna put people on the buses and make sure that everybody plays by the same rules.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: You mentioned that you're projecting a half percent out year operating budget deficit.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yes.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Have you incorporated or how have you incorporated the approval of the three new downstate casinos? Has that changed your outlook?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, your your your point is is is a good one. We have folks didn't know don't all know this, but we've already received the payments from the casinos that were designated by the the gaming board. So that's good news. But your question, I'd like Jay to answer.

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: So as the chair mentioned, we've received all three casino license fee. They were $500,000,000 each, so we received a total of $1,500,000,000. And in our financial plan, which is a five year financial plan, we've already incorporated those license fees into the budget that helps us balance or reduce our deficits in the out years. So we've planned for each of those casinos in '26, '27, and '28, and then revenue from those casinos opening coming online two years after they open. As we all know, resorts will hopefully open up this year sometime downstate, and so that tax revenue will be collected shortly after that. But the other two casinos aren't projected to open until 2030, so tax revenue for the MTA will not come in until twenty thirty, twenty thirty one in our financial plan.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Do you have an expectation about how much tax revenue you could expect per casino?

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: So there are projections out there. You know, it is a projection. And usually when when companies do these projections, they're very high on and to start with. And so Resorts World has a number out there that's 300 to $400,000,000 of annual tax revenue for the MTA. We have projected about a $100,000,000 from each casino. We would like to trend it before actually incorporating it into the budget. We are you know, if if the number is 300 to 400,000,000, it'll help us close the deficits that we have in the out years, but that is to be seen. Any casino that's opened up, if if you've read about them, right, always project a very high value in revenue, and then the revenues come in, maybe sometimes half the value that was projected. So we're we're trying to be conservative and not over project the revenues until they start flowing into the the system.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: And how many years do you spread out the the gaming fee? What was it? 1,500,000,000.0? How many years is that spread

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: In '26, '27, and '28, we received all the revenue in 2026. We will still utilize it in our financial plan as we had projected to help balance the budget. Those will that will be programmed in our financial plan.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And those were already yeah, those were already included in the financial plan the last couple of years.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. And then the last question I have, because I'm running out of time, is you're asking for a 10 year extender for tax increment financing. Are you currently engaged with any municipalities about how you would use that authority?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. I mean, listen, this is not a secret that it is one of the shockers of our system is that we don't finance infrastructure using the tools that the rest of the world woke up to, you know, a generation ago. And one of those is to capture the value of the taxes. I wanna say this you know this, chairman, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Capture the value of the taxes that are gonna be created when you build a major infrastructure project, the increased tax value in order to when you bond that and in order to build the infrastructure in the first place. That's the technique that was used by mayor Bloomberg to finance the extension of the number seven line to the Hudson Yards. And we are engaged in initial conversations with the Department of City Planning. But this is a business decision that the city government will have to make. We didn't get traction with the Adams administration on this topic. But it seems nutty not to use some of that revenue that's coming to build the infrastructure. We especially think it makes sense to consider it for the IBX, the Innerborough Express, which everybody knows is governor Hochul's, you know, number one priority expansion project. And we're gonna get into discussions. We need more than a year. If we every year pass tax increment financing only for a single year, it runs out and people don't take it seriously, we need you to pass it for a longer period.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Thank

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: you. We've been joined by senator Persaud. And next up is senator Leroy Comrie, chair of corporations and authorities.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Good morning. Thank you for being here again and giving us the updates this morning. I wanna talk about a couple of things and primarily some of the things that are successes for the MTA. So I just wanna say that I wanna take a moment to recognize that the MTA is doing things on time and on budget. And I think that's because since 2019, when, we the Democrats took over the committee and the leadership of the committee, our our conference has been focused on, doing accountability, doing accessibility, working on making efficiency, and creating opportunities for the MTA to showcase the good things that it has done. So can you just highlight something that we wrangled about a few years ago, but the MTA started this year, is the Capital Dashboard?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: You know, the truth is, you probably know more about this than I do. But I'll tell you this because you have been an advocate for transparency and open data at the MTA for as long as I've been at the MTA. The net net is on on open data. I'm I'm not gonna go into all the details. We have literally billions of lines of data available online. When reporters call us, we say, just look at the data. It's all there. Every almost everything the MTA is does is online in data. And Reinvent Albany, are the kind of the advocacy group that pushes open data the most, have called us the gold standard in that area. The capital dashboard will enable, which is still a little bit of work in progress, but it'll enable anybody, a writer, an advocate, an academic, to go online and look at, on a map, project by project, how it's being funded, where it is budgetarily, and in terms of schedule, what other projects are it is related to because now we bundle projects to optimize, be most efficient with track time that we only shut down a track for a certain amount of time. We're gonna get every piece of work that needs to be done along that line done that weekend or continue doing it in bundles. So you can look at every project that's in the MTA capital program, find out where it is, find out whether it's on time and on budget, what it's related to, and a ton of other information. That's what that capital dashboard does, and we really appreciated your support and encouragement as we developed it.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: -Thank you. The city ticket has also been a major success that we pushed hard to get the Atlantic ticket and now the city ticket. The Atlantic ticket has been temporarily suspended, and we wanted to see when that could get reinstated and how that could be helped.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Listen, city ticket took the learning from Atlantic ticket. Atlantic ticket was a pilot program on the smallest of the Long Island Railroad's lines to a Western terminal, the one that went to Atlantic. It was a pilot. We took the learnings from that, and we expanded it to the entire commuter rail system. And as a result, people who ride commuter rail inside the city of New York are getting, like, a 40 discount. It's a huge change. All of a sudden, you it's been a source of the largest growth in commuter railroad ridership post COVID. So, you know, we're at 90 plus percent on on Long Island Railroad, high eighties on Metro North. And a lot of that is because people inside the city of New York are using the commuter rails because they can afford it now a lot more. There's a 16% increase just in the last year of city ticket. So all of those things are huge success. The additional incent incentive that I think you're alluding to is the combination. Not only you get a discount on ridership inside the Cudorail, but also you get another discount on MetroCard. And we're looking to expand discounts over time for not MetroCard, on Omni. Omni. On Omni, on your New York City transit ridership. We're looking to expand that across the board. So we don't we're gonna look at discounts, again, across the board. And let me just underscore this. The great thing about Omni, about the new tap and ride system, is you automatically can give out new discounts to people that they get automatically instead of having to pay come out of pocket and pay for them upfront. The old MetroCard system of a weekly or monthly forced people who didn't have money to make a hard choice. Do I I'm it's not fair to poor people. If you don't have money in your pocket, you couldn't buy the discount. Now we give the discounts automatically, and we're gonna look to expand them across the board, not only for city ticket riders, but for everybody.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I would I would also add another benefit that our customers are seeing in the recent fare changes on the railroad. I mean, we now have family rates where a family of four can ride the railroads for a buck. We also have reduced fare customers who are now able to ride during the peak as well as day pass. So, as the chairman has said, we are looking to ensure that our customers are really benefiting and getting the full cost and benefit from using our system.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Right. And have all the kinks been worked out in Omni now? Because there was some transition issues.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: There's always new software. I don't want to mislead you. We Cubic has not been a perfect partner in software development, and we ride them every day, all day. So we're I think most of it has been worked out, but there's a couple of kinks we're still working through, to be honest. But the system is a huge success. 98% of riders now use tap and ride, which is way, way ahead of where we thought we were going to be when we transitioned at the end of the year. And by the way, London transitioned to all tap and ride when they only had 50% acceptance of tap and ride, we were at 96%. So we're way ahead.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Right. One thing that we hadn't talked about in a while, I forgot to bring it up first, the accessoride, on demand service for accessoride, where we were achieving that 100% across the system so we can make sure that our elderly folks are not stuck waiting outside church for an hour for an access ride.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So I'm super proud of where we've gotten access ride. Access ride has gone up by 20% in terms of ridership the last two years, and it's now providing 40,000 rides a day. It is larger than the the entire transit systems in a whole lot of cities in The United States, a whole lot of major cities in The United States, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Louisville, a few others. We have more paratransit than they have all transit. The the reason it's gotten so much better is the the on time performance is soared into the high nineties. So we're and and we're actually measuring our on time performance even tighter in a tighter time window than we used to because we are we're we're we're we're being tougher on ourselves to make sure we deliver. I'm very proud of that. In addition to in addition to that, the the committee needs to know that has created a new financial problem because the MTA's cap financial plan did not anticipate we were gonna get so many riders, and we're at a level where the city of New York's commitment this is supposed to be around the world around The United States. It's supposed to be a municipal municipally funded project, paratransit. Now it's all hitting the MTA's books. We need the city of New York to be a partner to make it not to punish the MTA for providing such good service that all of a sudden we got a lot more because it costs a lot, as you know.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Right.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And and we're gonna continue to work with folks who are using the app to make their, you know, to order paratransit, to make it even more attractive to them to get it quickly.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you. Finally, we're running out of time. Can you talk about design building, how it's helped save money in construction projects and how that's being transferred to other projects?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: You've been consistent raising this with me. Just a quick reminder, everybody knows this stuff, is what design build does is instead of the old system where you designed a project with a bunch of engineers and architects and then handed it over to the builders, and the builders would frequently say, I can't build that, or it's in the wrong sequence, or there's a more efficient way to do it, you have a lot of conflict between the designers and the builders with cost and budget damage. Instead, we do a basic design, what you call a 30% design, hand it over through procurement to a design and construction team, let them finish the design, and that way you get actually a much more innovative and efficient design in

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: terms Can of you estimate how much money you've saved?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I can't estimate how much money I've saved across the board. I can tell you one project, which is the Park Avenue Viaduct project. We did a design build on that project. It's the viaduct that runs north of 97th Street on top of Park Avenue. It's the Metro North Viaduct, carries 90 plus percent of Metro North riders. We are saving 90 plus million dollars on that one project because the design build process yielded a more efficient and innovative way to build it. We build it on the weekends. We don't even stop service at all. And we're rebuilding the whole thing. We're twenty plus months ahead of schedule, I think. Somebody correct me. And we've saved $90,000,000. So to your point, design build has yielded tremendous benefits. The one thing I would add is that we're also careful. Design build is really best for big projects that have and you don't want to limit competition. So you have to also have projects that have a slightly different delivery mechanism, and we're always working to optimize that. J.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: D. You. We've been joined by Assembly Members Gallagher, Cunningham, and Burroughs. Next, I'll ask Assembly Member Miller, five minutes.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. We've also been joined by Senator Mitaynes.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Thank

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: you, Chairman, for your testimony. I got a question on overtime because I too live in Upstate New York and use the MTA transit very sparingly. The MTA spent roughly $1,500,000,000 on overtime last year, hundreds of millions of dollars over budget. Is there any concern on missing this overtime budget by that margin?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, the answer is yes. There is always a concern. But let me try to put this give you a little more detail to put it in context. Overtime went up by four and a little bit percent last year. But our wages for our workforce went up by 3.5%. So a lot of the growth in overtime is attributable to the regular wage increases. That said, let let me break it down a tiny bit more. We have you know, there's good overtime and bad overtime. The good overtime, which is growing, is the capital overtime where people support weekend and nighttime work. That's good. That's because you all gave us a good capital program. And thanks to you and the governor, we're getting a lot more work done. That's good over time. Bad, you know, bad over time or less good over time is the stuff that's unscheduled, that is not as well supervised. That tends to take place in the operating budget. We've actually knocked that down in the last couple of years by 8% as a percentage of our overall labor budget. So while I agree with you that we have to continue to push down over time, and we did in the in the last part of this past year, we also have to recognize that the trends in overtime people talk about one big number. The trends in overtime at MTA are favorable, and a lot of it is attributable to the fact that we are getting more capital work done, which is what you want us to do.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. Well, this seems to be a chronic issue year after year, the overtime.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. The other thing is we've got to we need your help to push back on the work rules that allow some trades, some some of our workforce trades to automatically get overtime. That makes no sense. I also I I love my brothers and sisters who do work hard for us in New York City Transit, but we would like to limit it that you can't get overtime if you don't work a thirty five or forty hour week. It seems nutty that some people are working, you take two days off for on sick time, and then they come in and work overtime and and make time and a half or more, and they end up working as much as well. We need your help to rationalize the work rules. And that means, you know, helping us to have good discussions with our union friends.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. So along with these discussions, of course, you and your team are going to do a root cause analysis. And it sounds like you're trying to come up with a corrective action plan here. But is this it sounds like this overtime is almost from chronic understaffing, too. Is that an issue?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. Well, listen, we were way, way down after COVID. And, Jay, you should jump in here if we we were we were our the numbers that we lost a lot of people during COVID. People just retired. They, you know, they didn't wanna keep going for what during it was a tough time. We have rebuilt the agency so we have 72,000 people on staff. We're still we still have a couple thousand empty jobs, but that is, you know, part of the normal rotation. People retire. They leave for other jobs. We are not chronically understaffed. If we had, I think, a more, you know, a more effective managerial response to overtime, we got rid of some of the work rules that automatically give people overtime. I think we can make some progress on the issue you've raised. But I just want to emphasize, we're going always be proud of overtime that suggests we're getting the work on the weekends and nights done rather than criticizing it.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Thank you, commissioner.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Next we will have Senator John Liu.

[Senator John C. Liu]: Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks to the MTA for joining us once again. Mr. Chairman, you said last year and the year before that your agency would look more into the feasibility and ramifications of making the buses free. So what have you done this past year?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, I'll tell you what we've done. We've studied the pilot that was done a couple of years ago extensively. We the pilot was one line in each borough, and what we found is, you know, a mixed results. There were more people on the bus, but our analysis, and we did a ton of of data collection, was that most of those were coming from paid lines, and we're sort of cannibalizing our own ridership rather than growing new riders. And there were not a lot of people who were making, you know, new trips to work or to medical appointments or to school. It tended to be people who were

[Senator John C. Liu]: like Yeah. And I think we expected that kind of mean, that's not such a surprising result from having a limited number of lines that are free. But what about making the entire system? We were going to look at the feasibility, how much it would really cost and what additional service improvements or increases would be necessary in order to absorb the potentially and desired influx of bus riders?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, you know, you're asking the right questions but I don't know that I promise respectfully to resolve an issue that was essentially discussion. No. No. This was before No. No. No. No. No.

[Senator John C. Liu]: Any discuss anybody had adopted it as part of their mayoral campaign.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. And I told you what we did to analyze the the the pilot. Here are the issues that remain, and you're alluding to some of them. Number one, will will will so called free buses really serve an equity goal? You know, there are a lot of people in my the neighborhood I grew up in, the mayor of the City Of New York grew up in, who own $3,000,000 apartments on West End Avenue or Riverside Drive who ride the one zero four bus. I am personally more interested in making sure the five times as many people who ride the subway who are poor or who are

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: working That's class fine. And

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: get an equity get an equity benefit from a reduced fare rather than giving freebies

[Senator John C. Liu]: Your example those millionaires on the East Side or West Side. Mean, that's that's a very limited example. We're talking about the masses here and not just in Manhattan. We're talking about in Queens particularly where you know things are buses.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And in your in your district.

[Senator John C. Liu]: In Brooklyn, in Staten Island, in The Bronx. Yeah. We need people to have better access to it's not just about free buses. It's about faster buses.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Amen.

[Senator John C. Liu]: And you did say that you would look at the feasibility and what it would take to make the buses free. So instead of naysaying, give us a plan as to how it could be possible and what the price tag actually would be.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, we've been talking about fast buses a lot long long before the mayoral campaign. We redesigned the entire Queen bus network, no one had done in fifty years, and we have proven that you're gonna get a faster, more reliable system as a result of that. I think time is But you know what I'm

[Senator John C. Liu]: Because you put more money into those buses. That's

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: a point.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Time is up. I'm so Mr.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Chairman, Matt, point of personal privilege. If people are going to ask me questions and not give me a chance to answer, I'm going to ask you to reconsider the rule because, you know, the point is not for if it's a Q and A session, I need a chance to answer, okay?

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Noted. Osama bin Rah, five minutes.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you, Chairman. Chair, thank you for being here with us. I do want to get back into the overtime conversation, but I want to start with something on the congestion pricing side. What have you seen? I know we've heard a lot of the data on the traffic side. One of the pieces of this was obviously the idea that those folks would be on the train. So what have you seen on the ridership side of the conversation as a result of that implementation? Implementation.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: RIDERSHIP has grown. And what I would just say, Assemblyman Ra, is ridership has grown on the Long Island Railroad. I think it's 8% or 9% in the past year. I don't know how much of that is attributable to people who used to drive. But in your in your district, customer satisfaction is up from sixty nine percent two years ago to 78%. So we must be doing something right because people are enjoying the ride a lot more, and there are a lot more of them. So that aspect, you know, truthfully, the whole emphasis on is this is the mass transit system gonna accommodate people who are driving is misplaced. There are only a 140,000 people who are driving to Manhattan to the CBD before congestion pricing. We can accept those people, all of them, you know, in a moment's notice. We have plenty of room on the mass transit system. So not the issue. But the bottom line is people riding along on railroad and their and their customer satisfaction is soaring.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: J.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: G. Good to hear. Governor Hochul last year said that even though her detail has exempt vehicles, she would be cutting a check to the MTA for her trips in the zone that is covered by congestion pricing. Has she done that?

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: I'll have to look

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: into that.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I'll tell you this. Detail you know, I ride I ride the system a lot, but there are times when I'm in a in a vehicle, and my detail has no exemption from congestion pricing. Yes. Well And I think

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: the government did, and she made a big point in saying she would be cutting congestion.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Back to you. We haven't checked that. But that was an agreed she and I agreed about that.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Okay. I'd be interested in whether that has been done, and if so, whether that was paid from her campaign personally or by the taxpayers of New York State. So I'd appreciate a follow-up on that particular question.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: You bet.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Going back to the overtime conversation, you talked about and I do appreciate you detailing it out in terms of kind of capital, good overtime as you called it, and and kind of the unscheduled, and talking about the work rules, which I get, but those are collectively bargained, you know, policies that I think you guys need to deal with with No.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: No. But the legislature has influence on those unions' willingness to negotiate those rules. Let's just be honest.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: They're your bargaining units that you need to negotiate

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: But that's let's let's not engage in semantics. So you all know that the legislature has dramatic influence on that. And we need your support so that we can make the whole system more efficient and bargain the rules that are costing taxpayers money but not delivering service.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: DAVID So regardless, you talked about the staffing. If you're saying a good chunk of that is good overtime, doing capital improvements, which obviously we all agree that the system needs, But it's still if you're talking $1,500,000,000 above what was budgeted for, that's that's a big number. Where do you expect that to go in the in the next year? So because now we know maybe, you know, there's capital money coming in, we have the congestion pricing money, we have money coming in from the casinos, all that type of stuff. So would you expect that that number will be more in line in this in this new year with what is budgeted?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. I mean, honestly, we're setting we're setting goals that are below the level that took place last year. Just to be clear, though, the 1,500,000,000.0 was the total number. It's not the increase in cost. What was the increase?

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: It was about 300,000,000 over It was

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: 300,000,000 over budget, which is historically have refused to discuss. J.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Okay. And then can you just lastly tell me well, you're going to run out of time. So I will we'll follow-up offline.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: I wanted

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: to talk a little bit about some of the policy changes with the tickets that I'm getting some concerns from constituents about. You. J.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you for respecting the clerk.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: J. R.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Senator Oberacher, ranker five minutes.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J. Good morning, chairman. It's good to see you in Albany. And as a former baseball player, I was looking at each and every one of my questions as a base runner. And actually, the field has been pretty well the bases have been cleaned up with a lot of the former questions. So the batting order does matter, so I have a couple of quick questions. So I do get inquiries from constituents as to MTA and the budget that goes with it. And the word that they come back with is ROI, a return on investment. So if you were to give me just your top bullet point as to when someone asked me, what is the return on investment that we as a taxpayer get for MTA? Could you give me a minute?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. MTA, mass transit, makes New York possible economically. It is the only way you could bring together millions of people to create the economic powerhouse that is the New York City regional economy is mass transit. There's no we we already know you couldn't fit if people were traveling on automobiles, you couldn't get them altogether. And the alternative is, spread out much less dynamic. New York City depends on mass transit. That's the payoff. But I appreciate the question. J.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Good. So under congestion pricing, I am a first responder, putting in forty years. My question is, and now that the program for congestion pricing has been in effect for a year, is there any consideration to expand the discounts and exemptions to law enforcement, first responders, and medical professionals?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Yeah. We actually gave out I mean, this sometimes gets missed in the public discussion. We actually are exempting actual first responder vehicles. What we're not exempting is the personal vehicles of some first responders who would like to commute to the city by their personal vehicle. I respect them. Totally we value their service. But this is not about the commutation benefits. It's about first responder vehicles and other for the government purpose.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Perfect. Thank you. Thank you for that. And then under fair evasion, someone Bronstein had brought up a bunch of questions there. And I'm just making sure that I had what I've written down was correct that we had a 30% reduction in evasion. Is that J.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Subway fares.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J. D. Subway fares, Okay. A number of between 500 and 700,000,000 was thrown out as as far as what a projection or forecasted

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It may even be larger than I don't wanna mislead. This is this is a huge issue. That's why I was confirmed by the senate in January '22 And in, I think, in in the March '22, I went out and make a speech that I said fair vision is an existential problem for the MTA and for New York because of the sense of fairness and shared public space. And so we're fighting it, and we're gonna keep fighting it with with an emphasis on subway I mean, mass transit should never be fare evasion should never be a crime of poverty. We need to make sure that everybody who has the economic issue is addressed.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J. Would there be a percentage that you could forecast that you would like to see as a target for reduction?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. You know, I actually think we're south of 10% on the subways now. I would like to make sure that we knock that number down and we make sure that the entire system is closer to 10 than the buses in particular are now.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J. Thank you. Thank you for that. And, Chairman, thank you. I'm conceding back my minute and thirteen seconds. So thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: We're on a roll now. Selman Boris, three minutes.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Thanks for being here, Chair Lieber. Thanks for sharing the statistics on congestion pricing. I think it's gone way better than even some of the advocates asked for, so I appreciate the I data want to focus on one piece of it, is the discounts that are given to New Jersey drivers coming over the Holland And Lincoln Tunnel. How much is that discount for passenger cars?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. $3 on the $9 J. Yeah. It's scheduled to go

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: up with the fees, right? J.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. But the whole future going fee structure is a little bit questionable.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: J. Sounds good. J. How much has been given out in those discounts overall?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Do you know that number?

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: J. I do. It's over $80,000,000 in crossing credits have been given. And it's not just of the tunnels, right?

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: G.

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: Yep. Internally, our bridges and tunnels get 1 point dollars 5 as well in certain

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: G. I'm asking specifically over the Holland and Lincoln, though.

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: G. I don't. I have the overall numbers, 80,000,000.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: G. L. Great.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: G. Figure it's that probably 40% of the credits are to the Holland and the Lincoln, probably.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: DAVID Oh, so you would estimate around $35,000,000

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: MARTIN: get you the exact. A couple, actually. But, you know, ones who are honest are saying, hey, this is way better than spending another twenty five plus minutes stuck in the tunnel.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: G. Getting the couple to thank you is better than we had last year. So I appreciate that progress. Do also want to ask then on another question I asked last year, was residents in the zone obviously have asked for discounts. There are some for low income and for seniors and for those that are on IDEPs. But have we priced out what discounts look like for those in the zones more broadly, either the ones that are going out right now or what it would look like to expand that?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: No. We have not priced it up.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Okay. Why?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Because right now, we're implementing the system that was enacted by the process started by the legislature and then recommended by the Traffic Mobility Review Board and then enacted by our board. That does not include an additional discount along the lines of what you said.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Okay. And the Holland Lincoln discounts, were those implemented by the legislature?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: No. But it was part of the TMRB recommendation.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Absolutely. Absolutely. I know. I'm just saying there is discretionary there's discretion there to

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: look at. I was also John McCarthy reminds me, part of the the the reality of our world is we all the discounts were studied through the federal environmental review process. We are a little constrained on changing the system just at our own initiative because so much of the study approval is based on the study. We don't wanna open ourselves up to a new Washington administration intervention.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: J. Understood. Thank you.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: J. Excuse me.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Bless you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Thank you. J. You. M. Time to sneeze. I apologize. And we have Senator Salazar. SATLASAR:

[Senator Julia Salazar]: Thank you, Chair.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I'm pretty sure you're not Christopher Akins, but go ahead.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: I know. Yeah. It's not a striking resemblance,

[Senator Julia Salazar]: I guess. Well, good morning. I wanted to start by asking, what is New York City's total annual financial contribution to the MTA?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Can you help me out here? The

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: city of New York contributes in a few different ways. It contributes to the MTA bus, Staten Island Railway net of deficit. That's a few $100,000,000 a year, also on paratransit, and then urban taxes, on the actual budget net, city contributions. So it's about, I think, a billion dollars overall.

[Senator Julia Salazar]: Got it. And,

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: how does

[Senator Julia Salazar]: that compare to the share of total MTA funding that comes from the state? How how does it compare roughly percentage wise?

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: So overall, the the state of New York contributes about $8,000,000,000 in state taxes and subsidies, whether that's on budget or off budget. Some things that are on budget are sales tax percentages, corporate tax, but the MTA directly receives payroll mobility taxes and other subsidies from the state directly.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. In addition to the 8,000,000,000

[Jai (Jay) Patel, Chief Financial Officer, MTA]: J. Yes, in addition to the billion dollars J.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: M. To the $8,000,000,000 yeah.

[Senator Julia Salazar]: J. In addition to the $8,000,000,000 got it. Do you think that the percentage, the share of MTA funding that comes from the city directly compared to the share of funds that go to the MTA from the state, do you think it's it's proportionate or appropriate?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: That's that's really a you know, our our our system of the state and the city transit funding is the product of a long legisl you know, history of legislation here and in the City Of New York and political decisions that are made long ago. You know, we've mentioned a couple things where we you know, I I'm not gonna take a broad view of what the city should pay, the state should pay, and so on. City owns the transit system, but the state's really paying for it, yada yada yada. But there are a couple things where there really is a reason to focus on the city contributing more. I mentioned that before. It's paratransit. It's the accessoride system, which is getting so good that a lot more people are using it. And because of the way the legislation has capped city contributions, the MTA is getting hit with an unexpected big bill for doing something well. And we'd like that to be addressed, as a matter of fairness.

[Senator Julia Salazar]: Got it. With little time left, I wanted to ask quickly about Broadway Junction. I'm excited, very excited about the MTA's project at Broadway Junction. Major improvements, crucial, the installation of several elevators, creating another station entrance. We're excited about it. Is it correct that the MTA expects to complete the project in a couple years from now, like, say Yes. Late twenty twenty seven? And is the MTA addressing, I'm sorry, sanitation concerns at

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: the Thank site you. That we recently

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We will. Tell us what they are.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: The Chairman, we'll ponder that you. Assemblywoman Shimsky.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Tight ship. Tight ship.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for being here. I have four questions. We'll see how many we get to. First one, climate resiliency work in Metro North, especially the Hudson Line. How are we doing with the first phase? And what do we see as coming up for phase two?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Quickly, we're moving forward with that major project that you know about, which is meant to address the problem of both, you know, these slopes that are collapsing when torrential rainfall comes and the reality that the river is rising because of sea level rise and other things. We have projections that show the line will be underwater in many areas. We're doing a major project you know about to manage water that's both coming off the hills and it's coming from the river and together and to raise up the track structure. That project is underway. I don't recall exactly where it stands, but it's going to be awarded in the existing capital program.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: It's in procurement.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It's in procurement right now.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay, great. You mentioned before how the elevators are getting replaced and we're getting new elevators in.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Where are we in terms of adding the new elevators

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: metro this what stage? Is an area of huge pride for the MTA. We went from 115 elevators when this group came in five years ago. We're now in the high 150s, I think 158. We've gotten 50 I think 50 elevators, including the commuter railroads done in the last five years. We're at four times the pace of prior MTAs. And we're slated by the end of the capital program to be at two seventy two MTA stations, which will cover, like, 80% of our ridership. Game changing. And this legislature has been a huge supporter, so I just need to say thank you.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: So the initial plans that came out a year or two ago as to which MT Metro North stations were going to be added. We're on track excuse the pun. We're on track to

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. We are on track. John, do you

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: want J.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: We're

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: a similarly member, we're on track. Those projects are being awarded, we'll get back to you on dates.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay, thank you. In terms of Amtrak, what's your sense as to what the problems are with them?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: The problems are the same ones that kept East Side that delayed East Side access and probably cost us $1,000,000,000 on that troubled program, which I inherited and we dragged over the finish line. Amtrak owns the real estate, owns the infrastructure. But when we go to fix something or improve it, they have to provide the flaggers and the supervision and the electric traction power supervision. And they cancel outages. People don't show up. Work doesn't get done. And it ends up delaying projects and costing hundreds of millions. That's where we are on Penn Station access right now.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: J. Okay. And congratulations on the Park Avenue Viaduct.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: M. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Senator Mitayra, ranker, five minutes.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. M.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Great. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. And thank you, Chairman Lieber. It's great seeing you.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: G. I decided not to resign.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Ignored this G. I never asked that because we have someone You

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: haven't asked that recently.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: So we have some very listen, I got too much time being wasted already. But please. So we you know, are we still talking I know they said that there was money's being saved about the billion dollars a year Yeah. With the fare and the toll invasions. But let's talk about the $35,000,000 a year that is being wasted from an out of state contractor from Pennsylvania that is due to security, fare invasion, toll invasion, and they're actually having them on video helping them do their crimes. What are we doing with $35,000,000 a year with this contract?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Okay. So these are this is a well known security contractor that that is unionized.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: No. No. No.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: No. Let me let me

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: fit in. Pennsylvania.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: They may be based in Pennsylvania.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Why are we why we have local jobs? Right now, we have 4.5% I'm talking. 4.5% unemployment. We got people that could use these jobs.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: See anything.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: My nephew is actually in security. Local jobs for local people, and we have this money going back to Pennsylvania. How is that right?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Okay. Let me look. Try to give me

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Go ahead.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Give me a chance to answer. Okay. So everybody who works as a gate guard in New York City system is a in the New City York Transit System lives in New York. It's not a bunch of Pennsylvanians. They are unionized 32 BJ employees. Alright. Again, why

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: do we need

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: to walk

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: in Why do we Let

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: me finish.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: You know what? Because you're rambling. Why are we why do we have this? Why do we have people that are helping people We've reduced

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: it's reduced

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: we have videos.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It's reduced fare evasion by 36%, mister. Stop right now.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Who is watching that? Shut up. Don't who are you telling

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: shut up? I'm be quiet.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I said I

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: apologize for that.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I said I apologize. You better apologize. He

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: started yelling first. Tell him to

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I we will not have this hearing get out of I think you better watch

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: your I better watch your words.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: The chairman is respectfully answering time.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: And you should respectfully ask questions.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: I am respectfully somebody that's that's yelling back

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: to finish, sir. I'm not limiting what your questions are. I'm just ask you to be respectful when you

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: ask I am being respectful.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Raising If somebody's not answering questions voices shall not be tolerated. Okay.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Let me apologize also. Shouldn't have raised my voice.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: All right. Guess what? Then we'll move on.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Good.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: So please answer the question then again.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: John Okay. So the folks you're talking about block the exit gate and result of their being there 36% reduction in fare evasion where they have been deployed. That's the reason we are we have that contract.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: And who's overseeing these people to make sure that they're not helping people with fare evasion and television?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: They have supervision, but that's our responsibility. And they've been effective, so I'm comfortable where we

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Really? So we we're gonna continue with this $35,000,000 per year, I guess?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We've actually reduced the deployment by a couple 100 people as we have gotten the cooperation great cooperation of this New York State Department of State and putting delays on those exit gates so that people don't just pop them open to allow fare evaders to enter. We've actually reduced the the cost. And and it pays for itself. The return on investment, which we analyze all the time, has been it's been that positive because we are saving money against Fair Vision.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: All right. Thank you. You know, we talked about the first responders being exempt and certain, you know, the fire first responders, professionals, medical. What about the construction workers, somebody that's in construction, that in other words, we're not working all the time, you know, the weather hurts us, this and that, we don't get a paycheck all the time. What about the construction workers that cannot use mass transit, especially my union brothers and sisters that are complaining about this, that they can't bring their tools on the trains, mass transit. There they are. They can't even do guess what? The tools, the equipment, the materials. Why are they being gouged that these workers cannot use mass transit? What can we do to make sure that's they're part of the first responders, the medical professionals?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, it was not part of the system that was recommended by the Traffic Mobility Review Board. It's not included in the exemptions. And all I could say is if their work you know, if their job requires them to bring tools, sounds like that the, the the folks who employ them should be paying for that. That's really not a

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: state issue. Again, they cannot to be honest with you, not just with the tools, equipment, everything like that. They cannot even

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Sounds like they're bringing equipment to a job site.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: And the and the last thing because I got fifty five seconds, North Shore electrification. We talk about this all the time. What's happening in 2026? Please. We have Lawrence Aviation property, which on Long Island, that property is gold. This is electrification for the North Shore Line. We know this. We spoke about this before. He said it's gonna cost around $2,000,000,000. That's a good investment. Are we gonna be moving forward with the electrification? Because we care about our atmosphere. We care about pollution, diesel trains. What are we doing to make sure that we are gonna be doing have an electrification for the North Shore Line from Huntington to Port Jefferson?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, the first step is what you mentioned, the Lawrence Aviation Project. The governor put together a plan, which, unfortunately, the county of Suffolk has walked away from, but she is trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again so that that site can be transferred to the state and put aside to be a a yard, a train yard to run the search

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, chairman Lieber. Miss Assemblyman, Echoes?

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: Thank you very much, for being here and for your testimony. I'm a member of the West of the Hudson gang, Orange And Rockland County.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: You bet.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: And we had a discussion last year. And your statement was that the service on my side of the river stinks. And I totally agree with you. But with that being said, I want to thank you for the fact that you are not raising the fees on our side of the river with the upcoming fee increase for others. And I do appreciate that. But you also the MTA, not you personally, but the MTA also is cutting out a ferry that we have up in Newburgh to Beacon. And I realized it can't run now for a couple reasons. One, the river's frozen. Two, the Beacon Dock needs to be repaired before we can pick that back up. But it seems like we got information that that ferry will never come back. And I can understand the financial ramifications for it not coming back. But I also think that if you used us as a resource, we could help you, for instance, with the times that that ferry runs and and making it much more useful. Right now, the only way that we really have to get down to New York City is the multiple seat New Jersey transit or buses. And the bus companies that we have is Coach. It's private. It declared bankruptcy a couple years ago. It's still coming out of that. And the hours that we can get back and forth from New York City aren't even reasonable at this point in time.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: So

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: what I'm going to ask of you is if you could, for the next year, look into a new partnership other than with New Jersey Transit or a different type of partnership. Because I also know that you pay a very high cost per rider to the New Jersey Transit. And if we can't somehow rework that to make it somewhat better for everybody.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: D. Okay. So number one, we didn't raise the because New Jersey Transit had raised the fares less than six months ago on your constituents who ride I give you credit for it, No. No. I'm just saying that that that we're always looking closely at what's going on. Number two, our strategy to offset the fact that New Jersey Transit service is, as I say, not great maybe it doesn't stink, but it ain't great is to try to create more incentive for folks West Of Hudson to come try real Metro North service East Of Hudson. And what we're doing is we're honoring monthly tickets on the West Of Hudson side, on the East Of Hudson, the East Of Hudson services. We've kept the parking fees way, way down. To the question of Beacon to Newburgh connections, we have actually doubled more than doubled the number of trains that are being met so that people could actually count on getting a bus. We're getting buses now, a single much expanded bus service that goes from the Beacon Station to Newburgh and makes stops along the way so that people really can count on that connection. You you're right. We have to work on the ferry issue. It's really an economic development issue. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. And our next is Senator Fernandez.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: Hi, Jenna. First off, thank you for the trains. We've opened a lot in The Bronx in the last couple months, so I really appreciate that. The ADA accessibility is needed. I wanted to go back to Access A Ride. Don't recall what you said about any improvements. We know that Access A Ride is growing, as you said. But the wait time, the service time continues to be a complaint from seniors. Can you talk about how we're helping that?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Yeah. Mean, actually, we're proud of how we've improved, again, the on time performance. I'm trying to find the stats. But it's moved from low 90s on time performance to high 90s. Senator, customer satisfaction, it's 20 per we actually tightened the window that they or or they have to arrive in to be considered on time, and we're well over 90 with twenty minutes.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: 92%.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And 92% on time performance. And customer satisfaction among our accessoride paratransit riders has soared. We're using those black cars. The, you know, the for hire vehicles are now, like, 70% of accessoride. It's not all the old van that you know, the the big blue and white vans. It's mostly personal for hire vehicles that are picking people like a taxi ride.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Mhmm.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And our customer satisfaction is now soared to 84%. It used to be in the fifties or low sixties. So we're doing something right. It's attracting low customers, and that's created the financial issue I mentioned before.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: Talking about fare evasions, I you know, the turnstiles. We're trying to figure out new technology. Yeah. How much work is done before we install the new technology, seeing its effectiveness? Because I hate to see on TikTok all the kids throwing cups over the thing and the door opens and they're going through. I feel like that's such a waste of money compared well, not compared to the greater loss, but how how how can we tighten that up and not waste money and find something that really works?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I I would just say ton of work is done. Those you know, this is meant to be a pilot program. We have three different companies who are vying for the big contract, who have installed these pilot gates, and now it's 10 stations. It'll be 20 in a couple of weeks.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: Have we seen these gates in other stations around this the country?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Other countries. Yeah. They're they're all international companies. So New York is a lot tougher environment, and that's why you're seeing some of these adjustments that need to be made. They will all be addressed, software adjustments so that people can't game the system.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: Thank

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: you. But we're in the process of and so far, are actually deterring fare evasion. And more important, they're improving accessibility for customers in wheelchairs and otherwise.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: Quick. Amtrak, you said they're not being helpful. They're delaying the Penn Access projects, the two, four stations in The Bronx. At this rate, how long do you think the delay will be? You think

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: it's It going be six could be at least three years. But what we've said is we want '20 that we want service to start 2027. Amtrak said yes in principle. But so far, they're not really giving they're saying yes means you only get to run, you know, a couple trains a day and only stop at Co Op City. That's not good enough. We need a real 2027 plan.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you very much. Assembly.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Assemblywoman at TAPIA.

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Lever, for your presentation, taking us all the questions that we have. I represent The Bronx.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: And

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: the executive budget provides approximately $9,600,000,000 my understanding, in a state transit operation assisting reflecting a 5% year over year increase. Given that the branch bus routes consistently rank among the slowest and most overcrowded in the MTA system, How much of this operating increase is in fiscal year twenty six-twenty seven is allocated specifically to Bronx local and select buses, select bus services routes? And what miserable service improvements will Bronx riders see as a direct result?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So I will have to get back to you with those specific allocations. But the Bronx bus network redesign has yielded you know, has speeded it up the system up, and it's created more reliability. And we're giving a little more service. So we'll continue to work on getting getting Bronx bus improving Bronx bus service. And I thank you for your support.

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: Yes. I mean, the our in The Bronx, it's a persistent service gaps, affordability challenges and historically under investment in the price. That's the reason why I'm asking that question.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, we also need bus lanes and that's something that to to speed it up and the ACE camera system and all of those things together will continue to improve the speed of buses and I appreciate your support for that.

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: I'm just waiting for it. We are waiting for that.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: As soon as the mayor gets started, we'll be able to report. Please.

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: Just to add, but on as far as service going beyond bus in in Central Bronx, the additional trains that we're running on Metro North, and as Jennifer pointed out, the discounted city ticket, it's a huge number of increase in passenger rides, and we're going to continue to promote that. So any support for that. And then on the East Bronx, as the chair mentioned, Metro North service into Penn would be a huge addition.

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: Thank you. I appreciate it.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Excuse me. Thank you. Senator Purso?

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Thank you. Good morning, Jo and team. It's great seeing you. First, I wanted to say thank you for the tour of Broadway Junction and seeing all the great work that's being done. It's a great improvement in that community. I wanna touch on something, you know, because we were talking about fare evasion across New York City. And last year, I brought this up also. I think when people talk about fare evasion across the MTA, it's this misconception that it only occurs in our subway and buses in the city. But we've seen that on Long Island, it rolls over 400% invasions, but no one's talking about that. Can you tell us what is being done?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. Actually, we we have we have knocked fare evasion down on on on the Long Island Railroad dramatically. And I think we're, you know, collecting 95 plus percent of the fares. The changes that were recently made have eliminated the incentive for people to just kind of avoid the conductor and hope the conductor doesn't come and actually force you to activate your ticket. We're now saying you have to activate your ticket before the conductor comes around to get it. If you don't, you get a series of warnings. After the third warning, you may or the third or fourth warning, you're going to get a you may be assessed an additional surcharge. So that has all of a sudden discouraged that kind of opportunistic fare evasion. We agree with you, and we've made a lot of progress even in the last few weeks on that subject.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay. But, you know, in in the city when someone evades the the the the fares and they're caught, they're given a a ticket in the same at the same time.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: But the on the Long Island Railroad, they're given this grace period.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: No. That's changed. We we we used to do those those, like, IOU type things. That's that has been dramatically reduced. If somebody does not is is not able to won't produce ID and be cooperative. We actually have a cop meet the train and take them off the train and deal with it differently. It's a different approach than existed in the past.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Well, thank you for that because I just wanna make sure that people who are listening to us understand that Fairy Vision is not a New York is not just unique to New York City as my colleagues will have others think.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yes.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Final thing. The Long Island Railroad on the East New York Station, what is what what is the plan? Do you know when we'll start doing the upgrades, etcetera?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It's scheduled in the current capital plan. I can't tell you exactly when it's gonna begin, but we all know that that needs to be upgraded. Listen. It's in an area that is growing and and has great economic development, future and and and current work going on. So it's part of our capital plan. It's gonna get done. I'll check on the schedule.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay. Thank you. And so my offer is still open for you to come to my district to see the areas that we needed to talk about. Thank you.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Yep.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, senator. Assemblywoman Mitaynes.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Good

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: morning. I wanna talk about the bus fleets. So, chairman, the MTA has stated it will prioritize deploying electric buses to low income and minority communities most affected by diesel pollution. Which specific bus routes and depots are being prioritized for electrification? And what is the timeline?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Okay. So the good news is our electric buses are, I think, mostly at the Grand Avenue Depot, which is sort of Brooklyn, Queens border, and it is serving a lot of low income communities. But here's a cautionary note, which is that the electric buses, about 60 altogether, that we've received so far, have not have been underperforming in terms of their breakdown frequency, and we are slowing down the the acquisition of the electric buses until that is resolved. We need the manufacturers. This is not only a New York problem. This is a national problem. The electric buses are not moving quickly enough in terms of how well they're functioning, especially in an urban environment. We are buying some more low emissions alternative technologies while the electric bus industry starts to, you know, gets itself under control because they were not functioning well so far in the pilot phase.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: Thank you. Earlier in your testimony, you mentioned the Long Island Railroad and the possible strike. You said it had to do with pay raises, which you guys are willing to meet. However, it you're also asking asking an elimination of antiquated work rules. Right. Can you explain to us what the antiquated work rules are that is not allowing you to negotiate with the with the union?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: No. We we're ready to negotiate. We have no preconditions for negotiation. They won't sit down with us until we agree to break pattern, which is that's the issue right now. We would negotiate today. Not a precondition.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: The issue down and talking?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. The the issue that you're you're talking about on the work rules, couple of simple examples. A locomotive engineer, if he drives a electric train, a diesel train on the same day, he gets double pay. If he moves the train around in the yard to set up for the next day's rush hour, he gets triple, three days worth of pay for one day of work. That's antiquated. That is not if you know, it doesn't make any sense today, and that is one of the work rules that we want to negotiate about. We've talked about it a lot.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: Can you explain why they were implemented?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: The the railroads the the the the railroads, you know, started work rules in the nineteenth century, and there's a lot of old stuff still left over from the days when technology was, you know, really primitive and it was a big deal to, you know, operate different kinds of technology. It's no longer a big deal, and it's costing people a lot of money, and it hurts. We can't afford service if we pay for that kind of stuff.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Thank you. Senator Borrello. BURRELL:

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you all for being here. I know it's been a long morning so far. So obviously, I don't represent anywhere in the MTA region. I'm up in Western New York. But as we see, the New York State taxpayers subsidize the MTA's operating budget to nearly $1,000,000,000 a year, many billions more for infrastructure. And one thing that stuck with me when I was first on the finance committee was a statement by someone saying that they felt that and this is someone in the MTA organization that there's as many as 10,000 no show jobs in the MTA. 10,000 people that are getting a paycheck every week that you can't prove actually show up to work and exist. They combine that with the massive fare evasion. And this is a huge dollar amount. So my question is, what are we doing to root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in the MTA so that New York State taxpayers aren't subsidizing the MTA?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID Okay. So the premise that there are 10,000 notary jobs at the m you need to back that up because I there's no evidence of that.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Couldn't say it.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Somebody asked the New York Registration.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. But that's that's a a formulation that I'm just gonna resist. Somebody said something. If you're gonna if you're gonna ask me to

[Senator George M. Borrello]: respond What's to the number?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: How many no show jobs are There are no no show jobs at the MCA. And if there was one that I would immediately take action because we don't play that kind of old fashioned political giveaway jobs game. We have a capital plan that is generating $106,000,000,000 for the New York state economy. It's 15 you know, it's one every four jobs is Upstate. It's outside of the the m the MTA region. It includes a lot of Western New York jobs, and we're proud to support the, you know, the great parts of the New York state. Of course, what the MTA makes possible is New York City's economy, which does generate taxes which support the whole state, as you know. So we're very proud that we are contributing to the statewide economy with jobs, with tax revenues that come from downstate to support important

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Well, will we're still billions of dollars a year from New York State taxpayers to subsidize the operation. And you've got, you know, still large amounts of fare evasion. What's the number, what's the percentage of people that are utilizing the MTA that aren't paying for it? I heard it was 40%. Is that correct?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID No. That's not. The subways are under 10%. So the buses, you're right, are higher. It's not overall, including commuter railroads, it's nothing like a 40% number. But go ahead.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: So and I don't want to interrupt. I'm not here grandstand or to take you on. I just want you to understand that outside of New York City, we have very little public transportation. For someone who's disabled, elderly, to get from where they live in my district to a doctor's appointment is a difficult thing to do in public transportation. So those folks are subsidizing to the tune of billions of dollars a year the MTA.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID Respectfully, I think that a lot of the downstate generated tax revenues do come to Upstate. We can talk about the cash flows. But I'm confident the MTA is supporting the Upstate economy in many ways.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. You. Assemblyman Jacobson.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good to see you. Mr. Lieber for our annual conversation. I was glad to hear this morning that the MTA is saving at least $300,000,000 a year going after where there is fare beaters. I think that's great. Then you'll be able to afford to restore the Newberg Beacon ferry, which only costs 2,000,000 a year. And that 2,000,000 is one tenth of 1% of your $20,000,000,000 budget. It is a mere accounting error. I mean, you can't even find it if you're doing the budget. And I believe that the reasons for the cancellation do not add up. As far as the docs are concerned, there are usable docs now. Newberg is underway building a new doc. Beacon is looking to do a new one. I'm pledging to get the money to do the Beacon dock. As far as ridership, I know that was a sticking point, but it was coming back after COVID the same way that ridership on Metro North has come back. And and if it's consistent and people know about it, they'll use it. If it's just yes, no, yes, no, it's not gonna work. Finally, as I'm sure you are aware, there is a new housing complex coming to the Beacon Train Station, which is great, I support. But that's also going to put a strain on parking. Eventually, there's going be a parking garage. But still, that's going to put a strain on there. Finally, I think we can make the ferry service more environmentally friendly by having a electric hybrid ferry, which I've looked into. And it would cost the ferry itself would cost between 2,000,000 and 2 and a half million and the charging hookup would be about a half 1,000,000. So let's say 3,000,000, which is not a lot for capital expenditure for what you manage. That would be more efficient than the existing theory. So Orange County doesn't get that much from Metro North, but we appreciate if we can get our ferry back, it would be great. So how about it? It's only $2,000,000.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Alright. I got short time to respond, so here it goes. We have our the connection between Newburgh and Beacon has been dramatically improved. We have 65 trips that meet 54 trains now, and that is more than double what there used to be. We respect that the ferry is something people love, but people weren't riding. We were spending $30,000 a person to provide that ferry every year. And it didn't make sense. The MTA, even if it's a small expenditure relative to the size of the system, we don't waste money. So we are happy to support a discussion about the ferry restoration, but we're going to pay for the buses to make sure people can get from Newburgh to Beacon and get on the train.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Is that a yes? Thank you. For the

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: federal? J.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I think it is what it is. Think it's

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Be requested. J. Thank

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: you, Madam Chair. Good morning, Chairman Lieber. I'm going to start with a question that's relevant in time regarding eliminating Long Island Railroad crossings. I know that just late last night, we had an incident on the Ronkonkoma Line. Is there any plan in your capital plan to eliminate

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: crossings?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I mean, we the the third track project eliminated, I think, six or seven. How many, John? Six. Six. Six major busy crossings where people were stuck for during the rush hour for, you know, ten plus minutes in many cases. And we're we would be thrilled to continue to eliminate great crossings. What happened last night is is terrible. Nobody was killed, but somebody turned onto the tracks. Apparently, they got they got stuck. Their tires didn't work. There was ice or whatever. And they abandoned the car, and then the train hit it. Nobody was harmed, but it was it killed service. You're right about that. And we would like to do more gray crossing elimination. Some of it is federally funded historically, and we you know, the feds have kind of cut us off. But we're we're we're interested in continuing that process.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: Okay. Very good. My next question is regarding on time performance. I know that you surpassed your goal on Long Island Railroad by achieving a 94% on time performance. There are customers that still lament about the, time transfer where you don't you no longer wait at Jamaica for the connecting trains. Have you made any considerations, taken any steps to try and kind of put that back in place?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Okay. So numb you know, last year, Long Island Road was at 96% on time performance, 96 plus. So they're doing well. John, would you talk about the transfers at Jamaica? Because we've made that a priority. L. Thank you,

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: sure, Senator. What we did last year was we took some of this feedback, and we created a metric studying, reviewing the on time performance at Jamaica. So it's like mid journey, because a train coming in late at Jamaica and then making up time when it gets into Penn doesn't really help the customer who's switching at Jamaica. We've done that, and the results are really good. The railroad's doing better each month making those connections. It's a very high on time performance at Jamaica now. The customers are feeling it, and we see the feedback in the customer. And they're giving us really good numbers on that transfer. But we're watching Rob Free, the president of Long Island Railroad, is watching that very closely, the Jamaica experience. And as you know, the governor made a big announcement on improving that experience across the board at Jamaica with the air train, the subway, and between Long Island Railroad trains.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: Okay. Thank you very much.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you. Silverwoman Valdez?

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Good morning. Thank you for being here. I wanted to ask some questions that I know are very close to myself and colleagues on both sides of the Newtown Creek, including Emily Gallagher and Senator Gonzales. And that is about the G train. The G train carries about 166,000 passengers per weekday 2025. It's a 50,000 passenger increase since 2010. There are obviously new networks and systems in place, including the CBTC that are now operational. And given all of this, I'm wondering if we could think about restoring weekend g service to Forest Hills.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Okay. So I've I've I've heard the message because I've gotten it from a lot of people. There are two issues you need to be aware of. One is track capacity. When we're running on the weekends, which is what's been talked about, you've got three three services, e, f, and r, on the Queens Boulevard line. And we are inevitably doing some work, and it is a problem to try to put yet another line onto a more limited Queens Boulevard line. The reason the proof that that issue is real is that before when the g trains still did run to Forest Hills back before twenty ten, eighty percent of the weekends, it couldn't run because of track work or other work. So it's a real issue. The other issue is ridership, which honestly is, we've done a lot of surveys of the Queens Boulevard Line riders, and only 3% of them are headed to destinations in Queens on the weekends. Most of them are going to and from Manhattan. So respectfully, and I understand there's a lot of enthusiasm. We got the message. And we're never going to say never, never, never. But at the moment, the those are the the issues that are are pushing us against not taking this action.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: We would still love to see We understand. Especially those of us in Deep Queens who are trying to get to other parts of Queens. And I know that the IBX is moving forward pending federal funding, of course, always a threat. But we would love to see it explored and to really take it under serious consideration. It would be a huge help to many commuters who are trying to travel between the boroughs. I also wanted to ask some concerns were already raised about the Omnicard rollout, specifically the ability of riders to see their their existing fares on cards. What is being done to to help the situation?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So right now, they can see it online, and they can see it at this if they're using an OmniCard in the station. But we're mindful of the fact that the visibility needs to be improved, and it's something that we're working on for the next phase of honestly, it's gonna take a little while, but we're we're gonna get there with more visibility in the station. Sunifa, anything else? I just she only got ten seconds.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Suneefa Yeah. And then we're also asking customers to use our call centers as well as the 30 customer service centers we've put in place.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Suneefa I appreciate that. Just want to call attention to the fact that not all of our writers pay with TAP cards, that many pay with cash, and many do not have smartphones to see these numbers easily. So I appreciate your consideration there.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Yes. Thank you. I think I'm the last Senator before my two chairs want their three minute follow ups. And I think they'll wait until the assembly completes. Okay? All right. So hello. So I'm a little nervous, but I'm just gonna run right back. So that whole ridiculous fight earlier involved people who actually live in New York and work here? The 32 BJ members?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yes.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Oh, so it's just a corporation that happens to be headquartered in another state?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. As far as I know, yes.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: So we probably do business with thousands and thousands of national corporations. M. Correct. That right?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. M. Correct.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: So why is this day different than any other day?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Manish, no. It's not. It's not. We have New Yorkers who are

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: working just as want close that down as I understand it actually to Thank take you. So you talked before in answer to one of my colleague's questions about the details within your data tracking, which is, in my opinion, truly amazing. You were, when you described that everybody looks at your model as the one we should have, I agree. I actually think there might be too much data. You can just get swallowed up in it looking at things. So somebody did and now I have to ask you this question.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Okay.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: There was an article in December of the Daily News that hundreds of thousands of work orders for New York City buses flagged for inspection or repairs shows no recorded labor hours for MTA maintenance crews, and a screenshot of the MTA's maintenance tracking program taken from earlier in the month shared with the news showed roughly 438,000 jobs in the past twelve months marked as completed despite having no labor hours assigned to those buses. So this seems like a lot of potential issues where our bus fleets are not necessarily getting the maintenance that they've been, I guess, flagged for needing. And can you explain to me what this is all about?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Honestly, it's something that we have to spend more time on. Maintenance depots need to be a little more, I wouldn't say bureaucratic, but keep better records so that we can all have confidence that the work has been done and that we have a sense of how quickly different kinds of maintenance activities are done so that we can adjust whether it's staffing or how we do work or how frequently we do work on certain kinds of buses And then we understand which fleets of buses, which models of buses have particular problems and how long they take to fix. So it is something that our president of New York City Transit, Demetrius Critchlow, is focused on. We dealt with it in Staten Island to a great extent and brought buses to Staten Island because there were too many buses out of service. And it's something that we are spending a lot of time on to make sure that the bus fleet is well maintained, that we understand which models break down in different ways, and that we can do more preventative maintenance more effectively. We do it on the subways. We need to do it better on the buses.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. So we all talk a lot about meeting environmental targets and climate goals, and the MTA has a very full set of assignments for itself. We just finished the education hearing where there's lots of discussion about EV buses. Will we or won't we? Do they exist? Do they exist that can last under different conditions? We have upstate school systems concerned that it's too cold upstate for electric buses. We have cities who are concerned that it's too bumpy for electric buses. Based on your pretty full, I guess, piloting of various kinds of electric buses now and hybrid buses, etcetera, Do you think we can make our targets to those? Are they getting better? Are they holding up?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Well, they're not performing well in the initial pilot. And what we've said to the company New Flyer is a New York company that we work with a lot is we need you guys to focus on the things that are breaking down and address them. And they acknowledge that the problems are real. No one's disputing that. So in the meantime, until those issues get addressed and the buses become more reliable, we are actually buying more of clean diesel, CNG buses, and other low emission strategies. One thing that I would add, though, is while we're trying to figure and this is a national problem. The electric bus volume, the demand for electric buses is huge, but the industry is still immature, but it's developing is in the meantime, hydrogen is also developing. And it's possible that over time there may be, you know, low emissions or no emissions options other than electric. We're also studying that very closely.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Okay. Although I don't know that hydrogen will meet the standards of climate concern, so we will have to see.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We are going to be open about this. We want, for us, the most important thing is good service to the customers because the most important environmental contribution MTA makes is getting people out of cars and onto transit. So we've to deliver service so people will ride transit, but we also have to evolve the technologies that are greener as well.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Correct.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: It was brought to my attention, I guess, the other day, and I had forgotten, that we have had National Reserve guards on subways now for multiple years in New York. I knew about it and then I think I forgot about it and somebody brought it to my attention. So what are they doing? What are what are the troops doing on our subways? Because they're not officially allowed to do police work.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Right.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: We have many other police, state police, federal, who the hell knows, wandering around subways. Do we actually need them there? What are they doing for you?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Well, governor's decision to deploy National Guards selectively onto the subway system was made at a time when confidence in the safety of the system was at a low point some years ago. And our surveys indicate that they did contribute to the growth. Now, the safety satisfaction among customers is at an all time high right now. And both anecdotal and survey evidence is their presence did improve the public perception. They do have limitations on what they could do. They support the NYPD in doing bag checks and some other things. But mostly, it was a benefit to a sense of safety and supervision. And it has had that benefit.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Okay. So the concern that was brought to me was that if they're geographically located in disproportionately immigrant communities that it's confusing as to who are these people in these outfits because they are not NYPD. Yeah. And there's a lot of sensitivity, think, in all of our urban streets at this point about who else might be wandering around choosing to try to pick up people who live in the city of New York for political reasons. I'm curious whether

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: you've They're seen any of always paired with the NYPD. I think they're disproportionately in major terminals like Grand Central, Atlantic, in Brooklyn. I haven't seen them randomly around in immigrant neighborhoods at all. And they're always with the NYPD. So I don't think that misperception is a huge issue. But, you know, I know that the governor and the whole Empire Shield operation, the National Guard operation, is always thinking about they have a lot of different missions. Is this one they continue to prioritize with how many people? And I know that evaluation is continuous.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Okay. Thank you. So we have a brand new mayor in New York City and he's talked about changing the bus lanes in New York City and some of the road arrangements from the previous mayor. And are those things that we do in coordination between the MTA and city DOT? Or is it always a little bit of a surprise and then we deal with what happens next?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: MR. No, mean, listen, we're talking to the new administration, city hall, and to DOT regularly. John, happy to give some detail. But we've met with them and communicated with them about prioritization of which bus lanes are overdue, because there were some that were left undone in the Adams administration. The city law requires bus lanes and ACE cameras and so on. And we're in close coordination with them on what we prioritize and hopefully what they'll do. John?

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: J. Yeah. As you said, we're definitely digging in with city DOT. I think we're very aligned on a lot of work that's been talked about over the years that can be implemented now. There's a shared mission, very much so.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Okay. Good. I know because any time you change anything, you get somebody upset with you. So just trying to figure out what might be going on next.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Yeah, I mean, just so you're aware that every one of those bus lanes or other changes has a public review process than a public information.

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: Have to

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: cut myself off because

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I cut

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: out other people. Got it. J.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: L. You, Senator. We've been joined by well, a while ago by Assemblyman Simon.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Simon and Simone, perfect together.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: It's a little crowded here. Thank you for your testimony. First of all, mazel tov on the Park Avenue Viaduct and also that elevator at Burroughs Hall.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: I know that was a long time. I have a couple of questions for you about further questions with regard to disability access. So my question is whether you would support, we have a bill, 7,766, to reform the accessoride paratransit eligibility process so that they could accept medical documentation in lieu of requiring people to go to these assessment center visits. It's hard for them to get there. It takes time out of their day. It can be expensive. So question, would you support that? And also, would you support a statewide $1 surcharge to fund accessible electric vehicles through the proposed Green Accessible Transition Authority.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So respectfully, I mean, to have doctors who are not in the transit accessibility business do the evaluations is not where we're headed. I'm just being honest with you. We're there are when our you know, our exemptions and the accessoride reviews, which we do 50,000 of a year, are performed by people who have the expertise to evaluate in a in a system that where it has full bus accessibility and, you know, and growing transit accessible subway and and community rail accessibility are people qual you know, people unable to use the transit system. That's a different evaluation than a regular internist might make about generally whether someone has mobility impairments. So we are pretty attached to our, you know, having the assessments done by the professional staff who do it now. And I understand that's not the answer you wanted, but I'm being honest with you.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Well, you know, I will also say, you know, I know people who have taken a long time to be able to even get to one of these centers. I had a friend who had cerebral palsy, right, who was a lawyer. And they asked where was her person that looks out for her kind of thing. So there's been a lot of sort of demeaning kinds of interactions with people and that's really offensive. It doesn't seem to accomplish the goal, right? So that's one thing. But I think the other thing is also if there's guidance that can be given to physicians, right? Because there are people who need accessoride for other conditions, not necessarily mobility impairments, right? It's really hard for people with severe heart impairments, for example, to take the subway steps and we don't have enough accessibility. So until our system is more accessible, I think it makes sense to kind of streamline this process so it doesn't become a second barrier, an additional barrier to getting access to access a ride.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We're going to work to make it a better system and I'm happy to take your feedback.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Thank you. And also, okay, I was going ask about the gaps.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblyman Slater.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: Thank you very much, Chairman. I wanted to ask regarding the Maybrook line. Originally, the Maybrook corridor from Hopewell Junction to Brewster was converted to the Maybrook Trailway. But there was some discussion about leaving one of the rails of the two tracks to be preserved for possible future commuter rail use connecting Putnam to Dutchess County. Can you provide an update if that is something that is still planned, or has your agency abandoned that plan altogether?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I don't want to mislead you. I don't know the issue. So let us answer you in writing or by phone and give you a proper answer because I don't know the status of the issue.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: I appreciate that. And in regards to your comments regarding the EV buses for New York City.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Yeah.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: It seemed to me that you were expressing that there were implementation concerns from So your is it safe to assume that you believe that New York State should either delay or altogether cancel the EV bus transition?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well out of my above my pay grid and out of my scope. But all I could tell you is we're committed to a zero emission system, but we are, you know, closely following development technology to figure out how best and fastest to get there.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: That's not true.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: But if you're telling us here today that New York City implementation of that policy is problematic?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. The issue is we have one set of bus 60 buses we received, and they've underperformed. I can't really honestly give you a statement about across the board of another technology in a school bus environment or otherwise. It's just it would be it would be just beyond scope for me to comment on that. But I'm giving you my honest opinion about what's going on in in the electric buses that we've received from a good company, New Flyer, that's doing their best to try to improve the technology.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: And in regards if I can pivot back, if I can, in my remaining time to Metro North. Both the Harlem and Hudson lines run through my district.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: Can you please detail for me what investments are currently being made or being proposed to be made, specifically in Putnam and Northern Westchester to enhance those lines for our commuters?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. It's hard for me to just tick it off offhand, but there is a significant project in Phillipsburg, I know. I'm just not able to sum it up particular particular projects. But what I would say to you is the huge investments that are being made in Mega projects that serve all Metro North commuters, and that's the Park Avenue Viada, the Grand Central train shed, These without those investments, the whole Metro North system won't exist. So we're we're fixing what our forebearers didn't get to for a hundred years since Cornelius Vanderbilt built that stuff. And we're making huge investments. This is the Metro North capital plan. I'll give you the specifics on Putnam and Duchess.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: Thank you very much.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Osama bin Bendett.

[Assemblymember Scott Bendett]: Thank you. Nice work getting the four questions in there. I liked that. Coming up in a few months, a couple of months. Back to the EV buses. I live up here. I live twenty minutes east of here, and our school districts have to do an EV bus transition. And as you stated, that in the largest city in the country, we're having problems with these electric buses. And my colleague was just asking you about what you thought about with the schools. You guys don't have the same mountainous terrain that we have. You don't have the same weather. And if you can't actually get it working in New York City, I find it very hard to believe that we're going to get it working in up state New York.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: D. Drivers in New York would disagree about whether it's mountainous terrain, given the size of some of the potholes. But go ahead.

[Assemblymember Scott Bendett]: Okay. You have some potholes, yes. D. L. Other question, just other question that I wanted to ask was regarding people like me who don't commute to New York City, but people who live up here who use the MTA, mass transit, for when they visit and when they're tourists. And when we were years ago, we would go down, and it seemed like and the perception was that it was a safer opportunity. And you had say, stated that the safety issues are being addressed and that crime is down on the subways. But we're still the same people that see on the news somebody getting lit up on fire on the subway or, in my instance, taking the Ford train parking in Woodlawn and going down, seeing people fighting on the train. How do you use your outreach to let people know from outside of the MTA zone, from outside of New York City, that the subway and that the public transportation is safe for us to go down there and travel around?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It's a fair point. We want everybody to see mean, we we deal with the press environment, which tends to emphasize, you know, the negative bleed and lead, as they as they say in the old tabloid world. But but we do try to really put out we've had one press conference after another, and we've done a lot of outreach to make sure people know how safe the system is. If you're talking to somebody, tell them this, that there are fewer crimes in 2025 per day than at any day since there was one year, 2009. That was the only comparable year that had a lower number of crimes on the subway system, and it really has become a much, much safer place in the last few years. The governor's made huge investments in this, both financial and technological. And, you know, she deserves a lot of credit. The NYPD has done a great job. It's a great partnership, and we're happy to

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: let you

[Assemblymember Scott Bendett]: And then also, just quick, just

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Yeah.

[Assemblymember Scott Bendett]: I you know, like, when we went get when we would go down there, would download the MTA app Yeah. And use that to get around. How does the OmniCard work with the MTA Act app?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. It's not it's not one or the other. The the Omni card is its own thing. Use any credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or an Omni card, and the MTA app is just getting better. Take a look at it, or we'll we'll talk you through it. It's it's actually in great shape.

[Assemblymember Scott Bendett]: Thank you.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: Good morning, everyone. I am representing Greenpoint and Williamsburg, as you know. And I'm also a transit nerd. So I've been reading some studies. A great study by Annie Weinstock and Walter Hook looked at how we can really speed up SBS buses in New York City. Their study showed that the first thing we should do is prioritize both routes and corridors rather than just routes. They also argue that one of the greatest causes of bus delays is boarding and implementing all door boarding combined with stop consolidation is needed to speed buses up. What systemic changes has the MTA considered to improve bus speeds? And what kind of collaboration do you do on the street master plan with DOT, which is due at the end of this year? And what would it take for these two agencies to be truly collaborative? I know that the Senate chair just asked a similar question about that, but I'm underlining it because I had a difficult time personally getting city DOT redesign of McGinnis and the Queens Bus redesign team to work together. And I also had a difficulty during the redesign of Grand Street in my district when a bus corridor, like the one that currently works so beautifully on 14th Street, was proposed but the MTA never supported it. So, what specific needs do you have to make your work smoothly integrate with DOT?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So number one, we need the things that have been that are city law that haven't been implemented, namely the the the bus, you know, the bus lanes, The ACE cameras, we now have 50 routes. We need to have that be 90 routes by the end of this year and keep going because ACE cameras none of us loves to hear from people who are complaining they got a ticket. But what happens is people after this after the first or second ticket, the actual violations plummet.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: Right.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: ACE camera enforcement works like it does with speed cameras, and it works for double parking and dump park park in the bus stop and everything. We need route consult you you talked about stop consolidation. Mhmm. We did that in the Queens Bus Network redesign. It's helping. Great. We we we the the routes we took the routes off of overly congested corridors. It's helping. Are using the tools that you referred to in that study in each of our bus network redesigns burrow by burrow.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: And what about the all door boarding portion?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: All door boarding is is an option, but we need to get to full, you know, tap and ride and so that we can do validation of of tickets for fair enforcement purposes. And then I think we're in a position where we could move in a reasonable time frame towards all door boarding. It doesn't work if you have people getting on the back, then you can't really know whether they pay it up front or not.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: So we could get tap and ride on the back as well? Yeah. And then okay. And if I could get a follow-up on how much that would cost, would be great things to suggest. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I'm certain he will follow-up with you. Osama Bin Cunningham? Marcela Mitaynes?

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: He was here.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Marcela Mitaynes.

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: First, I'd like to pay a compliment, the great help with MTA and Metro North on clearing the way for the dedication of the street through the City Of Wright Train Station for civil rights leaders Paul and Oriole Redd. It's meant a lot to a lot of people in Westchester and to the Redd family. And the whole thing was beautifully handled. So thank you

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: for assisting

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: with that honor. The question I have is just the status of MTA or Metro North monitoring where we don't have enough seats on a train and making adjustments with additional cars, your system for tracking that as we move along.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Do monitor?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID We do monitor ridership. Right now, we actually look at how many trains are technically, our standard for crowded is at 90% of capacity. And we look at it every day and every week. And we make adjustments, whether it's to car lengths or starting to look at schedules. We there's no question. Ridership has come back. People got accustomed during COVID to more personal space. A lot of people aren't sitting in the middle seat. That has been one of the reasons that some trains do feel a little more crowded. But we're looking at it closely. The good news is ridership is back. If we need to, we're going to grow service.

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: J. So your ability, though, to pivot and put a if you see a continued problem on a certain train, to add a car? That DAVID

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We add a car, we also add schedule. We change the schedules, you know, for regular, for the pick, every couple times a year. So if we have a chronically overcrowded train, we will take action to make sure there's more service in some way to spread it out.

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: Thank you very much. Thank you for your success on the congestion pricing implementation. That has gone well.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Thank you. I'll just answer by saying, one of the things we're proud of is that hopefully it proved to people that you can take a big government initiative and execute it successfully. And people saw the benefits. Drivers as well as bus riders

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Good morning, and thank you, chair. First of all, I just want to say thank you to, your team, Janelle, for the Malcolm X Plaza Station at 110th Street, marking the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Malcolm X. We're very happy about that. Excited about the renovation. So I'm asking I guess I'll be asking any anything you can give me on when we can get a renovation of the station, more than just the name, but a station that fits this and I'll just ask all my questions at once and you can go. Yeah. Of course, I am super super interested about the 2nd Avenue subway and what are the next phases for that to bring, some kind of transportation a transportation desert in my district and also even take it further onto the West Side, which can help with congestion and other things on West 125th Street. And also accessibility at 125th Street and Broadway, as well as all the subway stations in Harlem that really have difficulty. The disabled community has difficulty in not just the disabled, you know, sometimes my knees hurt.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. L. No kidding. We're all temporarily abled. You're right about Listen, in reverse order, accessibility, 125th And Broadway, the number one train. We have an agreement in principle with Columbia, we do. Go ahead quickly because time would go right

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: Yeah, no. We have an agreement. We're planning to move ahead with that. And then, of course, with the Q West, that's part of the governor's budget to put money into that so that we're in a position to move West at the conclusion of the second anniversary.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: But it's not funded. She's giving us the money to do the engineering to know how much time and money we could save if we kept that tunnel boring machine moving west. And then under the governor's leadership, we will be trying to figure out if there's money to do actual the construction of the project as well.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: When do you think that study will be completed?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It'll be done in the next year.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Okay. And when do we think we're gonna move ahead with the 120 fifth Street and Broadway?

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: That that's still being worked out with Columbia. That's it's very important. Columbia University. Columbia University. It's very important to

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: see I can be helpful, there really needs to be. That is the old elevated subway station, which is really, really difficult for And people to Malcolm X Plaza Station.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah, part of the capital plan, ADA, and some station improvements. You know, center, that was my home station for more than ten years. I know it well. I was enforcing fare evasion long before I had any status to do it at that station, and I and we're gonna fix that station, make it great.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Okay. And as soon as you can, not here, but if you all can send me what is the plan for just accessibility throughout Northern Manhattan, that's really important. We have a growing population of older New Yorkers. We have a disabilities community. And it's very important that they're able to navigate.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. You, Senator. Assemblyman Palosomno.

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: D. Yes. Mr. Chairman, good to see you. I was up in my office and I heard you talking about the electric bus issue. My comments brought that up. My colleagues brought that up. And I know I heard you answer the question, it's above my pay grade about delaying this electric school bus mandate. And I understand that. But it's nice that you have that option to say, we're not moving forward until it's done right. As you know, our school districts do not have that same luxury. This governor and many members of this legislature put this ginormous, unfunded mandate on our school districts, saying they had to convert their entire school bus fleet by 2035. Now, the thing about that is, here's the thing that no one's been able to answer a question, not the governor, not the media doesn't ask the question.

[James Dussing, President, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways]: I think

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: it's a common sense question. The state of New York does not have to convert their heavy duty fleet till 2040, a full five years after we're mandating our local school districts and local property tax payers to convert their fleets. Now from a common sense perspective, you are a man of common sense, you have a tough job. When the common sense issue well, shouldn't we basically say, state of New York, you do it first. You show it can be done effectively, fiscally, in the right way to make sure it works before we mandate our school districts to be the guinea pig for this social experiment. Just yes or no, common sense. Shouldn't we have the state of New York do it first? Yes or no?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I don't give common sense. I mean, my common sense is that I don't wade into issues where I'm

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: I understand.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So I'm going to pass on the yes or no answer to

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: your I understand.

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: I kind of expected it, but

[Senator George M. Borrello]: I just wanted to

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: make That's my Okay, mister. But on a different note, I really wanted to pivot with my time. This was mainly why I wanted to come and I would have brought the other issue when I heard you say it. I'm a big believer in funding the MTA. I appreciate your leadership on that. The MTA capital program, even though I talk a lot about CHIPS, I'm a supporter of the MTA capital program. It's important to districts like mine in Hornell, New York, which is really the center for excellence for rail manufacturing in New York State with Alstom. And I know you've been there. I appreciate you being there. Very excited about the M9A project, what that means for improving our infrastructure, what it means for jobs in the Southern tier. I just would like 300 jobs across the state. Rain Hornell. Just want to kind of emphasize to you that continue to see the MTA invest in New York State jobs, projects in Hornell, Alstom, rail cars, or components, as you deliver your future capital plans in the coming years. I think that would be very important. And again, I just want to thank you for your leadership. And you'll certainly have our support on MTA programs, especially when we're doing that work here in the Southern Tierra Lake.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah, there's only ten seconds left, but I just refer you back to we had a colloquy about the economic impacts for upstate of our MTA capital program. We're determined to continue that.

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: DAVID M.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Either one person crews or zero person crews? Is that in the long range plans of the MTA?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We have no plans. Right now, that issue is collectively bargained. And we have been using two person crews on the overwhelming overwhelming overwhelming majority of our our trains. There are a couple of lines that run with shorter trains. It's no secret. The Times Square shuttle and the G train are the two most prominent, the Franklin Avenue shuttle also. And those have been very safely and effectively run with one person. That's based on the collective bargaining agreement. And we'll always continue to study how to be more modern, how to be more efficient. But right now, there's no plan to change that model.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: D. Okay. Now, I've had a few complaints from businesses in the, I guess, the Lower Harlem area about 2nd Avenue Subway and the disruption of their businesses. And from what I've been told that the MTA is not showing them any respect, so to speak. And they're losing money on their businesses and they would appreciate more interaction between the MTA and those businesses. Are you aware of this situation?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I'm not aware of the specific situation. We sometimes there's no question that, like, people who are businesses that are impacted by construction want that construction to go away or to end or to go quickly, we're aligned with them. We don't want to impact them. I would just say this, we will try to do our best. But the first phase of 2nd Avenue dramatically improved the conditions for businesses and retail on 2nd Avenue because there's so many more people coming as a result of that subway. And in the long run, it's gonna be a net net net plus plus plus. But in the meantime, we have to have robust outreach and good interactions. And if you give us specifics, we'll work on it.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Okay. And just thirdly, you know, I'm kind of a numbers guy and I've always had this bad habit, I guess it is, of when I hear two numbers, I put them together and see how they're related to each other. And it's just what I do. And in the area of fair beating, I've heard several numbers. I've heard $750,000,000 I've heard $300,000,000 I've heard $500,000,000 Is the cost around $500,000,000 Is that the number that we're using now?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: It's probably it's probably higher than that. I I was what I was doing off the top of my head because I was asked to is the impact of our our the work the progress we've made on subway variation and reducing it. But we'll you know, the the bottom line is we are fighting fare evasion every day because it is in the multiple hundreds of millions of dollars. And bus fare evasion has emerged as the bigger challenge.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: And this is where my number playing kind of kind of gets in the way. I was using $500,000,000 as the back of the envelope number. And that means that $172,000,000 is being lost per year, which works out to $472,000 a day, which works out to 5.9% of the population of New York City is sneaking on the subways every day, three hundred and sixty five days a year. And that doesn't make sense to me. Those numbers just don't

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: You're respectfully, I I I I can't respond to your methodology. But here's the bottom line, which is it costs the public money. It demoralizes other riders who say, why should I be the sucker who pays when they see a lot of people walking in? We are using everything we have. We also need help from, you know, the the law enforcement agencies. And honestly, it's not helpful that the criminal justice system takes the view that no matter how many times you fair of it, technically it's supposed to be a misdemeanor after three

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: or Actually, four it's felony. It's theft of service.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Right. It is. But right now, no matter how many times you fairvade, we're not interested in punishing the kid who does it once or twice. But we're really interested in getting rid of people who are chronic fare evaders and taking advantage of the rest of New Yorkers. And the criminal justice system does not help us in any way on that front. That's part of our challenge, is people treat it as like something that doesn't matter sometimes. And that's not fair to everybody. And I'm an outlier on this. Not everyone feels the same way I do, but I'm telling you honestly. I think it's not fair and it's demoralizing to New Yorkers.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Okay, well, just to back up my methodology that you're not agreeing with, I just took 500,000,000 and divided it by 3 to $2.90, and it comes to a $172,413,793. I divided that by 365, which came to $472,366 per day. And then I just divided $8,000,000 into that, and it came to 5.9% of the population of New York City. That's how I figured it out. I'm pretty sure I'm right. But anyway, I

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: All right. Take your word for it. You're the chairman.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: That's really all I have. Assemblywoman Giglio is back, so she has three minutes.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: LUIS Yes. Good afternoon. Thank you for being here. So my question has to do with the new penalty for the activating of tickets. Because if the train is late or if it's canceled or the tickets are canceled. So how are we justifying that? I mean, shouldn't there be a grace period or something if a train is canceled or if the train just doesn't make it to the station?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, here's the bottom line, was that we had a chronic problem that was really frustrating to our overwhelmingly fair paying Long Island Railroad riders, that there were a lot of people who were gaming the system. They wouldn't activate their tickets, or they wouldn't even buy a ticket until they saw the conductor. The result is the conductor was being wildly delayed, couldn't get through the trade, and and the fare evasion kind of snowballs. So we created this system where you get multiple warnings, not one, but multiple warnings if you're misbehaving and not activating your ticket, that eventually you get to a surcharge, not immediately, and we're trying to train people. It's working. In the first couple of weeks, we have actually saved you know, we've we've we've cut dramatically down on this behavior. And by the way, with the with the the freebies, with the $1 ride for kids, the reduced fare for the seniors who ride in the morning, and the other benefits. We've already saved Long Islanders $3,000,000 in a few short weeks. So the new fare policy is working.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Thank you. So if a train is canceled or doesn't make it to the station and the, you know, the ticket is canceled, is there an appeal process where they can say, listen, the train never made it to the station or it was canceled? I mean, is there an appeal process where people can get their money back?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. I mean, we yes. We if literally Shanifa, do wanna comment on this? Yeah.

[Shanifah RieRa, Chief Customer Officer, MTA]: Yeah. We customers are always free to reach out to us, and and we do have a a fill appeal process as well as issuing refunds.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Okay.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. I just wanna be clear. We're not canceling trains. I the premise that the trains are being canceled or It was late. It's not showing up every

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: is late, you know, and you you don't activate or it's canceled,

[Alexandra Makowski, Executive Director, Access to Independence of Cortland County]: which They're still riding.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: They are canceled on on

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: You can you can ride if a train's late. But the point is we are always open to appeals if there is a legitimate issue like you suggest.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Okay. And that process is on your website? Yes.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID Yes.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: DAVID Okay. And I want to thank you for the South Fork commuter train. That seems to be working very well. But if we could still work on ways for people to get back west, because sometimes people find themselves stuck on the South Fork, and there's no stop at Rankonkama from the Westhampton line or the Spionc line. So if there could be, that would be better for the people that are trying to make their way in the system.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: So happy to continue the discussion. The issue that we've come across is literally a capacity issue in the system. That's why there are fewer trains westbound, as you suggest. But happy to get into more discussion about it.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Thank you very much.

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: Good

[Assemblymember Tony Simone]: morning, Jano.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Hi.

[Assemblymember Tony Simone]: My question regards Penn Station. We all want to see a new grand station that is not only modern and beautiful but serves our commuters, also brings our regional transit system into the twenty first century. Clearly, Amtrak is not in the century since they can't run trains in the snow, ice, and sleet after a week of a snowstorm. Amtrak is now fully in control of the station redesign, running a selection process where the public is not even involved at all in a secret RFP. It appears we will know very little of any, excuse me, of the proposals until the White House picks a plan themselves. With a startling lack of transparency and, I'm sure, blatant corruption, more an end result that just may be who the highest bidder is or Trump's favorite donor, how does this impact the MTA's long term plans for subway and commuter rail access? And also, the follow-up to that is, how will we ensure New York that our tax dollars will not flow to a project where we not only have no decision making power, but apparently a shockingly shockingly low level of input and decision of the design and the immensely impactful project on our local regional economy. And if there's a Trump goal to that station, I'll personally rip it down.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. So listen, you're making points that have sympathy at the MTA. We don't understand why this alleged design selection process is private. We don't understand why a private developers are being selected without any financial commitment. That's not public private partnership. Normally, private developers have to put money on the table, have to put skin in the game to even be considered. And there are a couple of, as you say, Trump Trump donors who are among the two or three teams that were selected. Andy Byford, who we all know and worked with before, has said that the ultimate decision is going to be in the White House. So all of the things you're saying are real. What the MTA is saying is, hey. Here's the bottom line. If you guys would don't wanna include us in this even though we did all the work so far and you took our design and you're sharing it with all these private developers, so be it. But we have a lease. The Long Island Railroad has a lease that's prepaid that says you can't touch a ceiling tile in our part of the station without our approval. So we're gonna exercise that and make sure that Long Islanders who like the station improvements are protected.

[Assemblymember Tony Simone]: I'm a fan of Andy Byford. I love Train Daddy. But would you say now this process is completely corrupted by the Trump administration?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I don't answer rhetorical questions.

[Assemblymember Tony Simone]: Okay. We'll know the answer.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: But listen, we're gonna keep we're gonna keep working on it. I gotta say, the governor was very clear, which is the Trump administration kicked us out. She said, okay. You're gonna pay for it. It's on you guys. And not don't ask New Yorkers to pay for it.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank We've been joined by Assemblywoman Williams and Assemblywoman Williams. Your next questioner.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Thank you very much, and good morning. Oh, it's actually after lunch. So just quickly, for the illegal doll vans that operate on Flatbush Avenue

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I'm going to follow-up on

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: that. Have you guys considered any way in working with DOT, TLC, NYPD to address these issues? And how much would you say what that type of operation takes away from the MTA?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I'm so glad you raised this. This is an issue that that folks have stopped paying enough attention to. They're not only skimming from the MTA because they just stop at our bus stops and offer people a cheaper ride, but they're endangering people by having, you know, no insurance, not you know, their vehicles are not safety inspected. It's not clear what experience the drivers have. They're not accessible in most cases. It's a real problem, especially in the part of Flatbush south of of the park of of Prospect Park and and as far south as your neighborhood. So we think that this is worth pushback by the city government, and we're ready to team up with them in the new administration to accomplish that.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Right. And also with the recent snowstorm that we had, how do you see better ways to keep our bus stop areas, you know, free where, of snow and where people that are wheelchair bound can have, you know, more access? I know it it was a little bit challenging, but for wheelchair bound residents, it was very concerning as well.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. I mean, listen. This is not a secret. This is the the city's responsible for the for the shoveling of those bus stops and and and together with some kinds of private owners. We have been actually with using our buses in some cases to move Department of Sanitation city workers around so they can shovel out the bus stops. I hope that one thing we learned from this mega snowstorm is let's let's have a plan to make sure the bus stops are operating in the first phase of the storm. It's taken a while for us to get to. But, you know, one thing, we're hearing a lot about the imperfections. We ran service. All our buses ran. All of our subways ran. The Long Island Railroad ran. Metro North ran. It was tough. We ran it through the the snow. But you know what didn't run? The nice bus system in Nassau County. And no one has explained to me why the nice bus system, where a lot of our subway riders are depending on for that last leg to get to their homes in Long Island, shut down without any explanation to the public whatsoever. The MTA was operating. Nice bus in Nassau County, nowhere to be found. Somebody ought to be asking the county about that.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Ronsteen with follow-up.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you, chairman. You're almost there. We're getting towards the end. I just

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: No bathroom breaks, But go ahead. You're an old man.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Just a couple questions. You know, we talked about this briefly privately, but we just want clarification. So the executive proposes Article seven language that would authorize the MTA to pursue environmental review under SECRA in two stages for the 2nd Avenue Subway West. Can you explain why this is necessary? Do we run the risk of approving the tunnel boring portion and then failing environmental review for the second stage?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Yeah. I mean, listen, we believe that the law allows us to do this kind of segmented environmental review right now. What we want to do is to we're asking the legislature to make it absolutely crystal clear for the avoidance of nuisance litigation that could potentially delay the project. Even though we think we win in court on this issue of environmental review segmentation, that's why we're asking for you all to provide additional clarity. That's it. But we understand that it's it's not without complexity, but that is the sole purpose of our request.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: What would be the implications if you just went through one environmental review?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: John, you thought about this a little more than I have.

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: J. Well, then we run the risk on schedule. So we want to be in a position at the conclusion of the work to 125th Street and Lex on the 2nd Avenue Subway to move forward and not have multiple years waiting for some conclusion on the environmental review.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: DAVID someone filed the lawsuit before we could start the work, then you're waiting for the lawsuit to be resolved, yes.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: DAVID So do you have an estimate of how much money you would save, How much time?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. Well, cost savings in the multiple hundreds of millions of dollars and that's what the governor's given us $25,000,000 to actually study in the next year. How much will we save? How much schedule would we save? What is the engineering J.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Just doing two separate environmental reviews?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: J. No, by moving

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: J. I'm asking if we grant you the authority to do separate environmental review, how much money would that save the MTA?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, it's it's what it saves is time. So you you if you can move forward with the tunnel boring machine in the ground as it's sitting there rather having to maintain it and keep it running and so on and so on. And what the the schedule savings in terms of the impact on the Harlem community of the project being extended, it's the schedule it's the sched just generally the cost inflation cost of delaying a project. So we'll try to add it all up for you.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: G. Of a two years

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: environmental review, that's a lot of money on schedule. G.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. That's an impact to the schedule of the construction project in the end.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. We'll follow-up on that.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: G. Get into the numbers for you.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: G. L. Okay. That's my time. Thanks.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. A three minute follow-up for our transportation chair, Jeremy Cooney.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you, chair. Appreciate it. And thank you for hanging in with us, chairman. I just wanted to zoom in on the Hudson Line question. We know that Governor Hochul has prioritized making sure that we have passenger connections between the city and Albany. I am concerned about Amtrak's reclaiming that service on a cost line basis. Could you comment on the cost differences between Metro North providing that service versus Amtrak?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah. So here's the issue. Amtrak's I think they're for lack of a better term, the rack rate is, like, $40. That's about what we would charge. We set a price that's permanent. It's

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: You cap you cap

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: your price? We set a permanent price. Amtrak uses airline type dynamic pricing. So what happened was this summer, people couldn't get seats to go to Rhine Cliff, to Hudson, to Albany, and the pricing, wherever the seats was available, was $100 or more. People were very excited that we were going to bring a train, even if it's one daily train our one train is the equivalent of two Amtrak trains, much bigger capacity. People were excited about it because of cost the point you're making, which is we were going to run a train that was much cheaper, especially when Amtrak's rate starts to spiral upward as they use that dynamic computer based pricing. The governor achieved her goal, which was to force Amtrak or I wouldn't say force, but to encourage Amtrak to restore service. They originally said they didn't have enough trains to actually restore those two trains. Somehow they found the trains once

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: we It's miracle. Started

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: it was a miracle, once we started negotiating about the specifics of how we would run the service. She gets credit for that. But we also heard from a lot of people, don't stop studying that idea of Metro North to Albany.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: That's something we should certainly look into deeper. And then quickly, I know we've talked a lot about Harlem today. And my question is, in the work, the 25,000,000 that's been proposed to study and look at going west on 125th Street, Are there any local contracts that are being awarded to do that study work that can be done to

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Well, you know, all of our work, whether it's actual construction or the soft cost, the design and the engineering, we do we do prioritize minority women owned and service disabled veterans, and we continue to hit the goal of, like, a billion dollars a year and exceed the the the the goals we have for those categories. We will continue to include minority women owned businesses in the engineering and the design process and all of the analytics. So there will be local

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: kind And I appreciate that, chairman. I just would encourage you to see if there are any MWBE companies specifically in Harlem Yeah. In Harlem who could take advantage We of that

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: do.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you very much.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: And I believe the assembly is done. Mr. Chairman, want to thank you for your participation in this, and we will see you on the flip side, as expression goes. Thank you very much.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Thank you, committee.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Appreciate your time.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Our next person to testify is going to be Ms. Dominguez, the New York State Department of Transportation.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Members who want to follow-up with the MTA, please take it to the side of the room or outside the room so we can continue with the hearing,

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I have a question collector, so don't tell me. Alright. I think we're about to to start now, commissioner. How are you? Pleasure seeing you again, and we look forward to your testimony.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Chairpersons Krueger, Pretlow, Cunningham, and Magnarelli, and members of the New York state legislature, On behalf of governor Kathy Hochul, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about the Department of Transportation and the outstanding work we are doing every day to keep New Yorkers safe, safe, on the move, and enhancing their quality of life. It was another landmark year for DOT as we continue to deliver on the promise of our historic $34,400,000,000 five year state capital plan, which, thanks to your continued support, is bringing improvements to every part of the state. No governor in the nation is doing more to invest in critical, transformative transportation infrastructure than governor Kathy Hochul. She is literally laying the foundation for a brighter future by investing in people focused projects that connect communities and create new opportunities for growth. Evidence of this can be seen in places like Syracuse, where nearly $1,000,000,000 worth of construction has already been completed on the transformative I 81 viaduct project. And in New York City, the recently completed $1,700,000,000 Hunts Point project has streamlined access to the Hunts Point market, the largest food distribution center on the East Coast, removing thousands of heavy commercial vehicles from local streets. Importantly, we connected the community in the South Bronx, creating new parks and recreational opportunities for residents all to enjoy and access. And in the Hudson Valley, we just completed a very important resiliency project, $25,000,000 to improve flooding reduce flooding, and improve resiliency at Annesville Circle in Westchester County. In total, DOT has improved nearly 4,000 lane miles along state and local highways and replaced, rehabilitated, or improved more than 3,600 bridges across the state just in the last year. This year, governor the governor's, budget proposes, even more investment, 6,000,000,000 for the fifth and final year of the capital plan, including 1,400,000,000.0 to improve local roads and bridges, and we're not slowing down. DOT is putting forward its most ambitious paving agenda ever in '26. In addition to our core programs, the department will invest an additional 600,000,000 in over a 180 paving projects across the state. This equals a nearly $1,200,000,000 investment that will resurface more than 4,000 lane miles just this year. At the same time, we're keenly focused on enhancing safety. Our safe systems approach towards zero deaths is already seeing progress as highway fatalities in New York have fallen by more than ten percent in 2025 compared to the previous year. Looking to the future, we continue to work with our government and community partners to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway, the West Side Highway, and the Kensington Expressway in Buffalo. Here in the capital region, work is accelerating in the new Livingston Avenue rail bridge between Albany and Rensselaer, and we're progressing the environmental review process to reimagine the Interstate 787 corridor. Together, these two projects will help fulfill governor Hochul's vision of a revitalized downtown Albany. We're also working to complete our 2050 transportation master plan, which will help shape the development of New York's transportation infrastructure in the coming decades. But DOT is more than just roads and bridges. In addition to providing $8,600,000,000 in total operating aid to the MTA, the 2027 executive budget proposal includes $1,000,000,000 in operating aid for non MTA public transit systems. Governor Hochul also recently announced expanded Newburgh Beacon Bridge shuttle service. This bus service is gonna provide is providing more connections for Orange County commuters, and we're studying ways to further improve transit options in the Hudson Valley for commuters West Of The Hudson River. Niagara also continues to support passenger rail service in New York, and we're pleased that Amtrak heeded the governor and DOT's calls and agreed to restore all of the state supported service that was disrupted due to the East River Tunnel project. Airports were also a priority in 2025 as we continued to advance the governor's $230,000,000 upstate airport revitalization initiative. In the past year, we completed airport modernization projects in Rochester, Ogdensburg, Syracuse, Binghamton, Sullivan, and Saratoga Counties. Of course, all of this work took place as DOT continued its day to day battle with mother nature. When the weather is at its worst, the incredible professional team at DOT works twenty four seven to protect New Yorkers. This was on full display two weekends ago when winter storm Fern dumped more than a foot of snow or more in most every part of the state. DOT's 8,400 plus dedicated employees are our most valuable asset. As part of our planning forward initiative, our strategic plan, we're investing in our people and our organization to accomplish our mission. Keeping our workers safe is my prime directive. So I urge the legislature to continue additional measures to keep them safe. Our highway crews and contractors do difficult work in hazardous conditions that are often made worse by the actions of inattentive, reckless, and even abusive drivers. Last June, three members of our bridge maintenance crew were injured after an impaired driver crashed into their work zone in Steuben County. Honestly, based on the video, it's a miracle that they survived. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Robert Bourne, a beloved member of our capital region team who was fatally struck by a car while conducting a flagging operation here last May. To help prevent this from ever happening again, I urge the legislature to consider the following steps proposed by governor Hochul. First, expand the automated work zone speed pilot program, which authorizes speed enforcement cameras at a limited number of work zones operated by DOT and the Thruway Authority. I can tell you the program is working. It's reducing the instances of motors motorists who are speeding and those that are driving recklessly through our work zones. But camera deployments are still limited by law to work zones on controlled access highways. We urge the legislature to allow deployments in work zones on additional types of roadways. It will help us safeguard even more of our team members as well as our contractors. In addition, we urge the highway maintenance workers that highway maintenance workers be given the same protections from assault and harassment that other public servants have received, including transit operators who have been extended this, protection, all in the form of enhanced criminal penalties. Our team members are essential to absolutely everything that we do at DOT. By protecting them, you are protecting all New Yorkers, allowing us to achieve our mission. And that mission is yielding historic progress for New York State, which thanks to the continued support of governor Hochul and to you, the legislature, we continue and will continue in this coming year. On bego on behalf of governor Hochul, I look forward to working with you in each of your respective communities as DOT continues to carry out our critical mission, and together, we move New York forward.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you, Madam Commissioner. Our first questioner will be Salimy Magnarelli. First

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: of all, Commissioner, welcome to the hearing today, and thank you very much for being here. I want to say publicly, it's been a pleasure working with you. I don't always get the answers I want to hear. It's probably something that's always going to happen. But at the same time, you've always been very attentive in getting back to me and your staff. And I really do appreciate that. And I want to say that publicly. If I can get this to work, we'll go right into it. All right. First question I have has to do with some of the monies that we're kind of relying on from the federal government. Almost half of the funding of the capital program, as well as about $40,000,000 in state operations budget, is federal. Has the DOT been impacted by any federal funding cuts so far?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So far, you're correct, sir. About 40% of the dollars that we expend on behalf of transportation in New York State are from the federal government. We match that with the historic state funding that we've received, and that's how we execute our $34,000,000,000 program. Right now, the the Trump administration has rescinded some discretionary grant funding that we did receive. One of them was a portion of a reconnecting communities grant, that was a joint grant application between New York State and the city of Syracuse. We did receive the portion for New York State of that grant. However, the portion that was designated for the city of Syracuse, was rescinded. It was about $30,000,000, $29,700,000. That was a total award amount of $180,000,000. So the money that we did receive, New York State, we've executed and spent. But unfortunately, the city of Syracuse, that portion was rescinded. We've also seen some dollars from, you know, the IRA, grant for carbon. We we also received a grant, for, reducing carbon in our construction materials. We were actually the largest winner of that grant in the nation. I'm pretty proud of it. And unfortunately, that grant was also rescinded. J.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Brought up Syracuse and the contracts in Syracuse. I take it those are the ones with 81 project, the 81 Correct. Okay. I have to ask the question. Because many of the unions, the local trade unions, are very upset that that contract that is being let now, contract six, does not have a PLA in it. And all the other contracts so far have. Can you explain to us why that is happening?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: JULIE First and foremost, it's the philosophy, the belief, the core, I'll say, fiber of this administration under Governor Hochul, as well as the Department of Transportation, that we need to look at every opportunity to execute a project labor agreement on the projects, where they fit, where they qualify, and where we can achieve savings according to the parameters that were provided. We've every single project that we've let so far, we've executed five contracts worth billions of dollars already in Syracuse for the I-eighty 1 project. The last contract that we just issued, contract six, unfortunately did not include a PLA. And the reason being that under this administration with the change in the federal administration in Washington, our PLA projects at the Federal Highway Administration, not other modes of transportation but Federal Highway Administration, must if you're using federal dollars, they have to be approved by the Federal Highway Administration. If you have a PLA and you're using federal dollars, it has to go to DC to be approved. They have not been approving any PLAs across the nation, not for New York, not for any states. And as a result, contracts have been significantly delayed. We're losing money. We're losing time. And it's to the benefit of no one. And so what we've been doing is, unfortunately for the project in Syracuse, we went forward without a PLA. We're having con conversations extensively with both the trades, and our contractors. They can go into a private PLA agreement if they'd like to. But unfortunately, we are the administration's philosophy of not signing PLAs is what is the barrier in this instance.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. The federal

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. Correct, the Trump administration.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. The Trump administration.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Okay.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on that. Okay. State fiscal year twenty five-twenty six enacted budget included an additional $800,000,000 in the DOT capital plan to restore purchasing power. Was this funding sufficient to restore purchasing power for the final two years of the capital plan, or has inflation slowed down the implementation of the capital plan?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We are executing our program as directed by the governor, by the legislature, and the agreements that you all have made. The $800,000,000 that was provided last year was very welcome. We very much appreciate it.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Yes. It was very welcome.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We very much appreciate it. We have put it towards good use. And to help complete our the last two years, we're now coming up on our last year of the capital plan. And I can tell you that it, you know, it has indeed benefited, you know, all projects. But in particular, it's also allowed us to do about 600,000,000 worth of paving projects across the state. That's about 180 projects, that we're able to do in, in one year. We're gonna execute all of those projects.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: And you're saying in your remarks that you're going to continue that into next year?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: The 180,000,000 the 180 projects with the 600,000,000 is going to be executed this year, 2026, yes.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: The executive proposal increases funding for consulting engineers by $50,000,000 as opposed to in house engineers. Why is this? DOT has a longstanding issue with the recruitment and retention of engineers. What has been done to address this?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So two things. One, we have really embarked on an incredible effort to recruit engineers across the board. We've had incredible results the last two years. Our staffing levels are much improved. We've been able to hire engineers across the board. A large part of that is because the governor and working with civil service, we were able to and the Department of Budget, we were able to provide a geo pay increase so that our salaries are competitive. And so engineers are coming on board. And I have to say staffing levels are much improved. You know, we're at the

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: best we place up we've been in to? Five you filled all the spots?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We're very close to, actually. Okay. It's the best place we've been in the last decade. And so it's a great place to be. To the question that you asked about the $50,000,000 for consulting engineers Yes. That is not limited to outside consulting engineers. What we're doing there is looking at how do we prepare, quite frankly, for the next five year capital plan. It's to look at how do we address engineering, both in house. In house engineers will be used along with consultants to look at our bridge programs moving forward.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. Okay. Thank you. Mass transit outside of the MTA, Centro in particular up in my neck of the woods, Okay? Well, you bring up Syracuse all the time, so I'm going to, too. The transit systems are in need of additional operating monies and capital. And even though there is a slight increase in operating funds this year, I don't hear from them telling me that that's enough. It's always short. Centro, for example, is taking over the Cortland Transit Company. And it needs capital. And it needs operating expense. Is there any talk within the administration of getting a designated fund money that these transit authorities can rely on going forward instead of coming with a cup in hand year after year, not knowing exactly what they're going to get from time to time?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, the executive budget does put forward increases for non MTA related transit authorities. So for Downstate, it was an increase of 7.4%. Upstate, it was an increase of 5.8%. The Downstate increase is a direct result of the revenues from the regionally dedicated funds collected sources of funds.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Commissioner.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Thank you, Commissioner.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Next up is Chair Jeremy Cooney.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you, Chair, and good to see you, Commissioner. Good morning. Morning. Good afternoon. Want to thank you, as well as Chair Magnarelli, the great relationship that we have working with you and your team. I And want to specifically call out your commitment to worker safety. You said in your remarks that it was bordering on abusive behavior that you're seeing from some of our drivers across the state. I couldn't agree more. We've got to do something and to protect the men and women who put their lives on the line, literally, to be there for us to do the work that we're asking them to do. So as I'm going to ask you questions about capital funding, I'm going to be thinking about the workers who are going to do that work on behalf of the people of the state of New York. Let's talk about core project funding. You talked a little bit with Chair Magnarelli about this. But it would make sense to me that if it was been so successful to put this $800,000,000 in core funding in last year's budget, you were able to let up on 180 contracts and do all this great paving terrific. Why not continue that again this year? We are asking for, on the Senate side, an interest in increasing the core projects so we can get more of this good work, more of these dollars out the door. Do want comment on that?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Simply that it's a conversation that I first of all, I very much appreciate your remarks. And I very much appreciate your advocacy on worker assault and worker safety across the board. The legislation that you put forward has been extremely helpful. With regard to the capital plan itself and funding, again, that I believe is conversation best engaged with the executive and the legislature directly on the funding sources and the amounts.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: I appreciate it. But it would be helpful if we could find a dollar amount. We're going to be seeking $950,000,000 more. But if there is a dollar amount that gets agreed upon, you would be confident that you can get those contracts out the door and continue to do this type of work, the paving contracts, etcetera, on state roads.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. If legislature and the executive come to a decision, the department will execute.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you. I think the CHIP's program is a great example of that. And I want to thank the governor for her increase in CHIP's funding. She made that commitment last year. I do believe that we need to do more for CHIP's funding. We're going to be seeking about $250,000,000 This is something that every highway superintendent will talk to us about, because they get those contracts out the door. They get those local roads fixed. But one of the things that I wanted to highlight for you is the arterial roads. And I know this is an issue that gets brought up quite a bit, Commissioner, but I want to ask about arterial road maintenance. This really impacts cities like Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and even some of our smaller cities in the Finger Lakes region like Canandaigua. The reimbursement rate for this work was set in 1987 at $0.85 per square yard, at the time, covered 100% of those costs for those arterial roads. But obviously, with traffic volumes increasing, the wear and tear is increasing, and we've seen a considerable amount of need on those major roads. Based on inflation, we believe that that $0.85 that was set, again, in 1987 really only covers about 40% of what those actual maintenance costs are, which, of course, impacts so many local municipalities across the state. Has the department evaluated whether the current reimbursement rate reflects today's actual costs? And is DOT considering an adjustment to said rate?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: The rates are actually step by formula in transportation law. So if the department were to look at it, it would be based on any changes that the legislature and the governor would make to that formula.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: G. Would you consider or does the department consider that type of investment that is set by statute to be a capital investment?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: L. I mean, it comes under a portion of the law that is entitled local assistance. And the criteria for how that assistance is provided, for the most part, is in the vehicle traffic law. And then there's some other criteria that we've also looked at that we put in place for purposes of administering the dollars. But that's how it's generated.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: G. I look at it very similar to the way we look at the CHIPS formula, right? Those are capital dollars that local municipalities can invest in their local roads. This would obviously be for state arterial roads. But I do hope that we can look at that legislatively so that we can provide relief for so many municipalities who are looking for a change since 1987. I want to focus on STOA. I know that you started that conversation with my colleague in the assembly. You mentioned that the governor and I want to give the governor credit here again did do an increase to STOA, 7.4% for Downstate non MTA, and 5.8% for Upstate. Yet there is still that discrepancy between the two systems by geography. And we know that a lot of that is based on the dedicated revenue streams. I believe there are 18 downstate streams, dedicated revenue streams, that help fund those systems, whereas there may be only four in Upstate New York. And of course, when I'm thinking about I'm sure Chair Magnarelli is talking about Centro. I'm thinking about RTS, right? And there's so many other systems that are reliant on those funds. I'm wondering if you're open minded to new forms of dedicated revenue, specifically in Upstate New York. And I'm particularly interested in a potential dedicated revenue source for Upstate and rural systems by increasing the vehicle registration charge, which is modeled after what we do already do in New York City. So while I see that that is a good strategy and a good stream for helping to meet that downstate need, I believe that same model could be applied to help increase public transit in Upstate New York. Could you comment on that, commissioner?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I think the evolution of how those funding streams have come about has been a pretty robust process between the legislature and the executive and local communities on exactly how that's going to be executed. And the bottom line is the differences between those communities that are operating funds are limited. And any time you can look at what other dedicated revenue streams there are, it is an opportunity. The question is, how do you do that successfully? When you're talking about registration fees, unfortunately, that's not specifically within It's my within DMV. But it would be negotiation between executive and the legislature on how to look at what alternatives would be.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you. I know you're a big public transit advocate Yes. As am I. And I just feel that these systems, especially now more than ever with the affordability crisis we have in New York, that this is a way to help reduce those costs and increase service. So we'll take a look at that. Finally, across the state, there are roads that share parts with local roads and the state of New York. And your DOT manages part of those, and then local municipalities manages part of those. And I'm specifically thinking about Lake Avenue and Rochester. We've had a chance to talk about Lake Avenue, which was perpetually an issue for me with speeding and pedestrian safety. How does your department prioritize working with municipalities, local governments, in these situations when, again, a road is partly managed by state DOT and partly managed by the local municipality when it comes for capital improvements?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: JULIE So we look at things holistically because the bottom line is that nothing is perfect, right? While we try and look for clear lines of jurisdiction, often the jurisdictional line could be here and it's right a centimeter later, the municipality. And so we have to work together because it's a comprehensive transportation network. So part of the philosophy that we've tried to execute, I think, especially over the last five years, six years, has really been one of collaboration. Because if we're not working with municipalities, we're not taking into account the larger view on the entire network. And so sometimes as Chairman Magnarelli, you know, mentioned, we don't always agree but we always have to look for solutions that can get us to the highest safety benefit and reduce risk.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: So to that point on safety, specifically with Lake Avenue in the city of Rochester, we were able to secure some funding last year in the budget to do a feasibility study to look at some of those traffic calming measures and ways to move vehicles more safely down that road. But part of it is really going through the state DOT managed portion. Would you be willing to work with the city of Rochester and to have a conversation, not obligating you to spend any dollars, but to have a conversation up front so that we can create a comprehensive plan for Lake Avenue that involves our state partners and our city partners? Would you be willing to have that conversation as

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: a J.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We're always willing to talk to the municipalities, especially when you're trying to plan forward and understand what the larger vision is here. I, again, am not committing any funds.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: G. Understood.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: G. But I think the conversation needs to be had.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Yeah, just the willingness to engage in those planning processes. Because if we are going to invest funds in the future, whether they're coming from the state or whether they're coming from the local municipality, we want to make sure that we're doing it sharing information upfront so we can find cost savings for tax payers and ultimately lead to a safer result for New Yorkers.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I'm happy to take a closer look at it. J.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you, Commissioner.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you. We've been joined by Assembly Members Serestha, Wright, Romero, and Fall of Assembly Member Miller.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Good afternoon, Commissioner. Good afternoon. I hope you're enjoying the long winter weather that we've had here in Upstate New York.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I was not excited about that little critter from Pennsylvania yesterday.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: But I have some questions here, then I'm going make a statement on local roads up north, up in the Upstate area. State rail plan update. Last year, DOT issued an RFP for a consultant to assist in the update of our 2009 state rail plan. You've tentatively selected Cambridge Systematics and HDR for this work according to information on your website. What's the schedule for completing this new state rail plan?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, first thing was to actually get the consultant on board. And now we're going to move forward. So I think I don't know the exact term of the engagement, but it's somewhere between three and five years.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Okay.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Hopefully sooner.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: So hopefully we can move that along.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Yes.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: It's extremely important. So just want to talk about local transportation. Bridge New York consolidated local streets and highway improvement program, CHIPS, which is very, very near and dear to all of the Upstate legislators' hearts and to all our local governments. The Marcela Mitaynes funding, Pave New York, Pave Our Potholes, State Touring Routes. Everything's at the twenty sixth level. Everything's flat. You know, when I first came to Albany nine years ago, I met with a DOT engineer, and these words have stuck in my mind since then. We barely fund to manage the decline. And that's what we've been doing. We've been behind the eight ball with our funding every year. It's no and I understand your budgetary confinements. And, you know, we do have a five year capital plan, and we're all looking at that. We're in the fourth year of the five year capital plan. But CHIPS is instrumental to all of our Upstate communities and municipalities. Last year, the assembly didn't include in our one house budget an increase to chips. We wanna thank the senate for putting it putting it in there. But we need to increase our chips funding. You know, this winter, as we all know, that's why I started out with the winter weather, is gonna is gonna rain havoc over all of our roadways, our structures, fuel costs, salt costs, you name it, it's gonna be crazy. Hopefully, we can get some additional funding in the budget for our roads Upstate New York.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So I appreciate your advocacy. I will say that as reflected in this five year capital plan that we're now completing year four and moving into year five, it really has been this capital plan and you're talking when you first came to Albany, you know, five, six years ago the capital plan that we're executing on right now is nearly 6.5 has nearly $6,500,000,000 worth of local highway program assistance. This capital plan is reflective of an 89% increase from where we were in the last one. So I would say under governor Kathy Hochul, while this year's capital plan did not, or the budget did not, have an increase per se for CHIPS, overall, 89% increase for local assistance is pretty significant. But the budget this year does provide 1,300,000,000.0 in direct state aid for local governments. So I just want to be really clear that the money is has been and is being invested in higher amounts than it ever has been. And we're putting it to good use. And we're looking we know that local governments utilize the CHIPS funding. And it's an extremely popular program. And it goes to the benefit of all. But understand that we're operating on record levels at this point in time. And how we move that forward, I think, will be certainly, in terms of this budget, a discussion between the legislature and state. J.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: I do want to say thank you for the work zone speed camera program. It works. We're saving lives. I'm happy we're going to expand that. We're doing a good job. And I just want to thank your department for all the safety improvements you've made.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Yeah, it includes all the municipal highway maintenance crews as well.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Senator Fernandez.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: Thank you so much, commissioner. Within your testimony, you mentioned enhancing the quality of life with the work that DOT is doing and reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway. The Department of Transportation, can you share what they're doing to stop well documented harms to communities that exist around highways in New York City, including the Cross Bronx, also the Bronx, Queens, and Van Wick Expressway? What actions has the department taken or plan to take to mitigate health and environmental harms caused by these corridors? And what is the funding and timelines attached to the actions?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So we have I'll start with something that I mentioned in my testimony, which was the Hunts Point project. One of the things that I think was most significant about that is that, you know, in the South Bronx, trucks need access to the market, the Hunts Point market. And they were finding their way through local neighborhood roads like water, basically. Right? They were just trying to find any path that was faster to get to the Hunts Point market. That led to not only just crowding on the local roadways and the Bronx, but increased emissions and everything else. By doing the work that we did at Hunts Point, it's a 1,700,000,000 project. We first started by making the Sheridan, you know, a signalized boulevard, not a highway. Then we improved the Bruckner. We created off ramps directly so the trucks could not they didn't have to figure out their way through local streets in the Bronx. They have a direct, exit. They have ramps to go directly to the off of the Bruckner, directly to the market, and back on. So you're taking truck traffic off. You're reducing that air emission, from, local neighborhoods for trucks being out there. We created, parks, starlight parks, cement park, etcetera. There's connectivity along the Bronx River that was not there before. And all of that goes to the enhanced quality of life for people that actually live there. We're trying to do the same as we look to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway.

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: So mindful of time, if I could get another question. One, are we familiar with the plan to cap the Cross Bronx?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: That's where I

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: was We're going? Okay. But another quality of life issue. I represent communities that are right there next to the Saw Mill Parkway, Hutchinson Parkway, I-ninety 5, including the Cross Bronx. And there's been talks of getting sound barriers so those communities that are literally right on the line of the highways can be relieved of sound pollution, even some dirt soot, you know, contamination. But what is the requirements to get those type of infrastructures in communities?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: There are very specific requirements from the federal government, in particular, as we look to if we apply federal dollars, we have requirements that have to be met by the federal government as to when and where we can put up sound barriers. So depending on the project, happy to work with you to see what's there and if we even have a project, like, in the making I can right

[Senator Nathalia Fernandez]: expand on that. There are communities that are just ridden with noise and dirt and everything. Yes, thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: You, Senator. Assemblyman R. A.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: R. Good afternoon, Commissioner. R. Good afternoon. A. R. We got through it. I think your team did a good job, and glad that, for the most part, everybody was safe. So I just have a couple of questions for you. One is something that comes up every year. I know the department is statutorily obligated to release several reports to the majority annually. These include the Highway Pavement and Bridge Conditions Report, the Capital Program Lighting and Implementation Report, Capital Program Accomplishment Report, and the Downstate Suburban and Upstate Transit Capital Programs Report. My understanding is there is no while there's no obligation, there's also no prohibition on that being provided to the minority sides of the aisle. Is that something the department would be able to provide us copies with copies of?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So as I understand it, it's a statutory requirement. So we're just following the laws Yes, but I we were submitting it to.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: But there's no statutory requirement nor prohibition to it being provided to our side of the aisle. Is that possible that those can be provided to us as well?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I'm literally looking to comply with the law. So like whatever the agreement is the legislature on how to actually do that, we'll take a look at it. J.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Okay. Well, I'll note that we have introduced legislation to add us to the list of required entities, because I don't think there's any reason we shouldn't be able to get our hands on that. But thank you.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: We talked

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: about funding in terms of both the capital and local roads. And we talked about this in our meeting a few weeks ago. One of the things that has really become a hot topic on Long Island, County Executive Ballon in Suffolk has talked a lot about this, is that we have a program called SHIPS, which is in statute but has not been funded since the late '90s, that was based, unlike CHIPS, was based more on the number of, I think, licensed motorists in a particular area, and drove transportation aid to municipalities, in particularly Long Island, Westchester. And there's a proposal that's been introduced that would fund that program again. Is there a reason why that program hasn't been funded in so long? And do you think it would be appropriate to fund that program to deal with the issues that, you know, we've all read about in recent days? This report just came out that in the metro area, the average cost to a car owner in terms of maintenance, accidents, all those types of things that come about because of the condition of our roads is in excess of $3,700 per person. So you think that would be an appropriate way to drive more transportation aid to our suburban counties?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. I'm not familiar with the legislative history or the appropriations history of ships. I know that it's not part of the current budget. So if that's something that the legislature is looking to examine, That's within your purview and within the discussions with the executive.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: J. Certainly something that we'll continue pushing and talking about. So thank you. Another issue I know it came up with my colleague, but just for clarification, the expansion of the Work Zone speed camera program, I think we all agree that this has helped save lives of our workers out there. And unfortunately, we have had tragic circumstances happen on our roads, which none of us want to see. So can you just elaborate on what this will allow in terms of the types of roadways and also how many additional cameras are we talking about? What's the timeline for deployment if this is approved in the budget?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. So first of all, thank you for your support. A couple of things. One, the governor of the legislature provided us with the ability to put work zone speed cameras on controlled access highways in the state. What we're asking for is an expansion beyond controlled access highways. What does that mean? It means roads that basically have driveways or entrances that would be easier to, like, on Long Island, right? A number of your roads, you're it's you got a lot of driveways, entrances, and exits. It's the best way to describe it, controlled versus non controlled. We'd like to expand the number of roadways where we can put cameras. Last year, you gave us an additional the ability to deploy additional cameras. In order to do that, it would be better if we could expand the number of roads that those cameras could be applied to. This year, we saw someone killed on a two lane rural road. We would like to be able to put cameras on those roads.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you, Commissioner.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Thank you. Next up is Senator Cordell Claire. Cleer:

[Senator Cordell Cleare]: Thank you, commissioner. I have a question, and maybe you can't answer it now, but I would like you to consider the the extreme flooding and road surface issues at the Hundred And 59th Street Ramp for the Harlem River Drive. And I want to know what are we where in the plan is that? I mean, it's just really, really, really excessive flooding over there. And it it even makes it impossible sometimes or very difficult to drive in that area.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I know we've done an enormous amount of work on Harlem River Drive. And I will come back to you with an answer because we're doing another project right now. I'm just not I need to get the details on it, and I'll circle back

[Senator Cordell Cleare]: for you to come visit and just really, take a look at that. And similar to, senator Fernandez's questions, I know, Assemblyman Wright was here and we our districts overlap, but he had a question about many black neighborhoods continue to bear the brunt of highways that increase asthma, noise pollution, and, traffic violence. How much funding in the budget is allocated for highway mitigation removal or capping projects in communities of color?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, work that's being done is done on a project by project basis. So I described Hunt's point and what we did there. Now we're undertaking two projects on the Cross Bronx, one to rehabilitate and replace five bridges along the Cross Bronx. That is one area. If we're able to do that, I think it will significantly reduce congestion because the

[Senator Cordell Cleare]: But is there funding allocated for it?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: There There's a funding allocated for the Five Bridges Project. And then the other thing that the governor put forward in last year's budget was the ability for New York City DOT to advance the Reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway study. So we're engaging in a planning and environmental linkage study, which is the groundwork for really getting into a full scale environmental review of what those options are, including capping on portions of the Cross Bronx.

[Senator Cordell Cleare]: Okay. So we're looking at coming up with a number of what that funding will require. And what criteria does, DOT use to determine whether a community qualifies for these remediation investments?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: It all depends on what it is and what the possible alternatives are that we could apply. But we look at everything, absolutely everything, whether it's noise barriers, you know, does it make more sense to literally move traffic, Whatever the options are, we try to study everything.

[Senator Cordell Cleare]: Okay. Because I have twenty six seconds. Black and brown New Yorkers are more likely to rely on public transit and less likely to own cars. Houses department ensure that state transportation funding supports reliable, frequent, and affordable transit options for transit dependent communities?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, first and foremost, off the top, about $8,000,000,000 of our budget goes directly to the MTA for support of their project, for their programs. So when

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: okay. Thank

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: you. Assemblyman Jacobson.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Alright, Commissioner. Good to see you again. Good afternoon. I want to echo the comments that Chair Magnarelli said that you're very cooperative. You're we get to speak a lot, though we're not I'm not always happy with the outcome, but it's not always as much as I want. So I want to just reiterate, I gave you a long list when we met together about Route 52 in the town of Newburgh and trying to get that new entrance on 9D, which I think can be done by the in Beacon by 84 going to the bridge. I think if you make a right and do a loop that way, take out the gas station, I think that would work. You wouldn't have that problem on the ramp, you know, with the traffic coming the other way on 9 D. Also, the buses that you're running, the shuttle buses you're running Yes. On behalf of the MTA or North Metro North. Well, I'd rather have the ferry there as well operating, which was my battle in the last panel. One thing we you could do is have more signage and more availability on the schedule of these buses.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Okay.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: I mean, it would be easy to post both at the train station and in in Newberg as well.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: That's what I was told. And I've spoken to the people in Beacon who own the areas and they said they'd be cooperative on that.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: It's a fairly you know, the expansion of the service is fairly new since the ferry service stopped. But we're really pleased to hear that people are enjoying it and they're using it and it's well subscribed. So we'll look at seeing how we can provide more information as well.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: J. Listen, probably should have said in the beginning, there's nothing more important for the quality of life, or at least in the top three, quality of life for everyday New Yorkers than the quality of the roads. And it's a big responsibility, but that's the one thing we hear about more than anything else. And so, I'm not going go on any longer, but I appreciate when we have the conversations and I can't wait till we get that traffic light put in on Route 207 in Old Little Brook Road in the town of Newburgh. That was approved in 2019. So, thank you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Thank you, sir.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Oh, one more question since I have thirty seconds. What about the this is not technically in my district but affects the area. What about the expansion on Route 17? When when are we when is that gonna get in the ground? Because I keep here every year, it says, you need the environmental state. You need the environmental state. Where are we on that?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So we are aggressively working on the environmental review right now. We hope to have it done by the end of this year.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Yeah. Let's let's be like Nike. Let's just do it. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: That can be the state's new model, our new motto, right? Be like Nike. Sorry. Thank you. Senator Obarac, our five minute ranker.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Thank you, Madam Chair. And Commissioner, good afternoon. Good to see you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. Good afternoon.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J. Yeah. It's been addressed a couple of times, so I'm just going to kind of focus in on a little bit. We've talked about our CHIPS funding, our EWR, Extreme Weather Recovery, state turn rates, Pave Our Potholes, Bridge New York, Pave New York, all being flat in proposed budget. Is there a formula that DOT uses to allocate chips in other highway funds? You know, specifically taking into account lane miles, vehicle miles traveled, freeze thaw cycles, winter damage, is it weighted sufficiently to reflect the realities of rural regions that I represent here in Region IX?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. So the formula is actually the primary formula is actually in law. There's some other interpreting regulations on the grant administration and that type of thing, qualifications and that type of thing that is administered by the department. But we've been working with localities for the last several years. Last year, we made several improvements at the recommendation of localities. But when you're talking about which roads qualify, center lane miles, all that, that's by formula in law. J.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Great. Thank you. For Otsego County, we're looking at about four seventy seven center lane miles. They're scheduled to do 23 miles for paving, which is roughly 4.8%. We're running behind when we can't make, I think, a little bit larger dent in what we're doing. So that's where chips comes so important. Moving on to last year, spoke about a proposal for $1,000,000 per county, around $62,000,000 statewide, for what we called CLEAR funding, which stood for Community Level Emergency Assistance Relief. I always like those acronyms. And it's really to help municipalities address the extreme weather that we've seen, especially in the springtime with these microburst storms and so on. And just listen to my colleagues from Downstate with some flooding issues as well as what we've seen Upstate. Wouldn't it be to our benefit to look at this and to see if that's something we couldn't fold into and get that added funding?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I think that it's a discussion for the legislature. We have right now, as you articulated at the beginning of your comments, a number of those programs, including extreme weather recovery. And I will tell you that those dollars that were allocated that were provided last year appropriated were included in have been distributed and were included as part of the $600,000,000 that the governor announced last October for the 180 paving projects that we're doing statewide. And they do address a number of those critical areas, obviously, where emergency vehicles need to move.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: J. Thank you. Another thing we'd like to talk about is we're talking about safety and kind of moving over a mentality that when we see a state trooper on the side. There's a bill that I'd like to propose, S5661, which is called a move over bill, where we actually mirror what goes on in Europe. In the event of an accident or an issue on the highway, they move to either side, left and or right, leaving a center lane open for our first responders. I can't think of a better way being a first responder myself and actually having driven on the shoulder and getting a flat tire and actually slowing down the process of our first responders addressing it. I would love to see us as a state really look at this. It fits in nicely, I think, with our safety and coming up to our first responders. I'd like to just kind of plant a seed with you again, commissioner, on that. I think it really is time for such a bill to come forward as far as that goes. And then lastly, and I'm going to have to monitor this video because my wife, being a horse owner, we see so many horse trailers that are not registered in the state of New York. We're talking about revenue streams. I think we're missing kind of the boat here. We could really look at trying to make that more necessary to have our trailers not necessarily registered out of Maine, who seems to be doing quite well when I go to the horse shows.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Okay.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: I'll leave it to And again, you end my wife, I have to say, I'm sorry, but ours is in New York, but I see a lot without. But it's just something to think about that I think we're really starting to lose a little bit of a potential revenue stream there. So thank you for all you do. I got to give a quick shout out to Andy Stiles from Region nine. He's a great individual. We worked well together. Thank you. And it shows your leadership in that end. So thank you.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Thank you, sir.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Assemblyman,

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Nailed it.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: Thank you very much. G. Welcome. Good afternoon, Commissioner. I want to reiterate what a fantastic job that you and your staff have done in my particular district and all, although there always is more that can be done. I want to say publicly that the folks should go and take a look at 9W and the beautiful job that you did in 9W through my district. Interestingly enough, that project is actually saving what's point a federal facility, from some of the flooding. And yet they're denying us money. That's a little ridiculous. I'm going to say the same thing that I always say. DOT District eight most mileage, most bridges, most culverts, And yet we're not near the top. And so I would like, at some point in time, to take a look with you at how it is configured that money is allocated to the various different regions and so on like that. One of the things also, the state touring route program, many of the municipalities do not qualify for. And yet, we end every year, it seems, with money left in that program. And maybe we need to take a look at what the qualifications are for that program so more municipalities can take a look at it and all and use that money. They're almost saying, if we could add that to chips, we'd be in great shape. I'm not going to hold you right now today, but I'd like to talk with you about the electric vehicle wear and tear on our roads and what some solutions might be if they are exerting more wear and tear on our roads and systems and bridges and what we can do about that. Again, I'm not going to hold you to it today and so on. And then also, I'll reiterate what my fellow assemblyman said, Jonathan Jacobson, Route 17, I-eighty 6. I appreciate the fact that you're doing secret real well. Because once we get started on that, we don't want to have interruptions in the middle. So please do continue with due diligence as you are. Finally, I want you to know that I completely and totally back the increase in automated work zone speed monitoring pilot project with more cameras and the ability to put them on more streets or highways, as it may be. I have run into those when they're on the throughway. And they have actually slowed the traffic down to the speeds that they are supposed to be. When they're not there, folks just rip through those work zones like you can't believe it. So I'm in full support of that program. And hopefully, we'll continue forward with it.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. Well, thank you very much for your support. Just really quickly, because I'm sure others have the same question, with regard to electric vehicles and their weight, we are working very closely with county and local governments, especially in some of our rural communities, to make sure that we understand, along with our partners at NYSERDA, you know, what the manufacturing opportunities could be moving forward for various vehicles.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Leroy Comery? Leroy

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I'm sorry,

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: it's just three minutes now. This is not authorities.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Coming back, though. Okay.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Good afternoon, commissioner. Thank you for your service, and I've enjoyed working with you also. Can you give us an update on the Van Wyck? The borough president promised it would be done this year. Is that true?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: The borough president just had the opportunity to walk the project, I think, last week. So he's got some firsthand information on it. But the bottom line is we're working to complete the Van Wick this year. My apologies to everybody who's had to sit in traffic, but we're almost done. We've completed all the bridges. We are now doing an enormous amount of work on the roadway and the retaining walls and everything else. And if you're out there, you see how many people are out there literally working on the project.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Will the off ramps stay permanently closed at Liberty And Jamaica?

[Assemblymember Tony Simone]: I've got

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: to look at that, but I don't recall off the top of my head. I'll come back

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: to you.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: All right. Great. And also, you know, my pet project, the Cross Island Parkway expansion, have we started looking at that in terms of your 2025, capital plan?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I appreciate it, sir, that you asked me. And, I I I hate to do this, but I need to remind you that it's a it's a piece of, infrastructure that's owned by the city Of New York, not the state.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: To to Cross Island Parkway?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Yes, sir.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Okay.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Think we have to fix that because it there's a there's a real need to expand that parkway between the between the the the Drive's Neck Bridge and the Cross Island Parkway. So I'm at Drive's Neck Bridge and the Southern State Parkway. There's a lot more traffic happening through there now, and they need to figure out how to work there. Can you talk about what the department is doing to deal with the harms that the existing highways are doing on the environment, specifically the Cross Bronx and the Van Wyck Expressway. As you may know, the Southeast Queens is one of the highest asthma rates in the city. We're surrounded by the Bandwidth, the Cross Island, the Grand Central, and the the Brooklyn the BQE. Now that we have a crisscross of highways that are surrounding Southeast Queensland, therefore the asthma rates are going up. Can you tell us what we're doing to try to mitigate those issues?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So specifically, with regard to the Van Wick, when we're completed with this project, we'll have a managed use lane which will help move traffic. In addition to that, we're moving forward on the planning and environmental linkages study to look at all solutions on the Cross Bronx Expressway. We had a great visioning exercise the last couple of years with the city of New York, a number of members of the community. And I think there's a real opportunity to further engage the community and see what those more comprehensive solutions could be, capping and otherwise.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblywoman I should have

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: gotten five minutes, but I'll

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: bring it Signed up. Assemblywoman Gallagher.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: Hi, thank you so much. Was very excited by the highway demolition projects in Rochester and Syracuse. And I'm wondering what lessons the New York State DOT has learned from those projects that could be applied to reimagining the BQE, the Cross Bronx Expressway, and other aging urban highways.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. So first of all, thank you, because I think those are two great examples of what you can do to reconnect communities and really reshape our infrastructure systems. The Hunts Point project is another one that I was just talking about. But the lessons learned include everything from engagement with the public writ large on ideas, shaping the project, alternatives that we need to consider. Know, whenever we engage the public, we learn so much. So and then maintaining that throughout the course of the project lifespan. So we've had permanent community outreach offices that we established in Syracuse that literally every day people come in. They want to learn more about the project. They have comments. They have questions. We developed an app. We did a local hire initiative in Syracuse where we're literally hiring people from the impacted community onto the job. We were able to do that and meet all of the hiring rates that are out there. Hiring from those people, their families that were displaced from the original construction of the highway has made a big difference. So we're providing workforce job opportunities, further economic development. Those are some of the critical lessons in addition to all of the contracting aspects that we've learned, but really the ability to engage with the community throughout the project.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: That's great. And what would we I know that my community along the BQE desperately wants to see a change more like what we saw in Rochester and Syracuse and less like what some of my colleagues are requesting with widening of highways, especially given that I have a very transit planary obsessed community that knows that induced demand, actually, the widening of a highway actually causes more traffic to come rather than less. So I'm wondering, what can we do to get that kind of investment along the BQE and along the Cross Bronx Expressway so that we can move forward to get rid of those highways rather than build them further or widen them.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So on the Cross Bronx, we're undertaking the the governor put forward money. We're undertaking a planning and environmental linkages study to study exactly that. And with regard to the BQE, we've got a new administration, so we're working with them to see what the new opportunities are with regard to Great. The

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Senator Roxanne Persol.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Good afternoon, commissioners. Always great to see you, and thank you and your team for the great conversation we had a couple of weeks ago, you know, talking about some of the issues that my colleagues are talking about today. You know, every year, I talk about sound barriers, and I just wanna make sure I I talk about it so that whenever you have a plan that the federal government has approved, that you would look at the areas that I asked for to be reviewed for sound barriers. A couple of things I wanna ask about. In the budget, were talking about super speeders. Can you tell me if you have had conversations with the city of New York about implementing the program?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, the governor did put forward the super speeder bill. Congratulations, Assembly Member Gallagher, Senator Prasad. I think it's a good step forward. I'm sorry, what was your question? I got carried away on the

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: super A with the city of New York. And also, can you tell me have you tested these these devices anywhere else?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We have not, but I think that's the intent behind looking to see what the opportunities are.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay. Do you know of any other locations that are currently using these devices across the country that you've had conversations with?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I'm not personally aware of them, but it has been applied in other parts of the country. I just I haven't talked directly to some of the states that have implemented them. And

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: just, you know, I support you in in your call for the expansion, you know, to make sure people who are speeding in work zones that we, you know, we're penalizing them because too often, I I think we also have to have an education program

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Yes.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Where people are still are not unsure what they're supposed to do when they come into a work zone. And I I think if we we start some more PSAs before we implement the additional penalties, I think it will go a great way. Because people are like, well, there are people who still don't know that a law requires you move over when you see an emergency vehicle there. You know, I was in the car with someone, I'm like, are supposed to move over? They're like, no, I'm not. So I don't think we've done a great job in educating the public. So what should we be doing?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So I have to say there's been an enormous amount of work to educate the public on it. But I think it's constant. And I think that's what your comment that's the way I'm taking your comment, that it's a constant education that has to take place. And maybe there's some new ways that we can actually look at doing that. So one, I'd like to work with you. But two, I have some ideas about how we could potentially do that and work with the Governor's Traffic Safety Commission and other entities to do that.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: And I just want to finally thank you again for working with me on the human trafficking information, And getting that I appreciate all the things that you're doing with us.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: Thank you.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: Thank

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: you. Assemblywoman Simon.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Hi, Commissioner. How are you? Good to see you. Thank you. You know, we have talked about this many times before and my colleagues, many of us share the BQE, as you know. And of course, I have the triple cantilever portion which kind of nothing was happening there. There was a lot of things around it. But now we have a new administration and we're gonna be meeting again on a regular basis. There will still be issues in connection with how the state can help us work on finding a way to deal with this issue. One of them is way in motion and whether we can institute weigh in motion technology in other places along the highway to discourage overweight trucks, which really harm our roads and bridges. And the other is the illegally long trucks in New York City. I'd like to know what the Department of Transportation can do to help us with those situations.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, last year, the governor and the legislature came to agreement on the wait and motion legislation. So that did get signed into law. The facilities where WHIM is being used are I know there aren't any DOT facilities, but obviously Port Authority, MTA, City of New York, all of them I know, are actually working. If they haven't put it in place, they are working to get it in place. I do think it is a very I appreciate your advocacy on it because it was not easy to do. We worked with the city of New York. It's a complicated thing to actually work. It's through the Department of Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, everybody else. But the bottom line is it really does help address overweight vehicles, especially trucks, on our facilities. And it does have it's an important impact to reduce that weight on those facilities. That said, the second piece of what you were asking about on with regard to weight motion and then you asked about

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Trucks. Trucks. About the illegally long trucks which But we if if I could just to take you off the trucks for a second because they obviously add to the weight. But there are lots of places in the state where the state DOT is the lead agency

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Right.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Because it's an interstate highway. But they may they are also roads and bridges that are subject to weight constraints. And I'm curious where else because some of them are in the city, others of them are not where the way in motion technology might be helpful.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: There are various places around the state. Yes. And we we can do a survey to actually look to see where that is. The legislation last year was more specific Yes. In New York City. So we looked at all the facilities.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: Unfortunately, there

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: weren't any for DOT. But there are other places around the state that could be applied.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Okay. Thank you. And and you have two seconds for the trucks so I know.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We'll work with you on the extra long trucks because it's not just us. It's other entities as well. So happy to work with you.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Thank you very much.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: Thank you. Hi, Commissioner.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Hello, sir. Excuse me, ma'am.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Good to see

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: you.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: I'd like to talk a little bit about Exit 17 Through 32 on the Southern State Parkway, also known as Blood Alley. We have narrow roadways, sharp turns, low bridges, and short entrance and exit ramps that have actually contributed to high rates of accidents on that roadway. Between 2016, New York State DOT said that there was over 10,500 crashes that occurred on the Southern State, and thirty two of them were fatal. I know you've been able to do some work at exit, I believe, 15. And I know you're working on Exit 22, which is the merge with the Meadowbrook Parkway, which is a very dangerous exchange. Can you talk a little bit about what your budget looks like in the outer years for perhaps studies at Exit 'eighteen or 'seventeen and how we might address some of the issues

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: in that space? So just kind of comprehensively, because you went back to 2016. So the department has done an enormous amount of work on the Southern State. It started by literally repaving the entirety of the parkway. We looked at all of the ramps. What did we need to do? How do we need to approach them? We've been taking them on systematically. The signage, making sure that signs and pavement markings and everything was as up to date as it possibly can to make sure that we're doing everything we can to avoid wrong way driving, etcetera. A number of the fatalities that you were talking about, unfortunately, number of them are due to impaired driving. That said, what we have to look at in terms of overall safety is a combination of factors. We're looking at everything we can do to improve the roadways. I'll tell you about a couple of the projects that we've got in the out years. But we also have to educate people. A large number of these crashes are due to speed, impaired driving, people not paying attention. All of this is a comprehensive effort. We've been working with state police, local law enforcement, and the DMV and others to make sure that we are educating drivers about how they need to actually operate their vehicles safely.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: And we know that driver actions play a role in that. We also can't deny the fact that the roadway, based on the design, is a contributing factor. And so J.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We've been trying to systematically fix all of those areas, like where that has become a conflict between intersections, between exit ramps and on ramps with the various parkways and interchanges. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: Thank you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: And the buzzer cut me. Okay.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Member Mataynes? I know. J. Member Tapia? S. Assembly Member Shimsky?

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: The conference because I wanted to talk to you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Okay. Thank

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: you so much for being here, Commissioner. Guess my first question is the five year capital plan at this It looks like the lettings are somewhere between 3,000,000,000 and $4,000,000,000 behind what's been appropriated. My question is, what are the plans for that money? Are we going to be able to catch up?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I'm not sure the data that you're referring to but I would tell you that, we are more than on schedule. We have, we have literally, by the end of this state fiscal year, we anticipate, which is just now at the March, we anticipate letting 75% of our entire program, the total core highway and bridge funding that's available. So that's about $11,000,000,000 worth Okay. Of

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: So I assume that means that you'll be letting out a fair amount in anticipation of the spring this

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: year?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: The fourth quarter is going to be very significant indeed.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Okay. The other piece of data that I've seen that I want to bring up is that among the regions that have the highest percentage of projects that have not been let in terms of dollars is DOT Region eight. What are we going to be able to do to help them catch up and make sure that we can get more of our roads fixed?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So like I just said, quarter four for this year is going to be very heavy. You will see a large number of projects go out in Region 8 in the Hudson Valley. Same we're looking to tee up next year as well, making sure that the delivery is there. But the bottom line is that we fully expect to deliver the entirety of the capital plan by the end of the five years.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Okay.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Now, in terms of expanding our road network as opposed to repairing what's already there, has the ratio remained consistent over the last few years Or are we trending in one direction or another?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Expanding the road network?

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: New road projects as opposed to fixing old roads.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We have a balance. But we're really not creating a bunch of new roads in the state of New

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: York. Okay. We're

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: do want to speak up. I know Assembly Member Itus brought it up. I think our local road programs need to be consolidated because it's just too much for a lot of our smaller local governments to be able to handle. And anything you could do about the BQE, I'm in favor of. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Yes, Senator Matera.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: And thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you so much, Commissioner, for always being available. And I always have to mention the director, Rich Causen, for doing such an amazing job on Long Island. And one thing about that office also, you call up and they're there and there's an answer. And I just really, really appreciate. You should be thankful that you have them.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Very lucky. You've a great team at DOT.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Thank you.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Yeah. You know, we talked about this before. I'm sorry, just came in. I had a committee meeting. We talked about this before about the chips. And I bet you the chips came up already about funding for chips is down. It's not enough. Especially, you and I had the discussion, too, about the drop shipping, that we have all kinds of drop shipping, especially after COVID. A lot of people now in my family, my girls, there it is. They tell them go out to the stores. I'd rather them go out to the stores. But it's just so easy. Every day I come home and there's packages at my front step. That's just the way it is. It's not going to change. COVID changed a lot for people going out. Our seniors even got savvy with the computer. And they're there. They're going online. They feel safer. And do I feel it's hurting? Yes, mom and pop shops. Yes. But what it's doing is it's wearing out our local roadways because of all the trucks now that are on our roadways. And our CHIPS funds are not funded for something like this. I do have a bill, in other words, that we should have a certain percentage of the tax that's received to help out our CHIPS fund and to help out our mom and pop stores that are losing a whole bunch of business. But we've got to do something to help out our local municipalities, our highway superintendents, that right now the roads are in bad shape and they just don't have enough money. And they're getting worn out by these a lot of drop shipping. So I was just wondering I know we had this discussion. I was wondering what your thoughts are on this.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, I would say that this year's budget provides about almost $1,400,000,000 for direct state aid for local governments for both highway and bridge repair. And when we look at what the overall investment has been under this capital A. Plan Governor Hochul put forward basically, you know, an 89% increase in local assistance under this five year capital plan. So I appreciate the concern that you're raising about CHIPS directly, but it is reflective of a significant investment over a five year period of time, the likes of which I don't think the department has seen before, let alone some of the local governments. So as we move forward and we look at what additional opportunities there are, Those are just for CHIPS funding in addition to and that's under the capital plan, right? In addition to all of that, local assistance has also included Bridge in New York. We've doubled the amount on an annual basis under this five year capital plan. It used to be $100,000,000 a year for the locals to take advantage of Bridge in New York. This capital plan, it's $200,000,000 We're giving $1,000,000,000 to locals for maintenance of roads and bridges excuse me, for just bridges alone. So the investment has been significant. Unfortunately, we all are in the same boat. Our dollars don't go as far. But I would say those are dollars that are well spent.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: J. Right. The $3.47 that we have you know, $3.47 over in obviously, have it all the way from Smithtown, all the going right next to Stony Brook. And the overpass, we had the discussion also, too, how important that overpass is. Yes, the one Jericho and three forty seven is important, but we all know about Nichols Road. Yes. Because we do have the hospital. We have the, obviously, Stony Brook University on how important that overpass is. I'm just hoping that, in other words, we're going have the funding for that and to move that project ahead. Both overpasses are important so we can move that traffic.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, we've accelerated both of those projects, as you know, and moved them closer to their delivery dates. So we're doing everything we can to get it both done.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Well, great. I really, really appreciate it. Like I said, I thank you so much for the you know, we've got Northern State that is beautiful in my district. We've got four fifty four done, even down Huntington Village, New York Avenue. And like I said, I just really, really appreciate the know, any time I make a phone call over to Rich Cawson's office, there's a wonderful group of people that are working there. I thank you for that.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I'll pass it on. Thank you, sir.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Okay, thank you. Assemblywoman Shrestha.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: Hi, nice to see you again.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Nice to see you.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: So I represent Ratcliffe Amtrak station. I was wondering if you expect to receive reapproval from the Federal Railroad Administration for your federal grant at the station, and if there's a sense of when the grant will be obligated.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So we have the grant. What we're looking for right now is we're going through the environmental review process.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: D. Did. J.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Part of that right now has been,

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: one,

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: but also working through with the state historic preservation office on some of the it's a historic, as you know, facility. So working through some of the concerns that have been raised there. But, yeah, full speed ahead on the on the entire project.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Okay.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: Okay. And then in 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration selected the Empire Corridor and the Andorandac Corridor for inclusion In the new corridor ID program, I believe DOT received $500,000 for each corridor to prepare a scope of work.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Yes.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: And budget and schedule for planning work that would begin in step two of this program. Where do you stand with the FRA in getting approval to move into step two planning work?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So right now, we're executing the corridor ID program. We've also got some interest on high speed rail, so we're including that in the Empire review. So it's comprehensive, and we're moving it all forward.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: Okay. And then lastly, will the department create project websites to share information on those programs and state real plan update with communities, Amtrak writers, and legislative staff? Is there a plan to do something like that?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We have a program a series of we have a website, a landing page on our website called Communities in Your Projects in Your Community. And so any time we do any work, we tend to include a pretty comprehensive view of all that. We'll keep the public up to date.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: Okay. Thank you so much. We're looking forward to Rhine Cliffs Station being back in the state that it deserves. Thank you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. It's going to be beautiful.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank

[Senator John C. Liu]: you, Madam Chair. I want to thank Commissioner our DLT Commissioner for her great work. She's been very responsive to my constituents Mhmm. As well as my as well as my office. You know, still have work to do. Right?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Yes, sir.

[Senator John C. Liu]: Commissioner. But I I know we'll get it done. And also thank you for your attention to our the local and regional airports throughout the state. You and Assistant Commissioner Janet Ho have been a great team. Oh and I see George. He's not a bad guy either. Thank you very much. Thanks Madam Chair.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Okay, thank you. Assembly member Slater. Slater. Slater.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: Thank you very much. Commissioner, I just want to start by thanking you for your assistance in securing $9,000,000 for the town of Somers. I know you and I had several conversations on that. To be able to make those improvements through Route 202118, and 139 will go a long way, and I do want to acknowledge and appreciate that. I also want to thank the Region VIII staff because they do a fantastic job for the Hudson Valley. I did want to bring up, once again, the capital plan for Region VIII. It's my understanding that we continue to have the worst rated roads and bridges in all of New York when it comes to state roads and bridges. And you said earlier to one of my colleagues that you anticipate the entire capital plan being fulfilled.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Yes.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: And that would equal $701,300,000 according to the last figures that I've received, even though the response on January 9 did not specify what the Hudson Valley's numbers were at this point in time. So is it your testimony that we're going to be expecting $701,300,000 in the coming year to close out the five year capital plan with the MOU of $1,600,000,000 that was originally signed?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So I'll look to see exactly what numbers you're talking about. I can tell you by project. We're in the Hudson Valley alone. We're going to, to date from the beginning of the capital plan, what we expect by the end of year four, which is right now at the March, eight eighteen total road miles will be paved. And we're looking at working on basically nine zero one bridges across the entirety of the region.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: J. I appreciate, commissioner. I don't mean to interrupt. I just have a short amount of time. But what is the dollar amount? If we committed $1,600,000,000 for the five year capital plan, and as of this past fall, we were well underfunded in that amount, and you're saying that we're going to fulfill the five year capital plan, that leaves seven more than $700,000,000 that should be invested into the Hudson Valley. I just I've asked several times from your agency on this fact. I'm trying to understand because, again, from my standpoint, I get countless calls about the Save Our Roads. And I recognize we're making progress, but, again, citing the ratings, we are the worst rated state roads and bridges in all of New York. So are we expecting that 700,000,000 in the next year?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So I don't know the the dollar number. I'll tell you exactly what we're planning for. By for this capital plan, we expect by the March that the Hudson Valley will have 1.4, almost $1,500,000,000 worth of investment executed.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: Great. Out of the 1.6?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Correct.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: So what do we do with the extra money that's still there?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: MaryJane You've another year of the five year capital plan.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: John: Okay. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing that investment.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: That's just year end of

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: year four. We still have the rest of year five to

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: execute. Shrestha: Looking forward to the investment. Thank you very much.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Senator Tom O'Mara.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Good afternoon, Commissioner. Thank you for your testimony today, and thank you for the work of your office and all the various regions around the state. We've had a great relationship, working relationship with your crew. So we do appreciate that, the responsiveness. I'd be remiss to not bring up chips, as I do every year, that our town and county highway associations are again requesting an additional $250,000,000 to the local roads. And we have the CHIPS program, the winter recovery program, say touring roads, PAVE, and they're all flat this year to my understanding in the budget with no increase. Although you kept it flat from last year rather than reducing it as has been done in prior years, we have to fight to get that back and add to it. Last year in the budget, there was an $800,000,000 increase for the state program to keep up with inflation and costs. And that was largely at the behest of the associated general contractors and other large contractors that do those larger projects. You know, our local roads, our local communities have faced the same inflationary pressures as the state projects have. So I think that $250,000,000 is on par with what the $800,000,000 was for the other set last year. So we are looking for an increase in those. And I would hope that we'd be able to get your support with the administration and the negotiations going on for the need for that. With all the various programs that have been around and added to over the years, the CHIPS, the winter recovery paved, say touring roads, wouldn't it make sense to kind of consolidate all those? And wouldn't it be simpler to administer with just one fund of all these together based on a fair formula like I believe the CHIPS formula is?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Senator, I would never presume the prerogative of the legislature on legislative created programs. So if there's you know, I would say that's a discussion between the legislature and the executive on the various programs that you all that you just referenced have all been created by statute. So the state DOT does administer all of them. But beyond that, we're trying to encourage everybody to take advantage of them. Whoever qualifies for these programs, maximize their use, whether that's state touring routes, chips, whatever it is. These dollars are unique. They're valued. And they should be used.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Yeah. They're critical to our smaller local governments for sure. In many cases, that's all the funding they have for their local roads. So it's important that we work to increase those funds and maximize where we can. But again, thank you for your leadership in this area and the work that the various regions do. Thank you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Assembly member Valdez.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Hello, Commissioner.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Thank you so much for being here and sharing your day with us. So as you know, state law requires that vehicles not park within 20 feet of an intersection. This policy is known as daylighting. We know that this leads to fewer crashes, fewer injuries, much better visibility for drivers and for pedestrians alike. In New York City, we are exempt from the statewide policy of daylighting. Why is that? Why is there this exemption for the city?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I don't know, actually. I don't know the legislative history of it. Happy to get back to you.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: JACQUELINE Yeah, for sure.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: No, I appreciate that. Would New York State DOT support such a policy being implemented in New York City?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: JACQUELINE I'd have to take a look at it. I mean, New York City is unique. But I'd have to take a look at it and understand what the implications are.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Okay. No, I appreciate that. I appreciate your commitment to pedestrian safety and Absolutely. To working together on this. So thank you very much, Commissioner.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Thank I'll give up my time. Okay.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: I'm sorry, are you done?

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: I'm done.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: You're done. You gave us time back. Was you. Shocked. Thank you, thank you. Okay. I actually think I'm the next one. Very quickly, of course one of my colleagues didn't have a chance to ask a question. So the Governor had, I guess a couple of months ago announced a breakthrough on a long term problem between the State of New York and the St. Regis nation. And there's some impact on roads because of that. And I'm curious if there's something to update us on. And you're looking at me like you're not aware of it.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, I will say that we've been working directly with the St. Regis Nation on some of the road issues that have And come I'm looking at you because it's an ongoing discussion with them. I don't know that we've come to exact resolution on everything, but we have been engaged in very robust dialogue with them for the last couple of years on some of the road issues.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: And have we made some progress? Because there was a governor's press release about coming to an agreement with the state Regis. It's just when I looked through it quickly, it wasn't clear to me what it was actually announcing as some kind of changes. So I thought that might be tied into what you've been working on.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I would be happy to come back and make sure that I provide you with the exact details of that. But there were some larger issues with regard to the nation and the state. With regard to the road issues, I will make sure that we have some more clarity

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Okay.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: And share it with you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: So we would probably I'm sorry?

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Route 37.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Yeah. State Route 37.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I'm I I appreciate that. Yeah.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Well, then I know that Jeremy Cunningham and I will both appreciate if you could get back to us on that. Thank you. That's all the time I needed. Thank you. Next assembly member is assembly member Boroughs.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: J.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Burroughs. I'm sorry. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: Good afternoon, Commissioner. Thank you for being here.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. Good afternoon.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: DAVID I just want to say I want to commend you on the responsibility you have as being commissioner. But also, I want to commend you on having to deal with such vast roads in the state of New York, with all the miles that we have, and for you to be so knowledgeable just so I'm in a conversation through these hearings. It's a really good thing to have someone who understands the roads in New York, but also very knowledgeable of what's going on. I also want to thank you for the many conversations and meetings that we had, which have resulted in some concerns and solutions for my district, which I really do appreciate, and so do the residents. I have a question, a few questions. Safety and congestion, you know, adds time and it adds cost to travel for communities. So, you know, we've discussed bills. We've discussed ways to try to ease the concerns of those issues that we have. Speed cameras speed camera zones, I think those are important. But have you

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: had

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: any conversations about new sciences to curtail accidents as Department of Transportation workers are working on the roads, but also barriers working at night or barriers that prevent accidents from happening to the Department of Transportation workers?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: JULIE So the governor put forward in her executive budget a couple of different provisions to help further enhance the safety of highway workers. The first one is to build off of the great work that we've done. The pilot program for automated work zone speed enforcement cameras was very successful. I greatly appreciate the support of the legislature. It has gone a very long way. Now we're looking at expanding the number of roadways that we can apply that to. In addition to that, we've seen a number of the number of assaults of our highway workers increase significantly. We've got reported incidents over the last four years have just gone up. It's not acceptable. Unfortunately, somebody on the we had a contractor working on the Van Wick in a work zone. And a gentleman literally blew through the work zone. It was a hit and run, killed her, and didn't stop, did not stop. That's a form of assault that is criminal. And that's the ask, to enhance the assault provisions to make them criminal

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: because

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: So we shouldn't one have quick question. Is there any labeling? Since there's no labeling of state, village, county roads, is it easily accessible so that people could know who to contact in certain issues? Because I've had issues with my office communicating

[Senator John C. Liu]: with who owns what roads and

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: what I'd be happy to work with your office on it. I would like to say it's easy, but it's not.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. And to close, Senator Jeremy Cooney has three additional minutes.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you, Chair. I appreciate it. Commissioner, this was touched upon earlier by my assembly colleague. I want to talk about all things rail. You know, it's a special topic of mine, and I see Assistant Commissioner here, Janet Ho, does a great job on these issues as well. As you know, February 6 is the application deadline for over five billion dollars in assistance through the federal state partnership for intercity passenger rail. And you've mentioned before that I think you've applied for that. Can you give us an update on where we are with that?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So intercity passenger rail, we've got applications out. We're also moving the corridor ID program to include the high speed rail provision. We're trying to take advantage of all of the fed state partnership money that's out there. We have a pending grant that was actually provided by FRA last year for the Livingston Avenue Bridge. We still do not have execution of that grant from the Federal Rail Administration. So while we're seeking new grant money, we're also trying to make sure that the dollars that we did win are actually provided to the state of New York.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Always a good thing to do, and we appreciate that. On the high speed rail study specifically, we were able to secure those dollars in last year's budget process. And I know that, through ongoing conversations, you're working on trying to get that process started. Can you give us just kind of an overview update of when the contract has been approved eventually, what that will look like in terms of the study and the process going forward?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J. So we have the corridor ID program. We'll look at how we can and we're going incorporate the high speed rail element. How can we actually make sure that we look at what the opportunities are for, I'll say, faster trains, basically, and the connectivity upstate? And we undertook a tier one EIS a few years ago. It was a great foundation for all of this. We're taking advantage of the federal money that's been coming our way and really looking to see, as you've articulated, how that connectivity can actually take place potentially faster. Faster.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: DAVID Understood. And I appreciate that. And I think there's just a huge interest in connectivity. And we know that frequency and reliability are paramount, right? And so I appreciate you saying higher speed versus that traditional high speed rail. I think all things should be on the table as you think about opening up Upstate and better connecting Toronto. Of course, we are talking about Canada Day today in the Senate in a few hours. So talking about connecting Toronto to our neighbors in the city. And just quickly following up on Chair Kruger's point around the St. Regis Nation around State Route 37, just can you comment briefly on the paving process so far? Has there been paving done? Is that something that we can continue to work on?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: You know, I'm going to have to come back to you because we've done a number of efforts with them. So let me see what the actual update is on the project itself.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Appreciate you. Thank you very much.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: Thank you. Hi, Commissioner. The BQE Environmental Justice Coalition has called the corridor wide community led solutions that center environmental justice, improved air quality, and public health. What engagement is New York State DOT conducting alongside city DOT with the coalition and other community groups about EQE planning and alternatives to highway wide J. An authority?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: JULIE The city of New York for the last couple of years very closely to look at really defining their environmental process, to look at what all the potential alternatives are for the BQE. And so the city has really led specific to the triple cantilever, the city has really led that effort on engaging the public. But we've been part of that. We've been partnering with them on it all. And so I expect with the new administration, we've already had some initial discussions. We know that the BQE triple cantilever is something that's obviously front and center for them as well. And we'll continue to engage the public on that.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: Thank you. Just a follow-up. How much is New York spending on highway widening this decade, including every project, even if it identifies as safety or maintenance, which adds capacity to travel and or shoulder lanes? And what percentage of New York State DOT's capital budget is this?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So we don't look at highway widening. What we look at is every single project we have to undertake for either a secret process at the state level or a federal process if it's a NEPA related action. And we look at all alternatives. So we don't go into a project thinking this is going to be a widening project. We look at every single one of the things that has to be on the table is do we do nothing at all? So I can't quantify anything along the lines of what you're talking about. But what I can say is that with any project that we look at, we look at every single alternative to understand how do we best move people in their community the way that they want to move. And those are the questions that we're asking ourselves. So whether it's a safety project to reduce crash, to reduce conflict, to increase pedestrian and bike access. Whatever those elements are, we're looking at everything.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: Thank you. And just a last one. How does New York State DOT's BQE planning align with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, particularly with respect to projected vehicle miles traveled and emissions?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So that, the BQE, if you're talking about the triple cantilever, it's all part of how we how the city is undertaking their environmental review process. All of those elements are included in their environmental review.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: What about the state's DOT planning?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So we are engaged with the city on looking at north and south options. And it has not

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: you. The selling woman, Williams.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Thank you so very much. In regard to our truck drivers, as everyone know in this room, that truckers are the backbone of our country and of our state.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: These are

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: ladies. They are essential. However, my question is, with the federal administration going after CDL drivers and different types of regulations, how is the state DOT, DMV working with TANI

[Mike Burroughs, State Director of Government Relations, ACEC New York]: to,

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: you know, to address this issue? And is there any plan to address this CDL issue that is probably very near upon us?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: So first and foremost, we wanna make sure that, any engagement with the federal government and our CDL holders is that we're complying with Executive Order 170.1 to make sure that it's being done appropriately and legally. Secondly, with regard to CDL drivers and if you're talking about the Trump administration's examination of New York State and our issuance of CDL licenses, that is really something that is being dealt with directly by the Department of Motor Vehicles. And I would have to defer to them on the next steps with regard to the actions that are being taken there. But obviously, it's a whole of state implication.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: So But DOT does have but DOT also does have a role on there because when they do pull over this, you know, these truck drivers and and so forth Correct. Is there any, you know, relationship there, like, again, the plan? Because even though we can say it's on DMV, DOT does have a significant role when they do pull over these truck drivers?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Well, our role in particular is to look at the safety of motor carriers. And so where we have motor carrier inspectors, if there is a violation, then we work directly with the federal entities on that. But at the same time, we also have to be very cognizant about our due process commitments under the Executive Order 170.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Right. And where English language is concerned Correct. We're not targeting CDL drivers when they're pulled over. Correct?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We do have to enforce where we see it. But honestly, it's part of the framework on what we have to do. But the majority of that for regard to English language compliance is really under DMV.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Right. Well, I will definitely like to see a plan in place. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblywoman Giglio.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Hi. Good afternoon. Thank you, Commissioner. And I want to thank you for your pre meetings, pre budget meetings with us. It's very much appreciated. I also want to thank you for protecting labor and the jobs on state roads for under budget, on time and safety. So thank you for that. Something I've been talking about for years at these budget hearings is reuses for recyclables. So we have a big problem with solid waste management on Long Island, and especially when it comes to recycling where townships are now taking it upon themselves to put in glass pulverizing equipment for reuses. But we need those uses in the specifications for highway jobs, whether it be for drainage, whether it be for shoulders, whether it be for, you know, whatever it may be. We need reuses for pulverized glass. Can we work this year towards putting that into the specifications so that municipalities can use it on the roadways?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: We are actually, I would say, on the cutting edge nationally on using not only just low carbon but recycled materials in a number of our engineering specifications across the board. So happy to work with you specifically on some of the recycling opportunities on Long Island. But we just one of the projects I talked about, Annesville Circle in Westchester County, we raised the roadway. It was a resiliency project trying to eliminate flooding. And we used recycled glass. It was a huge Yeah.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: And I appreciate that. I appreciate that the state is doing that. But we need to allow our municipalities to do it also.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: A number of municipalities actually take our engineering instructions. That's what they use.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: But they go off the specifications off the general contract when they bid out the general contract for the township. So we need those specifications in there so those projects could be properly bid when it comes to drainage and it comes to, you know, shoulders. Also, ash. You know, we have the solid waste management is currently being incinerated. And there are no specifications for the use of ash, whether it be mixed with concrete or whether it be used for another purpose. We really need to come up with specifications for reuse of recyclables, please.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Okay.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Thank you so much.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: You're welcome.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblyman Magnarelli.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Just to close, again, thank you very much for being here, Commissioner. I have one other thing to add. Now, you have asked us to get on board with work zone safety measures. And I'm in agreement with, you know, more cameras and trying to enforce all of that stuff. But I also have a bill, okay, that deals with drug enforcement. And all I'm asking you to do is to kind of help me out also and get that pushed over the finish line as well. Because I think right now, not being able to charge somebody with a drug offense unless it's on some kind of a federal list that is not up to date, is just not working, and has actually caused a fatality in a work zone. So I hope you take that into consideration as well. Thank you.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: I understand.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, and Commissioner, that ends your portion of this public hearing. I want to thank you for all that you are doing and will do, and best of luck. I just have one really quick, quick question. The speed camera tools I'm 100% in favor of, are they enforced twenty four hours a day or during working hours or there's no time limit?

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: On work zone speed cameras, it's only during the the ones on the New York State Department of Transportation, it's only during the time that we're actually doing work on the roadways. It's actually a car that pulls up with a camera on top. And while the work is actually being done, it's not twenty fourseven. It's not a stationary camera per se. It's a movable camera.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Okay, thank you. Because I know the cameras that we put in school zones

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: No,

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: they're like there's twenty four hours a day. And you're driving three blocks from a school at 02:00 in the morning at 35 miles an hour, you get a $55 ticket because it's a 10 mile zone or something. No. Okay. Thank you much.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: Thank very much.

[Senator John C. Liu]: Our

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: group is a panel, actually. We have the commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, former member Mark Schrader, and the executive director of the New York Thruway Authority, the honorable Frank Oh,

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: I see. Hold on.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Good afternoon, two members, former members of the New York State Assembly. One elected, one a staff. Remember you, Frank.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: I was

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: thinking, when was Frank a member?

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: No, was Danny Farrell. He was ways and means. He knows all about these hearings. That's why he's going give us such a magnificent testimony right now. Which one of you are going to start? Who flipped? All right. The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Mark Schroeder.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Good afternoon, distinguished chairs

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: and makers.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: As a former member of the New York State Legislature, it's my honor to speak to you about the great work happening at DMV and in your districts. Joining me is Christian Jaxstadt. He's Executive Deputy Commissioner of DMV. I'll give you a brief summary this afternoon and I've submitted a longer version for your consideration, Mr. Chairman, later. Since I was given the opportunity to lead DMV as commissioner seven years ago, we changed our vision statement to shatter the perceptions of the DMV. And thanks to our more than 3,000 dedicated employees, we are passionately doing that every day, effectively and efficiently serving tens of thousands of New Yorkers. We take pride in being the front door to state government. Regarding technology, providing an exceptional experience for our customers is a driving force behind the agency's ongoing technology modernization plan. When I sat before you last year, I was looking forward to tackling that project head on. And now I'm happy to say we are literally days away from rolling out our first phase of the project. As you may have seen from recent press, beginning on Friday, February 13 at 2PM, all DMV offices will be closed for business and DMV online transactions and phone services will be unavailable. All DMV operations will resume on Wednesday, February 18. This brief interruption over holiday weekend will allow for our new system to be implemented and tested to ensure the successful resumption of services. Regarding the executive budget, Governor Hochul's budget provides $490,000,000 to support the agency's day to day operations, both state and county run offices. And there are no new funds for the transformation project as it is continuing on time and on budget with previously appropriated funds. Thanks to the governor and thanks to you, the legislature. The return on this investment will be felt immediately through improved customer service and DMV reducing its reliance on outdated, unstable technology. DMV generates almost $2,500,000,000 per year. So when systems and offices go down, the impact adds up quickly. And speaking of technology, as localities and tolling authorities expand the use of licensed plate readers through various camera programs, we at DMV recognize there are some growing pains. Some constituents have unfortunately had their plates copied or stolen, used elsewhere. We want to assure you that we are working closely with our agency partners like the New York State Police to crack down on these bad actors. And we're working together with Thruway, MTA, New York City and other tolling agencies to make sure we're doing what we all can to prevent this from happening. But we know that there will always just be people who try not to pay their fair share or find some way to cheat the system. Through the leadership of our governor, DMV staff have been active in state, in the state's fight against ghost plates and toll evasion. Since its inception in 2024, DMV participated in more than 118 details through the Ghost Plate Task Force that led to more than 1,600 arrests and 6,627 illegal vehicles seized. Regarding auto insurance, in her state of the state message, the governor has also laid out a plan to protect New Yorkers from ever increasing auto insurance premiums. A portion of which comes as a result of fraudulent crime, crashes. DMV stands ready with our fellow agencies in taking on a needed coordinated approach to investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud across the state. Regarding road safety, the governor also proposed a high-tech road safety solution. Her executive budget authorizes New York City to create their own intelligence speed assistance program to target the top super speeders whose reckless driving puts New York City resident residents at risk. It would allow the city to put speed limiters in the vehicles of the worst of the worst repeat offenders. Moreover, the governor wants to keep our workers safe as well. Her budget expands the categories of transportation workers that qualify for enhanced assault protections to include our frontline employees that provide vital services to our customers each and every day. Keeping everyone safe on the roads is central to the mission of both the DMV and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee which I chair. In July 2024, we proposed a series of regulatory amendments to make it easier to remove persistently dangerous drivers from our roadways. One piece of those regulations has already been fully in place since 01/03/2025. That section of the regulation lowers the number of drug or alcohol related convictions or incidents that triggers permanent denial of driving privileges from five to four. Soon the other regulations which established an updated point system will become enforceable. The new point system will apply to violations on and after 02/16/2026. Regarding our partners, I'd be remiss not to mention our critical partnership with the county clerks who run the DMV operations in 51 counties in Upstate New York. We, we rely on our close collaboration with the clerks to provide effective and efficient services to all New Yorkers. They are also key partners with our donate life 2026 master plan of excellence. In closing, I am confident that if you visit a DMV today or even three weeks from now, you will be as pleased as so many of our customers who write to us each day with compliments. And we look forward to making things even better in the years to come, taking full advantage of the technology underway and the efficiencies that DMV and its clients will fully realize from this investment. Special thanks, to our governor. And as I like to say, she is the only governor in New York State history whoever has run a DMV. Which is good for me and it's also good for all of our constituencies. Once again, thank you and we welcome any questions that you might have.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Brian?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Chairs of Pretlow and Krueger, Cunningham, and Magnarelli. And also good to see Chairs Bronstein and Comrie here today. Thank you for inviting me to speak. My name is Frank Warren. I'm the Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority. I'm joined by my colleague, the New Way Authority's Chief of Staff, Nicole LeBlonde. In the interest of time, I will offer abbreviated remarks. I have submitted a more detailed version for committee members to review at their convenience and if you or your staff have any questions, please contact me. Detroit is one of the safest highways in the nation and remains a dependable, affordable, and user fee supported highway. The Thruway Authority is committed to operating and maintaining a system that delivers the highest levels of safety, service, and reliability. The safety of the traveling public, our employees, our contractors, troop t, and first responders will continue to be the foundation of everything we do. Throughout my tenure as executive director, I've made it my highest priority to create a culture of safety and incorporate safety into all aspects of our work. Safety is critically important because for our workforce, there is never a routine day out on the road. One critical tool to enhance safety is the automated work zone safety enforcement program, which was sponsored by chairman Magnarelli and signed into law by governor Hochul in 2021. Data indicates that the average speed in work zones has decreased year over year showing that motorists are changing their behavior and slowing down in work zones. However, since it went into effect in 2023, more than 234,000 violations have been issued on a thruway alone. Nearly 15,000 violations have been sent to repeat offenders demonstrating the continued need for this program. I want to thank Governor Hochul and the legislature for their commitment to protecting our workforce through this meaningful legislative action that extended and expanded the pilot program through 2031. We strongly support the executive budget proposal which further expands this program to additional roadways and strengthens protections for our transportation workers. The funds generated from this program as well as additional three way funding is being used to enhance worker safety through technology. This includes a pilot program to use intrusion detection technology in real time for employees and contractors in work zones and another initiative to identify overheight vehicles and mitigate costly and dangerous bridge strikes. In 2025, the Thruway processed nearly 400,000,000 cashless tolling transactions, representing more than 8,200,000,000 miles traveled on New York's Main Street. To support this critical statewide corridor, the authority's five year capital plan is a historic $2,800,000,000 investment in the long term safety and reliability of the Thruway system. The five year plan will fund the replacement or preservation of 150 of the Thruway's eight nineteen bridges and the resurfacing of more than 1,500 miles of our 2,800 lane miles. This year's budget is just under $1,500,000,000 which includes $520,000,000 in capital investment, dollars $462,000,000 in operating expense, which includes $71,000,000 for the State Police Troop T, and $4.00 $5,000,000 for our debt service. All of this work means a smoother and safer ride for motorists and these are your toll dollars at work. The does not receive any dedicated federal, state, or local taxpayer funding. Our toll revenue goes directly toward making the Thruway one of the safest highways in the nation. The Thruway continues to offer some of the lowest toll rates in the country. The Thruway's base passenger toll rate is less than 5¢ a mile. Compare that to the Pennsylvania Turnpike which is more than zero one seven dollars a mile and the New Jersey Turnpike which is up to $0.41 a mile. We are constantly working to modernize our system to serve our customers. That modernization extends to our service areas across the system. We are proud to note that in November 2025, our final service area reopened as part of a $450,000,000 private investment to redevelop and reimagine all 27 service areas and that project was completed without any toll or tax dollars. The new service areas allow our customers to experience a wider variety of dining options and other amenities. And in working to serve our commercial trucking customers, we have included increased parking, laundry facilities and dedicated space at select locations on our system. As part of the service area project, we have committed to increasing the availability of electric vehicle charging. As of today, the Thruway has more than 120 electric vehicle charging stations. Each service area will have a minimum of four high speed chargers with capacity increasing as demand increases. This means you can travel from The Bronx to the Pennsylvania border without leaving our system to charge your vehicle. The Thruway Authority also continues to advance its medium and heavy duty electrification efforts through several coordinated initiatives. Working with our state partners in a cross agency working group, the authority is evaluating funding opportunities to support medium and heavy duty charging projects. At the same time, we are collaborating with utility providers to accelerate power delivery to service areas enabling faster expansion of the EV infrastructure. Also as part of our modernization efforts, we are moving ahead with $157,000,000 investment over twenty years to construct and operate a new emergency communications system. The enhanced radio system will use modern digital technology to ensure reliable communication for everyone involved in supporting the Thruway. This new system is scheduled to be operational in 2027. In April 2025, just last April, one of the largest back office customer service upgrades in EZ Pass history was completed. The upgraded platform streamlines the experience for millions of customers giving them one place to view toll bills, see transaction images and dispute charges. We are committed to working with our customers, providing education and support to answer their questions. But let's be clear, we have an obligation to collect tolls and users have an obligation to pay tolls. We have made progress with toll enforcement initiatives. Tolls represent 90% of our revenue and without collecting tolls, we would not be able to operate, maintain, and enhance our system. It is critical to balance toll collection with enforcement and we use a variety of enforcement tools to ensure that everyone pays their fair share. Working in partnership with State Police Troop T for toll enforcement, with DMV for registration suspensions, and with the Attorney General's Office and outside counsel to hold egregious and persistent violators accountable. As I wrap up, I want to affirm my commitment to Governor Hochul's charge, keeping the Thruway the safest, most reliable, and most affordable highway in the country. This is possible because of the professionalism and dedication of the more than 1,800 employees at the Thruway Authority. They serve the people of New York selflessly every day, three sixty five days a year. With historic investments, new and expanding safety programs, and a dedicated team, we are building a safer and affordable throughway for our employees, our contractors, and the millions of travelers who rely on us every day. Thank you for your time and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Mr. Executive Director. Our first questioner will be Assembly Member Magnarelli.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: So

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: I have ten minutes for both of them.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Is that it, Mr. Miller?

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: You have ten minutes for both of them. You can do five and five, or seven and three, or one to nine, however you wish. But do not go past ten minutes. And you've lost ten seconds just asking me that question.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: All right. So I've got ten minutes. First of all, I want to say this to both of you. As I said to the DOT commissioner, you folks have been very attentive in answering questions and getting back to my office. And again, not always everything I want to hear, but on the other hand, always being available and giving me the reasons why, Okay? I appreciate that. I think the people of the state of New York should appreciate all of you, and everybody who works for you as well. I think you do a great job.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Thank you.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. Not that we can't do better, but I think you do a great job. Having said that, let me start off with the DMV. So we've given you I'm going to speak in very DAVID general terms like you did. We've given you a whole bunch of money. I was going to use another word, but I won't. DAVID We've given you a whole bunch of money over the last couple of years to upgrade this system. Do you think after this coming weekend, a week from now, that the system is going to be up and running and really give the people of the state of New York a new idea of what the DMV is all about?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: I do, Mr. Chair. And I know it's going to happen. Unfortunately, DMV has been through this a few times over the last twenty years or so with two or three governors. It is going to work with this governor and with our employees. And the biggest problem, as you know, is that we have legacy lines, data lines that date back to Governor Rockefeller. We have to retire all of them and we will. And so over the next two weeks, we will continue to do the best we can to make sure that when we put forth a comprehensive brand new system that it works for all New Yorkers across New York State. We're very, very confident that it will work. The first rollout, as you know, will be President's Weekend. And we are concentrating on everything having to do with the driver's license. That would include non driver IDs. That would include the TVBs that we run-in the city of New York. All of that will be done during this rollout. And then in two years, we will do everything on the registration side.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Okay. So as you do this, we're going to be able to compare you're building that into this whole situation, comparing what it was like before we put it in and what it is now. When I see you next year hope to see you next year we will be able to compare. That's what I'm looking for. I don't want to hear, well, we didn't build that into the system.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Yeah, there's no question about it. Bill, you know, Mr. Chair, you know that that I was in the private sector for twenty five years. And so one of the things I learned there was measuring. You have to have measurements. And we we have that. We have that built in. And if I if I could show you, I won't now, but I could show you some videos of our employees who have done before and after. So they they now know they know exactly how they do their job now. And then when we work with them to show them how the new system works, it is absolutely remarkable. And I remind people, these are not actors. These are employees who are really enthusiastic because they know there is a difference and that it's going to work for New Yorkers, our customers.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. Okay. You touched upon toll enforcement. And this is something I'm going to bring up with you. I'm going to bring up with I already did with DOT, with

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: the

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: MTA. And Frank, you're next. So the bottom line is we know there are bad actors, as you say. There are people who tried to cheat the system. But there are also people who do everything right, the people who turn in their plates, get a receipt, and then all of a sudden get donned by our government, by our agencies, saying, you're going to get penalized, you're going to lose your license, you're going to do this, that, and the other thing. And some of these people get on the phone, try to get through to people. It takes a long time. It takes hours. They're waiting for a callback that never comes. That's uncalled for. And as I said, I think it was to the MTA this morning, it makes government look bad. It takes the trust that people have in our government to perform, it takes that away. And so I'm looking I know we've talked about this before, but I am looking for you and the other agencies to take care of this problem going forward. I know it's a problem, and I think there's some things that can be done. I am speaking to Commissioner Hoare as well. You know, I don't want to have to say it again, because I only have a certain amount

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: of time.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: But I just want to put that out there that this is very important, Okay?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I could just answer briefly, and then I'll yield to Frank. So I heard every word you said this morning to the MTA and so I want to be very clear. I heard what you said and I heard what the MTA's response was. So, so DMV is working with state police. We, we want to have no more duplicated plates, duplicate plates. And so it, it did happen. We, we do not duplicate plates at DMV. We have a relationship obviously with, with state police. We are working with them. And I do believe that it, it is, it will be resolved. And, and so that is one of the, one of the problems that was taking place. The other is certainly those who cheat, those who are doing ghost plates, those who are maneuvering plates and then a constituent was innocent in Syracuse finds out that there's something happened in Manhattan and that is wrong. And that's my, I'll end here. You know that we have a government relations liaison. Yeah. And she knows all of the +1 800 numbers. She knows how to get ahold of everybody. We at DMV, we don't do this. We try to be helpful with our partners to resolve the problems that you have with your constituents.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: That's what I want to hear. Thruway Commissioner. Go ahead.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Mr. Chairman, I would just add we absolutely agree with you that service has to be our number one priority and that's what we do. We have a dedicated staff in that. That's why we have three teams of customer service. We have a customer service center that we share with the Port Authority and MTA. Secondly, we have a toll payer advocate through legislation, and a supporting staff at the three way authority. And we also have an intergovernmental and public affairs staff who deals with questions from, the legislature and other elected officials throughout the state. So we have those three teams constantly working to address, questions and issues that come up and we're dedicated to ensuring that if you did not incur a toll, you will never pay a toll. If you did incur a toll, we're going to look for you to pay it. J.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: And I agree with that statement. For the Thruway Authority, again, Okay? We talk about electrification. You talk about how many chargers you're putting on each of the rest areas. By the way, I find them fine. I mean, there was so much of a commotion when they first started to come up. I find that going back and forth now from Albany to Syracuse, there are no problems there at any time that I did it. But the thing that I'm concerned about is this. You're talking about EVs for automobiles. Is there anything in the works yet about heavy duty trucks? Because from what I'm hearing from that industry, that doesn't exist. The trucks don't exist. The amount of power doesn't exist. The chargers don't exist. So what are we doing? I mean, I need to get a better timeline on what the experts, you folks, think.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, that's why we're part of an overall team, not only intergovernmentally, but working with the utilities to provide that. We're working hard. I can't talk to give an exact date on the timeline. But it's a complicated issue that we're all dealing with as agencies. It's been complicated by the policies out of DC now, which will have cut funding for many of these programs. And it also impacts us from other states. It does J.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Very quickly, then what do you suggest we do as legislature at this point in time? Do we continue to push for things that are impossible? Or do we relook at things and get a different timeline?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, respectfully, it's not for me to say what's impossible or not. I we're looking to

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Well, can't tell me you can put them in.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I can't give you a date on that. I can tell you that there will be time when they will exist and they will be at the thrill J.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Hope I'm alive. Okay? But I agree there will be a time when you'll put them in. But the question is, when and what do we do in the interim? But I thank you for your testimony. Thank you, both of you.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha]: D. Good

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: afternoon, gentlemen and lady.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you. You.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Our first questioner will be Jeremy Thank

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Cooney, our Chair of Transportation. Ten minutes.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: You, Chair. Great to see you, Commissioner and Director. Thank you both for your great partnership and the conversations that take place outside of these formal budget hearings. I appreciate the updates and the regular communication between you and members of your staff.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: I'm going

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: to start with DMV first. Commissioner, I want to thank you for bringing up the governor's leadership as it relates to fraud. We'll actually be introducing new legislation next week around the same topic to help expand and prosecute fraudulent actions that raise insurance costs for all of us, including our drivers. And thank you also for bringing up this Speed Limiters Program. My colleague, Senator Gennardis, has been a wonderful leader on this. I do believe, however, that that program should be expanded across the entire state, not just limited to New York City. I want to talk about one of the governor's Article VII that you did not mention, which is, of course, the proposed language around autonomous vehicles. And we've had testing in New York State on autonomous vehicles since, I believe, 2017. And I wonder if you could just briefly comment on how those tests have gone. Any kind of themes that you've seen so far? Any concerns that have come across your desk as commissioner at DMV?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Thank you, Senator. So first, let me just say this. Let me be clear to all of you. The governor's budget includes a language for limited deployment of commercial for higher autonomous passenger vehicles outside of the city of New York. DMV would receive applications from autonomous vehicle networks and is authorized to approve or deny applications based on a number of factors. One of the most important factors, in this Article seven, in this language, is that the communities in New York State, outside of the city, they have to be participants. They have to be willing participants. They have to show evidence that they want to do this within their municipality. And so I think that is one of the most important things. Sometimes people feel that they're being forced to do things. This is the opposite of that.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Commissioner, how will they show that level of local support? Does that require a municipal resolution from city council or a town board? Does that require the executive officer to send a letter to your office or your division? How will we actually officially count what that local support looks like?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: It would probably be all of the things that you just suggested, Senator. Usually what happens, I know being a member of the assembly for seven years, many times municipalities, Erie County would send a message to the assembly and the Senate. And it would be very clear to what they were looking for.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Similar like a home rule type.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: A home rule or some something of that nature. So it it could be a number of different things that could take place. But what we would be looking for, and it would be a part of part of the application process, would be the municipality who is agreeing to at least having the conversation to make sure that they are comfortable also as the relationship endures.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Could you speak thank you for that clarification. Can you speak to testing, though, that has already taken place? So we've seen a number of vehicles actually in Erie County that are doing winter weather testing last year and the year before. I know they've been in Rochester and Syracuse and I believe here in Albany. Of course, they're currently operating and testing in New York City. Again, people behind the wheel. Yeah. But they're mapping and going through the process. Has there been any safety concerns that you have seen through the testing process that has taken place already?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: I think one of the reasons why we are where we are right now with this Article seven is because DMV and state police and our other partners throughout the state, we have been comfortable in knowing that this is working. And that at some point in time we need to go to the next level. And so when we go to the next level, we want to make sure we're doing it with agreement from municipalities.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: I absolutely agree. Safety has to be the paramount factor here. And I appreciate that. I want to go over to the New York State Thruway Authority. And I want to thank you again, Director Hoare, for your leadership around worker safety. Thank you for all that you're doing. We fully support you and all of the work zone protections that you're seeking to bring about. I want to highlight a couple of things. First, you mentioned that 90% of your revenue comes from tolling. And we all know that process well, frequent Thruway users. But there have been some kinks, as you acknowledged, along the cashless tolling process. Misread license plates, some billing errors, I know you're working on that. And you're working on that with your sister agencies and authorities who are also using this kind of same back end software. But do you have a sense of how many customers have been impacted by the misreading through cameras or the cashless tolling process?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I don't have an exact number. I can tell you that in the since the time we've gone to cashless tolling, there have been over 2,000,000,000 transactions. You So any time you use technology, it brings great benefits but there are going to be issues. So, we're working through that. Our emphasis is on customer service and responding to those questions or issues that come up. It was further complicated that last April, we went to this new contract. We're a new vendor with our partners at MTA and the Port Authority. And we saw some issues there mostly related to delayed billing, some image mistakes but we worked with our three agencies worked with the vendor to address that. And again, we worked with our customer service representatives and those teams that deal those three different teams that deal with those issues to resolve that and to catch up on the billing and to make sure, again, that you only pay the toll that you're required to pay.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: I appreciate that because, again, affordability is the theme of this year. We know that a lot of people who rely on taking the Thruway or your partners with the MTA or the Port Authority of New York, New Jersey can't afford some of these extra fines and fees that they may be given incorrectly. And appreciate your willingness to take a look at that. And I appreciate your connection with the Transportation Committee on the Senate side specifically memoing that point. Can you talk about specifically any steps you're taking with that vendor to address this? Is this a technology issue or is this an information sharing issue?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: It's mostly technology, whereas they roll out this new contract and the technology from last April. There are issues with that. We have quality control, quality assurance people at each of the three agencies. They're required contractually to have quality control, quality assurance oversight on this and they have a contractual obligation to us. So we will be holding them to that contract. And where damages are due or other remedies are due to three agencies, we will certainly forcefully push that and hold them accountable.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: G. Please make sure that the drivers and the residents of the state of New York are held harmless in this process, even if they have to be reimbursed later on. Quickly, I know we've had a lot of conversations on the new 1% surcharge that has been moved forward by the Authority. This is really on toll management providers. Could you comment quickly on the ability of the Thruway Authority to implement this and any sort of projected revenue that you expect will be generated from this new surcharge and how those funds will be used?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: That you're referring to a new program that we had proposed. I will note that two toll providers, the two historical ones that have been there, have sued us. So I'm limiting what I can address there. But let me tell you that this was a program that we looked at to enhance affordability for commercial drivers who we value very much. We make sure that affordability is key to our commercial drivers. That's why we offer them three different levels of affordability. We start off with the cheapest toll per mile in the country at 19 percent per mile versus a Pennsylvania that is $0.67 a mile. We then have if they use a New York State Easy Pass, they get that discount. So there's a 75% discount there rather than if they were paying by tolls by mail. And finally, we offer a commercial program is at the heart of this and that commercial program is rare for The United States and very generous. Our program provides a 20% discount for commercial drivers. Compare that to Pennsylvania, which is 3%. So there's been miscommunication, misunderstanding on that. Let me tell you that any commercial driver that received a toll bill in December under the old program will see exactly the same toll charges in January under the new program. And we think that this new program is going to bring accountability and affordability and competition to that program. We already have two new programs two new vendors who have signed up for that.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you, Director.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblyman Brunstein.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you. Commissioner Schroeder, it's good to see you up here again. Most of my questions are going to be for Director Hoare. I want to talk about the tolls by mail. What percentage of customers are charged tolls by mail versus E ZPass?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Right now, have about 86% participation in the E ZPass program.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: So 14% is tolls by mail? Yes. Of that 14%, how many would you estimate are, like a percentage, delinquent?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Of that, we have approximately 4% that we are in various levels of chasing for their toll bills.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Is there average arrears for those customers that you can like a ballpark?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I don't have that available. Can get back to you on that. The ones we go after though are the high priority ones or, you know, they tend to be of that number. They're mostly out of state commercial trucking companies. So we are going after them. We prioritize the higher numbers because we have limited resources but we are using various tools to go after them and those drivers, those passenger vehicles who have racked up huge amounts. Again, the term we use is egregious and continuing violators who owe bills and ignore the bills that they receive. Some get their registrations suspended but continue to drive and use the system and rack up even further bills. Those So are the ones we prioritize going after. We're not looking at somebody to play gotcha that misses one or two months of a bill. When it gets to a registration suspension point, it's probably a year plus that they have not paid their tolls in general.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: In the twenty twenty four-twenty twenty five budget, the state enacted legislation making some informational and procedural requirements on the toll by mail program, Toll Payer Advocate's Office, a schedule of violation fees, comprehensive information about toll closing on the bill. Have they been helpful at all?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Yes, they have. They've clarified and they've helped us they've helped the customer. I believe it's clarified what they owe and why they owe it. And we continue to work with them to make it as easy as possible for them to for our customers to pay their toll bill.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Because I talk to colleagues and many of them have constituents who, for whatever reason, maybe they moved, maybe the three way authority has the wrong address, they didn't receive their bill in the mail and these fees and violations keep piling up. Do you work with people on payment plans?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: We don't have a general payment plan policy. We have at times settled, accounts where, there's a payment, like plan. Let me just, just for clarity, the address that we send a bill to is the address that we have that's on record for them, right? So if they move and haven't changed their address, then we're using the old one. But there's an obligation that if you move that you change your address. And just like if they move in their cable bill or any other bill that they have in order to get their bills, they're going to do that. So, we send a bill to the address that that is their official record of address to where they live, where their license is.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: No, mean, understand but inevitably this happens, right? And people who normally would pay a bill if they got it, they didn't see it and like I said, I hear from constituents who have I hear from colleagues and constituents who have, without knowing it, racked up fees and violations. And I get the question was, again, do you try to work with them on a payment plan, or do you send it to a debt collection?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: No, we work with them. We try not to get to a debt collection and we try and collect the fee. It's better for us to collect whatever we can on that. Many times we don't hear from people, the ones that run up the big numbers as said before are people who haven't paid their bill in a year plus. If they fall a month or two behind, most of those people are responsible and they're talking to us and we try and work with them in every way we can. We want them to keep their registration valid. We want to keep them out there driving and we want to help them to continue to do that. So we'll work with them to pay what they owe.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Do you have an idea of what percentage of your toll revenue is derived from violation and administrative fees?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: 90 almost the whole 90% is from the actual toll. I have to get that breakdown to segregate it out to the that comes from fees. Our maximum fees two years ago, three years ago, we reformed our and redid our our violation schedule. So the most you can incur now in a in a given year is $600, $50 a month if you haven't paid. So if you haven't paid for a year, the most you you pay is is is the $600. Others some other tolling agencies will charge by the actual transaction or violation. So we brought that down. We're seeing less numbers in those violations and we work with folks to you know, so they can pay their bill.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Do you calculate those violations and administrative fees in your projected revenues when you enter into bonding agreements?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: No. We look at the amount based on usage on the throwaway and, we look to those numbers to what is the actual toll pursuant to the toll schedule and the toll regime would set out based on numbers of use and what the toll amounts are.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. The toll payer advocates office, working with them, have they identified or made any recommendations for improvements to the current process?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, toll payer advocates within the two zero eight authority, they're constantly giving us feedback. Last year, it was approximately 48,000 inquiries, that came to us. These are folks that came to us after not getting service at the customer service center or had questions about that. So we work with them. If we see a pattern, we obviously will go back and work on that. Most of the complaints, most of the questions come in about they didn't pay their bill, they didn't see the bill for some time and then they're coming to us to try and fix that which we work with them on. That's tolling questions or bill questions are not the only inquiries we get. We'll get everything from how do I change my credit card, so I need to order Velcro to affix the transponder device in their vehicle. So it runs across the board.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. And then this is for either of you. And it's just kind of a general question. Have we seen improvements on enforcement of the ghost plates, right? I think for the general public, when you're driving around, you see people in front of you when you're stopped at a light who clearly have defaced or altered plates. And you know that they're not paying their tolls. And I think for the general public it's frustrating just to see people so openly flouting the rules. And I think it's something that we'd like to see cracked down. Have we seen improvement? Have we seen the expansion of ghost plates? Where are we?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: For the thruway, it is not as significant an issue as it is for my colleagues at the MTA or Port Authority. The way we're dealing with it is greater cooperation and collaboration with, Troop T of the state police and do these enforcement, enforcement days and enforcement checkpoints, throughout the state. We did about seven last year that focused on registration stops and other violation stops and we've been trying to attack it that way.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: So what happens if someone's clearly scratched off their license plate, they're pulled over, what is the penalty?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I don't know what the monetary amount but there's a penalty for defacing that. It's defacing or covering up, we've seen that. But, again, working with state police to try and prioritize that and, and cut down on that.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Commissioner, do you have anything?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. So, something we we can get you some numbers because the governor created the ghost plate, toll evasion task force in 2024. So DMV has been working with all of the different police authorities across the state. And as I mentioned in my testimony, there have been a number of arrests. There have been seizure of vehicles. And we have numbers that we would be able to share with you. And we will send it to you immediately.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Great. Great. Thank you both. Sorry.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. And our first questioner is going to be Leroy Comrie, Chair.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you. DMV commissioner Schroeder, how are you doing with compliance with the enhanced ID? And will the system be able to do, excuse me, enhanced ID online for people that want to need to upgrade once you get the new system online?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. So the campaign that we ran because the federal government put a deadline date. And so New Yorkers have to have, everybody in United States would have to have an enhanced driver's license or a real ID. And so that was extremely successful. All of that will be integrated into our first rollout because as I mentioned in my testimony, the first rollout has everything to do with the driver's license in your wallet, in your purse, or on your phone. And so we're very, very comfortable that that transition will take place. But I want to just give New Yorkers credit. They have complied with the federal requirement. They are REAL ID compliant. And there are some who are still working on it because they don't have any trips planned anywhere. But it but for the most part, it has worked very successfully.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: And people will be able to sign up and get a driver's license and enhanced ID online now after the computer updated? Or will they still have to come into DMV office?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. So Senator, it is a federal requirement. This is not a DMV thing. This is a federal requirement that they have to go into a DMV office to become REAL ID compliant or they can go to a county clerk or to a passport office to get their passport. But they have to go into a DMV office.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: People were asking me. They were hoping to because how long does it take to get an appointment now? The time has gotten shorter?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Well, it will depend. When it was during the rush of people trying to get a real ID, it was a little bit more difficult. But now it's very, very simple. And I will tell you, especially in Metropolitan New York, because when I first went there in 2019 and went to our offices and people would come up to me because I had a shirt and tie on, and they would say to me, mister, I've been here for three hours. Can you please save me? And so now that doesn't happen anymore. The appointments really do help. And our our staff, they're they're they're very kind to our customers. If a customer comes in, they don't have an appointment, they will try to get them in later that day so they don't have to come back in again. So they have the flexibility to try to make it as easy as possible for all New Yorkers.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Great. Thank you. You've done a great job. And are you still enhancing opportunities for private businesses to do D. B. Transactions? And have you increased the amount of private entities that are doing D. M. B. Transactions?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: We haven't. But there is that opportunity for those entities providing that they do it exactly the way DMV says. And that some will do it and they will assist the customer, but they have to do it through a county clerk's office. Some may be able to go direct, but they have to be able to get through the scrutiny of DMV to make sure that they're legitimate.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Right. Thank you. Thank you. Director Hoare, I have the toll ID app, but I'm still getting tickets that are not showing up on the app. How do we fix that?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: We will have our customer service rep look at each individual issue but that program is has generally been working. So if there are glitches or if there's individual cases, then we will certainly address that through one of our customer service teams.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: -How many customer service teams do you have?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: -Well, we have three levels. We have the customer service center, which is a couple 100 people that, work that serve not only the TruA authority, the Port Authority and MTA. We have our own toll payer advocate and a HRS staff, which is approximately, eight people within TruA. And then our third level of teams are intergovernmental and public, affairs teams that typically deal with, constituent, inquiries and requests from, state and local officials.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: How big is the first team? And can a constituent go to a location to see someone?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: For the customer service center, there's a phone number and a and a website to to access. That is, several 100 people. If there's an issue, we often surge. We require the, the vendor to surge that but

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: We get nothing but complaints that people can never get through to that number. We get nothing but complaints that a person can wait two hours to get an answer sometimes from that number. So I don't know what's going on. If you're claiming there's a 100 people working there, they're all at lunch at the same time or doing something, but I get nothing but complaints that people can't access the system. The second level of operation where if you're saying that they they have customer service help, We're now told that we can't contact those folks to get answers, that elected officials' offices can't get a direct answer. The system is broken and it needs to be fixed. I mean, you need to triple your manpower. Even on the executive level, we're told that I can't make a call to get an answer from somebody. That's just ridiculous.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, so I don't know who's telling you that because

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Your staff. Your staff. The the the staff is there. We only have you said you only have eight people at the executive level that's handling complaints from the entire state. You know, we're not getting any satisfaction from anyone. And I have constituents that are trying to do the right thing and they wind up getting fees and fines and they can't get any adjudication at all. It's ridiculous that a constituent that is legitimately trying to pay their bill can't get away to get in per in person or even a return email from someone to to try to resolve these problems. It's a major problem. I know I'm articulating it not just from myself but many other members. We're frustrated at this point. And even our leader has said that she's having problems with getting responses. This has to stop. You know, it's not it's it's ridiculous that I'm getting a ticket that was sent to me from something in July. I just received it last week and it's not on my toll payer app at all. And I pay automatically. I have a credit card attached to it, so it should happen automatically. And any fines and fees, should be able to get back automatically. But none of this is working. And I have too many constituents that are winding up with $10,000 bills and they can't get any adjudication at all. We have a Toll Payer Protection Act bill that we've been trying to pass. Unfortunately, the governor's office and your staff has been fighting it, you know. But we have a lot of legitimate people that are trying to access the system and can't, and this this has to stop. And, you know, I mean, this is not the first time that we brought it up, but I think the level of frustration among members, I'm the first one to articulate it today. I won't be the last. I'm trying to be polite even though I'm sitting I don't know. Matt Slater is not here. It's something.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: He's right here.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: He's right here. But this is the level of frustration that that really has to be fixed. And there's no reason that, hey, you can't hire enough people to fix this. I understand you need to get most of your money through tolls and fees, but ripping off the righteous customers is not the way to do it.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, and we're not doing that, Senator, respectfully.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Not ripping anybody, have respectfully.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: There's a major problem and, you know, we need to get it fixed. I'm sorry that you don't believe there's a major problem, but we can bring you the documentation definitively on all the people that are getting ripped off by the, two way authority and the other authorities because they can't get access to get even a real hearing to get these things resolved.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Senator, please do. I look forward to that.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Pardon me?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Please bring that documentation. I look forward to going through the hearing.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Well, I'd like to be able to bring it to somebody, but no one wants to meet with us. That's the other problem. So if you can assign somebody today

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: L. I'll sign me.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I'll tell you.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I pledge to you, I'll sign me right now.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: L. Great. Thank you. Thank you. I'm done.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: You, chairman. Thank you, gentlemen, for being here with us. Mr. Shorter, I'd be remiss if I didn't just thank you and your staff for over the last couple of years. You worked with my staff regarding a piece of legislation that the governor signed in December that will ultimately allow us to implement the program for people to enroll in the bone marrow registry. So I thank you and your staff for the comments you provided as we were working on that. And I look forward to in the future, hopefully being as successful as you guys have been with the organ donation issue. I thank

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: you for that.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. L. You.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: J. So the proposal with regard to motorcycle safety, my understanding over the last several years was that we were kind of down in terms of the amount of instructors that were out there. I know that the department, I guess, contracts to make sure there are schools I don't know if that's the proper term but in different areas of the state to ensure contracts. Do you have any sense of where we are at this point a few years ago? Somebody, I think, had a number that it was down like 20% below what really the target number was in terms of having those instructors.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. We we are perfectly set up right now. There there was a situation that took place not too long ago where we had to we we were waiting before it it would go through. And I know that that we had a conversation and and senator Cooney also was concerned about a operation within Monroe County. But that has passed and everything has gone well. Right now, what the governor is suggesting now is that it would the training for motorcycle would be sort of mandatory. Right now, about 85% of New Yorkers who ride a motorcycle, they're doing it. But we want to make sure it's 100% and for reasons that you're concerned about.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: J. Great. Thank you. Executive director, so I know that as we've gone through, and I guess we're on the tail end now of the rest stops, which is welcome. It was a lonely couple of years driving up and down towards Downstate with no place to stop. So I'm happy they've reopened at this point. But am I correct there's also, I guess, a fuel contract that has to come up now with regard to who the, you know, gas stations will be that's separate from the rest stop buildings themselves?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: You are correct, Salimsky, and that comes up, the current one, ends 03/31/2027. So just in about a year.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Okay. So can you just give us a sense of what that process looks like in terms of making sure that we have operators that are going to be there to serve the motorists on the throughway?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Yes, of course. So we started looking at that a year ago, and we've been talking to subject matter experts in the field to help us imagine what should a fuel site, the fuel point, the gas station look like, not just, next year but five, ten, fifteen years out. So we've been working with that and those recommendations, that study, and those points that they're giving to us will inform the request for proposal that we will issue later this spring and summer. We'll issue that, we'll look for proposals to come in and then as the you know, according to the standard RFP process and we'll evaluate that and we'll select the best value for the people of New York.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Okay. And then do you anticipate that as that's awarded that most of these will get reconstructed? And if so, will it be done in a similar manner to the three way building to the rest of buildings in terms of staggered to make sure that there is not too far without somebody being able to access fuel?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: That'll be looked at the actual what it looks like is one of the elements of that's being explored. I would anticipate that when it's time to roll these out, we'll do something similar that there'll be no two consecutive service areas closed to make it as easy as possible for our drivers.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you.

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: You're welcome, sir.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Hi. Our next questioner will be our transportation chair, Senator Cooney. You already went? I thought it went Comrie first. He went also. Yes, he did. Excuse me. I'm sorry. Let's pick Senator Griffo, who's been here for a long time waiting for this time.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Thank you.

[Senator Joseph A. Griffo]: Thank you both for appearing and your accessibility. And thanks to the men and women of both agencies for their work. Director Horne, you've been hearing this today. You and I have spoken about this. We continually have countless complaints about a system that was put in place over five years ago, the cashless towing. And the complaints are numerous. They're regular. We do refer specific issues, and and you guys handle them, but but they continue. Just last November, the WKTV, the NBC affiliate, in the Utica area did a story where they received over 1,200 complaints, everything ranging from double billing, erroneous billing, people being billed from locations they never traveled to, bills being improperly processed, deciphering the very statement, the bill itself can be challenging. The controller in September did an audit, found the agency was not as responsive as they should be in monitoring and addressing these issues. We've we've I've asked chairman Cooney to have the agency come to a transportation committee meeting, hopefully, in the near future so we can have a more thorough conversation. And you've identified the vendor conduit. But these are problems, not challenges. You hear the frustration not only from the members here, but from the public. And you're infringing on money. That's a money factor, on time. And that equates to aggravation from the public. And you talked about how consumer service, customer service is the most important thing. And and I do believe you understand this. The question is, how do we fix this now? I don't think we have time anymore. I mean, it's still a problem. And and in my opinion, it's not a challenge, it's a problem. And it needs a remedy and it needs that remedy and a new direction now. So what can we do in that regard?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, you know, senator, because you've been a seller's advocate for your constituents when they have an issue, that we deal with it. We deal with it for right and and quickly. There are always going to be questions or issues. Many of the questions and issues that we get are simply mistakes. People feel it's the way the system is set up where you they are billed gantry by gantry creates questions on on people that read the bill. So they think they're being double billed for a trip when when they're not. We ran into a problem last summer and spring with the advent of the new contract where there were delays and on a single trip. Maybe you took a trip from Exit 31 to Exit 36 and you went through a number of gantries. And we had, the issue where only only some of those gantries were read and not all in the first bill we received, then they were read on the second bill. And people felt they were being double billed. We worked with them to point out to them what the issues were.

[Senator Joseph A. Griffo]: We've got to make the bill easier, Frank.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: A. Well, we'll constantly strive.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: We're

[Senator Joseph A. Griffo]: looking It's like a quarterback calling the police from the line right now when you read the numbers, right? So what can we do to make it easier, knowing what you've experienced?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: G. Well, our experience is we've been looking to make those bills, the invoices they get, more readable and understandable.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: J. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. J. L. Assemblyman Miller.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: J. Thank you, Commissioner Shorter and Executive Director Hoare. I'm gonna stay I'm gonna stay right on that because when they call Senator Griffo's office and you can't give him an answer, they call my office right after that because we're both in the the same area. I just got some real quick questions on it. Cashless tolling efficiency. What's the efficiency of your cashless tolling system? You monitor that all the time.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: The efficiency is a quicker ride as you're on the system. It's environmental impacts have been positive. And finally, in terms of the vast majority of bills

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: that

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: receive are received and it's easier for people to pay those bills.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. Just give me a number. The capture rate of the toll list of your cameras on there, it's 98% efficient, 88% efficient. It's reading the way this is supposed to.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Out of those 2,000,000,000 transactions in the last four years, 99% of them have been accurate.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. Thank you. Toll collecting, you already gave us that number. Could you give us efficiency in your toll collecting? You're at you got a million tolls.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: J. Approximately 96% of people who incur a toll pay their toll. J.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. Out of state and out of country toll collections, how doing about with that? Because we talk about that every every year at these hearings. Are we able to collect efficiency efficiency out of state motorists?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: For the most part, that's being done. The out of state motors are sign up for an easy pass, and that that is good in New York. They pay a different rate from a New York E ZPass, but, I would say, the majority of of people from out of state are are paying their their, tolls either by through the E ZPass system or toll by mail system.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: G. Okay. So if they don't pay, are we able to collect?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: G. Well, that's what we go after. And we go after and attempt to collect every toll dollar that's incurred.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: G. Okay. Throughway safety, let's go back to workforce. I know we talked about this. And just to refresh my memory, DOT workforce, our Throughway workforce, where are we? Are we 100% fully staffed?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: No, we're not.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. If we're not 100%, we're we're actively recruiting mechanics, plow drivers, heavy equipment operators every day.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: It is a constant, challenge and a constant priority for Thruway. We see we see the challenge to hire in in in at the Thruway just like our partners in other state agencies and at local and county offices as well. So we make that effort to make sure that we do everything we can to have a, that we invest in our workforce. That's number one, that we invest in our workforce, make the Thruway a great place to work and we're constantly thinking about retention and then succession planning takes a good part of our time.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. So going down the road as the baby boomers are in their full retirement swing right now, When do you think we're going to have an issue five, seven years down the road with employment numbers?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I'm sorry to say, think the baby boys are already gone. We're on the next generation, whichever Okay. Whatever they call them. But we have we're looking at the three way over the next five years, looking at 25% of our workforce, which is consistent with the other state agencies and departments. 25 of our percent of our workforce will be eligible to retire over the next five years.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. For Commissioner Schroeder, on February 16, you're going to roll out a new software package, right? Essentially, yeah. Essentially. Okay. So the rollout, we're assuming it's going to be 100%. If there's an issue with it, do we have a contingency plan?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: We have been working on this for two full years. We are working with a pro vendor who has done this with 22 states.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. So we're confident that we

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: can We are extremely confident that this is going work.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. I guess just want to go back to the motorcycle safety question requiring first time class applicants to show completion of a motorcycle rider safety course. Do you feel that you'll be able to scale up course capacity statewide when this is rolled out, that we won't have any bumps in the road on that? We'll have enough personnel to teach this and now Yeah. Have everything else set?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Thank you. The answer is yes. As I mentioned before to there was a contract situation which was delayed, which caused problems for those who were interested in motorcycle training. That has been completely eradicated. We're fine.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: You're welcome. Senator Mitayra.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you for your testimony. This is for the commissioner, and I appreciate you very much. Having a huge, huge issue with all these license plates being pulled, did you notice that lately all around? I mean, in our conference, we talked about it. And the DMV is pulling license plates that people have had over seven years. Have you noticed that that's been coming you know, to your desk about this problem with people having the vanity plates?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Yeah. So let me just address this, Senator. Let me be clear. We are overly cautious. We want to make sure that there's no license plates out there that are offensive to any New Yorker. However, I think maybe we went a little bit too far on this one. And so therefore, what we actually did and what you're referring to, there were constituents of yours and others throughout New York State who had PD, which could represent police department, or FD, which could represent fire department. But we have now said we're not going to do that anymore. And so we have rescinded that.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Okay. So even if somebody has a plate for seven years that they loved the show and it's RIFLMN, And that got pulled after seven years.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: What is it again, Senator?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: RIFLMN. So he loved the show with his father, Rifleman. But it's R. I. F. L. M. N. And is there an appeal process that someone could go to and try to talk about this?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah, me. No, I no.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: And I love that with with our director. He said, right right away. Right?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: No. But but I but I do mean that because because something did come up in Western New York not too long ago where a constituent applied for a plate and they were denied. And then I got involved and I looked at it and then we made it work in terms of common sense. But DMV was right because we don't want to have anything that is going to be offensive to anybody. So in this particular case, if you send it along to us, we will take a look at it and we will try to figure it out.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Right. There was another plate that was just the initials, CAC. That got pulled in my district, another one also too, which I don't understand that one. But that's something that got pulled. So good. So I could bring it to your attention. We'll see if we could

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You can. But it is something that we realize it's problematic. And as cautious as we are, we also know that we need to be flexible here. And so we will work with you.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: All right. It's great. And I got to say, it's been very interesting that, in other words, you make your appointments. How has that been going? Do you feel that since COVID, the appointments, you feel that that's how has it been working? It's been working out so much better? Yeah. The people

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. It it's been absolutely outstanding. And as you know, we also work with 51 county clerks, and they mostly are in Upstate New York. And so they have opted into do most of them have opted into having appointments because time management's important. Especially a county clerk, it's not only a customer, it's a constituent that would vote for them. And so they really wanna make sure that it's convenient for the customer, their constituent to come in, especially in Metropolitan New York, in Long Island and It in has really has have worked for us and we're very proud of it.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: But if I had to, for some reason, I had to go and do an appointment, I could still try to go there and try to get online or Yeah. Or you can't?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You know, some New Yorkers are rather persistent, so they may come in. And that if we can accommodate you, we will. If we can't, we will say, hey. Listen. Can you come back in maybe ninety minutes and we'll take care of you? And we can call you on your cell phone or you can call us. But we're we're we're extremely flexible in in helping New Yorkers with their time management of doing a DMV transaction.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: And I appreciate. Thank you very, very much for the license plates because that's been a lot of phone calls. And to director, executive director, I appreciate so much coming into our office and sitting down. And I just want to commend all the hard working men and women that did an amazing job with the snowstorm, the snow removal. Really, it was something that coming up was really it was wonderful, you know, thinking that, in other words, you're driving up there, black ice, isn't that? And I'm going to tell you, it was something that I want to say I appreciate all the hard work that your office and all the hardworking men and women that are plowing and kept us safe on our roadways.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Thank you, Senator. I've passed that on to the men and women that threw away, and they're very appreciative of that.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: All right, great thing. Thank Thank you. Assemblywoman Williams.

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Thank you so very much. There's a lot talking about, you know, with car registration and so forth, how is DMV going to crack down on cars that are registered out of state, especially since there is just such a high cost of insurance and there are so many staged accidents because you have individuals that are following the law, know, paying that high premium and so forth. And so that's one. Number two, with the new increased point system with DMV, are you guys considering regulating scooters and so forth, and can that point system also be applied to those? Because sometimes we really do see some of these individuals, you know, on our parkways and in places where they are not supposed to and really taking advantage of that situation. So, you know, for those who follow the law and, you know, when they do get fined and so forth, they are doing their due diligence. But when you have others that is just not following and there is no oversight and regulation, that's another issue. And lastly, it's the issue with the CDL drivers, as I spoke about earlier. Is there any plan in place with DOT, with TANI to you know, if this do come to New York State where the federal government is, you know, concerning, you know, is there any plan there to assist CDL drivers? Because, yes, we do depend on our CDL drivers. Truck drivers are very important, But it's something that every CDL driver is very concerned about. And even if it's not the CDL driver, probably it's someone who own or operate a small fleet of truck operators.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Assemblymember, thank you. First of all, your conference has been extremely helpful. You had a hearing, as you know, recently on e bikes. And we are considering every single thing that has come out of your conference. So thank you for that. Regarding the point system, the governor in 2023, I believe with her State of the State, what her initiative was here, assembly member, is cracking down on reckless drivers. And so that is the reason why the point system will change, has changed. It's because of those who are consistently not paying attention and putting innocent people, lives in danger. Regarding the CDL, I'll talk to you afterwards.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Okay.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Senator Claire?

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Thank you, commissioners. I just want to, you know, I'm looking at the comments, director Horror, and, we have, you know, it's critical to balance toll collection with enforcement. And what I am experiencing in my district similarly with the, EZ Pass riders, is that they're getting they're being charged enormous fines far beyond exceeding far beyond what they owe. And I think just the amount of money that they are charged in fines compared to what they owe, some people don't have it. They try to make, they make a phone call, they try to clear it up, they can't get through, they can't get to anybody. These fines end up running into the tens of thousands I've seen in some cases. Someone who didn't have it for under $1,000 doesn't have it for 10,000 or $20,000. And then to have their car taken away, now we can't even get to work. You can't take your kids to school. You can't get to doctor's appointments. It is tough. Affordability is a thing. It is tough for some people. There has to be a way that we can find people fairly. I am all for people paying their fees, but I just think these are excessive, and it's far too much money for people to be charged for 50¢ for a dollar for $3, and you wind up with tens of thousands of dollars and your car taken away, which you have to pay to get back. I think we're not we're not we're just not doing this right, and I just would really like to see us turn this around. I get tons of calls from people that say they can't get through. There is no payment agreement. There has to be a way out for people. And I don't think these are all bad people who wanna steal. I don't think these are people who never wanna pay their bills. Some of these are mistakes, and some people don't have it. They don't have it.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I would agree with you, senator, and that's why a couple years ago, we reduced our fee system to a maximum of $600 for the year. We share EZ Pass with two other tolling authorities. They have different fee and penalty I systems than we

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: didn't know that.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: What the threw away, we heard you. We see that. We don't want to take anybody off the road.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: So you have a maximum of $600 but these other agencies can charge more. Who enforces the overall? Is it your agency?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Thruway has jurisdiction over Thruway tolls and Thruway EZ Passes. So the system and the contract we have is with the Port Authority and MTA. They have different systems and different levels of fees and fines. I'm not familiar with exact those exact numbers. But if someone calls and they've incurred, they often call 3 way about a toll and it's not a three way toll. It's, you know, it's a MTA or a poor authority toll. So we work with our toll payer advocates work with those toll payer advocates to at least get the person to the right place so they can have that discussion.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Thank you.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: You're welcome.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblyman Boris.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Thank you. Commissioner, last year you were here and said your upgrade would go forward in February 2026. We're here in February 2026. It's going forward. That is rare in Congratulations.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Thank you.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: You also said you'd have a second upgrade coming in 2028 and you did no new funding for that. Are we still on track for that?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yes. Correct.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Wonderful. We worked with your office on moped registration to have it registered at the point of sale. It was a great partnership. Fortunately, the data doesn't suggest it's working. When we started working that bill, there were 4,900 mopeds registered in New York City. When we drafted the or when the bill passed, there were 1,723. There's now fourteen sixteen. So I think they're getting registered on the front end. But then people aren't re registering them as they expire. Do you have any data? Have you looked at how frequently mopeds are re registered and kept in the system?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: I think that's exactly what's happening right now. By closing the loophole, I think, was outstanding. But there's an old Italian saying, Rome wasn't built in the day. It's going to work. It's going to take some time. We are going to look at the data. We are going to continue to look at the data, especially after we've implemented rollout one and rollout two. And so we will continue. And I know Christian in our office has been working with you and your staff. And we will continue to do so.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: J. Excited to really dive into that data and see what we can do there. So thank you. There's another bill we partnered on, A7628, that had changes to the police accident report form, MV104, where we were hoping there'd be changes on the top of it to mention e bikes or mopeds or other things. Your office gave guidance for how officers should mark accidents that involve e bikes collisions, I should say, that involve e bikes or mopeds to use codes EBIK, ESSI, ESST in the vehicle type. Do you know how that implementation is going since July? Are officers using those codes? Do we have data on that?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: I don't think we have the data at this moment. However, we do love analytics and we're going to be looking at this. And as you know, because you've worked with us, DMV, we've tweaked and made ready the MV104A form, to include codes for e bikes.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: So my view of whatever the public data shows is that exactly zero officers have used that code since July. So I would love to partner with you on potentially actually changing the form so that we can get some of this data once the upgrade is through, which was always part of the the ability to do that. Okay. We have that conversation.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Got a deal.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Yep. Wonderful. Great. And then lastly, quickly, New Jersey just required e bikes to have license plates. I know there's been concern about what that could look like in New York and the impact on the DMV. Have you been studying the New Jersey rollout? Any lessons from what we're seeing across the Hudson River?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: CHRISTOPHER So Christian, you want to handle that one?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Sure. I think we're very interested to see how that goes in New Jersey to be

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: able to inform what we could do in New York.

[Assemblymember Alex Bores]: Thank you.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Senator Oberacher.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: O'BRIEN: Good afternoon. And again, thank you all for your testimony. Thank you for coming for us today with that. A lot of the questions have been answered, which is always it seems to be a recurring theme when I'm getting ready to ask my questions. But my first question would be for Commissioner Schroeder. You've answered the question about the plates, which I find interesting. We did have some inquiries come into our facility as well. My only question is, at the point that those plates are said to be either decommissioned or put in, is there an automatic rebate coming back on those plates?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: I'm not quite sure what rebate means. But I can tell you

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Pay for those plates, correct, to have a personalized plate. So the fee that they pay for that plate, does that get returned back to them?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: If we have stopped the plate, don't know. Christian, do you have the answer to that?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: It should be. We'll confirm that, though,

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: and let you know for sure.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: That would be great.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: It should be automatic, but we can confirm that.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: Okay. Thank you.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: But I should mention again, and I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure if you were here.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: Yes.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: We rescinded some things that have happened recently. And so take a look at that. And if that's what that's about, it goes away automatically. If not, we're happy to work with you.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Perfect. Thank you. I will look into that, commissioner. Thank you. Know, I I have traveled around the seven counties in my 51st Senate District. I have a lot of county clerks, of course, who are running their own

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You have the record. You have more than anybody.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Thank you. Sometimes. And I did hear, you know, input from them. They felt like they could have been a little bit more involved into the process and the change of the process of the system. What can I kind of bring back to them, Commissioner, as a way of, you know, an olive branch to all those that you just spoke about Yep? To feel like that they they are engaged in the process?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You you tell them to make sure when they talk to me every two weeks Mhmm. Because we have a scheduled appointment, and we we talk about everything having to do with the modernization. And so I I can see how that happens. There's 51 county clerks and there's three county clerks who are on the committee who work with us and we're we're in meetings every two weeks. They've all been to our open houses and to our open forums to learn about drives in the modernization. But there could be some county clerks who maybe haven't had the chance themselves to come to maybe DMV headquarters here. But we've invited them to their conventions that they have twice a year. And they all participated. So I think for the most part, we have really communicated with them in a great way. But we will continue to do better if we need to, especially over the next two weeks. J.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Thank you. I'm glad to hear that. And I'll just bring up one other thing under DMV is the non driver IDs. We're seeing an extended period of time. I got one county clerk that said they've been waiting over a year for one of their constituents. So maybe I could bring that up to you somewhere along the line, and we can look at addressing that.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah, I'm vaguely familiar with that. And I think it was a very complicated situation. Most situations with NDIDs are not complicated, so it happens rather quickly. But I'm very interested in sharing that information with you and trying to resolve it with our operational team.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Perfect. Thank you so much. And then lastly, for Executive Director Hoare, we're talking about a potential piece of legislation that would make it mandatory that in the event of an accident on a highway and or the throughway, that cars would have to go to the left and the right, leaving a center lane open like they do in Europe. I bring this to your attention because I think you could be a very valuable input and partner to potentially this. As a first responder myself, I can tell you when seconds matter. This is by far one of the best potential, in my opinion, pieces of legislation when it comes to safety, as we're all talking about. And just wanted to get your thoughts and would love to brief you further on it further down the road. But you could be a very valuable part of that process.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: J. Senator, I look forward to that conversation. Again, safety is paramount to us. So anything we can do to enhance the safety out on Detroit, we're all for. J.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Great. Thank you. And again, I'll back my twenty two seconds back. Thank you, chairman.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Yep. Thank you, senator.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Assemblywoman Simon.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: Thank you. I thank you. A couple of my questions have already been answered. And I appreciate your testimony and the work that you're doing. I don't have any complaints, except for one thing. That's for you, Mr. Hoare, which I realize it wasn't your choice. You didn't pick out the items. But the new rest stops, many of them are great. But they have these little dryers that, like, dry your hands when you're in the restroom, and none of them really work. And none of them are warm. So they're cold and your hands will never get dry. And so every once in while, see people sneaking rolls of of paper towels. I'm wondering if we could find some technology that works better. It seems to me that it was a very good idea but doesn't seem to be working terribly well. And it's been about two years now. And it's at every one of them that we go to.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I would ask if you let our office know the particular service area. We will get in touch with the operator. It is their contractual obligation to keep that machinery working and clean and open. Okay.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: I will do that.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Thank you. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Senator Barrello.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Thank you. I'm going to start with fellow Western New Yorker, Commissioner Schroeder. Thank you all for being here. So I'm sure you've been following. We've been talking the coverage that was originally brought forth by WIVB in Buffalo about the license plate fraud issue, the toll fraud issue. And it's been very concerning. It's really kind of, I think, peeled back a real, I guess, a real operation here that's costing the tolling authorities, most importantly drivers in New York State, millions of dollars in fraud. My

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: it's

[Senator George M. Borrello]: my my opinion that the the victims of this who've done the right thing, they turned their plates in properly and somehow these plates are ending up on vehicles that aren't theirs. They're getting tolls. They've been victimized by the fraudsters, but they've been revictimized by the state of New York because they have essentially been said, yeah, we really don't care. The tolling authorities have basically, we really don't care that this is fraudulent. You're going to pay the bill. And so to that end, I want to, first of all, thank you for what you have done to step up and try to address this. And I know you issued some guidance back in November. Could you speak to that so that the people can understand where the DMV is on this?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Yes. Thank you, Senator. And also, me just, on behalf of the DMV, thank you for your bill. Your bill is something that is important in terms of trying to reduce or eliminate fraud. And so this has been a situation where we are really working hard. There's a couple of areas of it. One of which is that we were aware that us and DMV and New York State Police, maybe there were some duplicate plates. So we've had some very clear conversations with them and I do believe that that's resolved. In the situation where, where you know, we, we have over 130 DMV offices across New York State. And, and so we've had a situation in Western New York, in Western New York County and we have been working with them, the county clerk's office, and we have been guiding them. We also have mandated some security systems that we put in place. We we even gave a a plate scissors to to several different offices across the state.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Low tech but workable.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. So we're we're really working on this and we've I I feel very comfortable that that it's behind us.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Thank you. Alright. And I know I'm running out of time here and I I know, again, far as so you've given guidance to these tolling authorities. You know, the bottom line is we do not want people to be re victimized by the system, the red tape system in New York State. So and I know you sent out guidance. Again, is it, you know, is it essentially that they need to be more, I guess, cognizant of the fact that this is happening to people? Is that essentially it?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yes. All right. Great.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: We're right on time here. So, know, director, you spared today from me. So thank you both very much.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: All right.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Thank you, Senator.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: you, chair. Commissioner, real quick. This new technology modernization plan will make it easier for folks register their car online?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: The the registration part, the answer is yes. But the registration end of it doesn't happen until February 2028. So the first rollout has everything to do with the driver's license in your wallet, in your purse, or on your phone. That's what we're working on with the first rollout. And then the second rollout in February 2028, it will definitely make it easier for our employees and for our customers to register or to do any of the things on that end.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: So we'll be taking more money away from the counties then? Because obviously, they don't get any money when they we register online.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: No. So so that was completely changed two years ago, thanks to the governor and to the legislature. The the the county clerks are making more retention money now than ever before and I looked at the numbers for twenty twenty twenty six projected. And so they we changed the whole retention, which wasn't changed for twenty years. But Governor Hochul, who I mentioned before, she was the is the only governor in New York State who actually has run a DMV. She was essential in helping us make that change.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: Is there a difference in registering an alternative energy vehicle versus a internal combustion vehicle right now?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Thanks, Christian.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Yes. There are different registration classes for hundreds of different types of vehicles. So it all depends on weight, and it depends on the type of vehicle.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: Okay. And so when an EMS fire department approaches this vehicle, there's some way they can tell that it is fueled by a certain type of energy? Electric, gas, hydrogen, diesel?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: G. There'd be no markers necessarily on a vehicle. The registration type is different.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: G. I have a bill. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that we allow these emergency responders to approach these vehicles not knowing what type of energy source they have. Executive director, you supply fire departments, local fire departments, with free easy passes? Essentially, can go on the thruway and respond to fires and accidents without being charged?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: J. We don't charge them. We don't provide the actual E ZPass transponder, but they're not charged for responding to incidents on the thruway.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: So why do we charge EMS for that? Because you're asking them now I know that they can get their money back refunded, but you're asking them for manpower, which I don't know if you're aware of. The EMSes, especially the volunteers, are extremely short of manpower at this time.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: I'm aware and we value their, partnership very highly and they don't pay for responding for responding on the thruway and, we reimburse them for for any charges.

[Assemblymember Chris Eachus]: Well, again, they do pay, and they have to apply to get their money back.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Senator

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Good afternoon. Thank you both for being here with us today. Commissioner Schroeder, regarding the annual vehicle inspections, does the department keep failure rates on vehicles that don't pass either the safety or the emissions part of that inspection?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: We do.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Okay. What is that failure rate?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: I don't have that right now, but I can certainly get that for you.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Okay. Yeah, I appreciate that. And I guess the reason I'm asking that is because if low or if it breaks out the age of the vehicle, whether there's any consideration going to a two year inspection rather than a one year for the convenience of New Yorkers. And does the department have any position on considering something like that?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Let me just say this. There are legislation that addresses that. I don't know if you recall, Senator, but I think it was in 2019 or 2020. It was in the state of the state or it may be in the budget where New York State was considering doing the two years. There are several states who are doing it. We are totally open to it if that is what the governor and the legislature is interested in doing.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Okay. Thank you. Executive Director, good afternoon. I had a couple of questions on this, the toll management. I know it's under litigation, but I think they're not related to the litigation. But what was the process that the three way authority went through? Was there public hearings on this? Or what was the analysis to put this fee in place?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: There was no public process for it. We're not raising tolls. We're raising fees on our drivers. So there's there was no regulatory requirement that we had that. We started the process in July 2024 when we started looking at this program and two of the companies that are now suing us, were consulted. They were asked for the input. They gave us their input. They raised several points. That is reflected in the new policy that we instituted. But they were not happy that because what happened, we have two profit companies, hedge fund owned, one of them, that had a monopoly for twenty years and they see their profits going. We wanted to institute a program that increased our revenue to run a variety of programs. We also wanted to bring affordability and oversight to our partners in the trucking industry. And one of the goals was to bring in competition. And in fact, two new companies have signed up for the new program. So that's what that was the process that we undertook.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Okay. So you don't have concerns then of these companies exiting the New York State market?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Two of the companies are suing us. We've had a long history with them. We would like to continue with them, but they don't make our internal, policy decisions, and they don't determine what we do. So we would like to continue that partnership working with them. But again, my concern is the affordability for our commercial drivers, not the affordability of a hedge fund run by multimillionaires.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: Well, how does adding a 1% fee help with affordability? Who's paying the fee?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: The fee is with this third party provider that's owned by a hedge fund.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: They're not going to pass that on to their customers.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, hope they don't pass it on and they don't put profits over service to their customers.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: And what's the revenue you're projecting from this 1%?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: We're looking at between $7,000,000 and $8,000,000 if I remember our budget correctly that will be used to run it to operate the thruway which is poured right back into the thruway to make it a safe and reliable system for which the commercial drivers benefit.

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: This has it. Thank you.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Thank you, sir.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Assemblywoman Shimsky.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to both of you and your staffs for being here today. You're welcome. Let's start with DMV. The shutdown to upgrade the electronics and so on. I don't remember how things work with like license renewals and things like that, but obviously there's going to be a significant amount of time where people who might be waiting till close to the last minute are going to lose out on several days. Is there any talk about some kind of grandfathering or giving people several extra days on the other end if they needed to do their business?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: So we've been very transparent. And everybody seems to know in New York State that Friday, on February 13, DMV is going to close down, which is kind of shocking, Right? It's never happened before.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Well, just so you know, this is the first time hearing of it.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So we we have really put that out there and so our our customers understand that. And this this really goes along with what I would call best practices. There are many states and many corporations who have done the same thing. They have a temporary shutdown just to make sure that they're right when a customer does come in on Wednesday the eighteenth.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Are we getting more organ donors signing up on the licenses than we Oh, have

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: bless your soul. Thank you so much for asking. The answer is yes. When I first got here in 2019, only 46% of New Yorkers clicked the box to help 8,000 New Yorkers who are on the waiting list, which is which is really ridiculous. And it's something that that New York can't be a part of. We have to be able to help. These are our brothers, our sisters, our clergy, our teachers. And so we are now over 52%, 52%. And we have a master plan of excellence for 2026. And what we're doing now, assembly member, is we are concentrating on the city Of New York. Why? There that's the volume of people And that we know we can do better there. We have a lot of help from county clerks who are not even DMV agents. But because they understand how important this issue is, they're helping us.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Thank you. Executive Director Hoare. There's one question I have that you're not going to be able to do in nineteen seconds. So we'll do the other one. The rest areas, we're glad they're back. We've had some conversation about this and the assemblywoman brought some of it up. A lot of the work was not very sturdy or made to last. And we're going to have

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: to figure out

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: strategy going Thank you.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: So I'll look into that. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Senator Prasad.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay. Thank you. Good afternoon to both of you. For commissioner, I would just like to ask a couple of questions regarding REAL IDs. We know that we did did a great push in trying to get everyone to have the REAL ID or enhanced IDs done. Now that the federal government has decided that anyone who does not have it, they're going to implement a fee. Are you doing a similar push to encourage New Yorkers to get the real ID or enhanced ID? And do you have a system where you know of the number of of licensees who do not have the REAL ID and who can you do a mail in to them?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Great question, senator. We do. So we so we know there's 15,800,000 New Yorkers who have a license.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Mhmm.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: We know over the last several years, we have been very impressed with the percentage increase each and every year. And so I think that's one of the reasons why the federal government actually if you remember, they they said that program was gonna start

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: That's

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: two years ago and then they delayed it. They it was In delayed New York state, there are also 10,000,000 New Yorkers who have a passport, meaning that they are Real ID compliant. So between passports and Real ID and enhanced driver's license, New York State is really doing a great job and but we we continue. We have a great website. We know how to market this and we're convincing people. Please, if you're gonna take if you're gonna go visit grandma in Fort Lauderdale, you have to be REAL ID compliant and people are getting the message.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay. On the when you bring the new website up, will you have the information telling people that if you don't have a passport or you're not REAL ID compliant that you'll have a $45 fee that will only be valid for ten days. So if you're going on vacation and coming back after the ten days, you have to it's $90 it's gonna cost you. Are you putting that information out on your website?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: All all the information having to do with Real ID, enhanced driver's license, and being Real ID compliant, it is on our website?

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: No. I'm saying the additional information that's now that went into effect yesterday or or today, I think, about if you're not compliant. Do you have that information on the website? Or will you be putting

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: that on the website? In a very comprehensive way. We we have it. And we also we also explain to our customers what happens when you and your family go to an airport and you're not REAL ID compliant. It is not going to be a good day for you. So we're trying to get the information out the best we can. It is all over our website.

[Senator Roxanne J. Persaud]: Okay. Thank you very much.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You're welcome, Senator.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Jacobson.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Okay. Got it.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Thank you. Commissioner Schroeder, I don't have anything for you now. But if I have a problem, I will call you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Okay. Thank you.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: Doctor. Director Horne, I want to say what I said I was going to say when I saw you a few months ago, that I'm very happy that we now have bathrooms on the throughway. I'm not getting any complaints. When we did the ribbon cutting, the last one over just beyond the town of Newburgh and the town of Marlborough. Want you to know I tested it out and it works. So you should be very happy on that and so should my constituents and everything I'm happy

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: if you're happy. Thank you.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: When I get on going from going north from the Newburgh exit through New Paltz, the right lane is terrible. And I have to drive in the left lane no matter what. And it could be because you get a lot of trucks coming out of off of 84. I don't know, but it's terrible. Just and I don't know if it's something that's underneath the road there, but it seems like that was a problem before you did some paving. And also right around the new Pulse exit on both sides till you get beyond it a little bit, it's pretty bad. And coming south, you have the same problems. Just want you to know that. The one other thing is concerning E ZPass. Every couple of months, I get a threatening phony text. If you don't contact us, we're going to levy fines on, you know, and then we're going to suspend your license. Do you have a special unit at the Thruway to deal with the fraud part or with EZ Pass? Is there a special place that we can deal with that?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Well, I I received those texts and emails as well. Everybody does. We work very hard to get the word out, to get that message that the will never ask you for your your credit card information or personal information through a text or email. So our folks look into it. When we get the complaint, then or we get the request that they've been charged for something they didn't do, we attempt to rectify that work work with them. But there are fraudulent bad actors out there every day and what we've been doing is trying to get the word out that they'll never get a request for a bill that way.

[Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson]: I have one second. Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Next we have Senator Bino.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: SEN. Good afternoon.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: SEN. My question is for Commissioner Schroeder regarding wheelchair accessible vehicles. Is your department responsible for maintaining information regarding the adapted vehicles?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: CHRISTOPHER Chris, you want to help us? Thank you. J.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: We are not. We certainly can partner with our fellow agencies or whoever is responsible for that. But we

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: do not keep track of that.

[Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, NYS Department of Transportation]: J.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Okay.

[Unidentified Senator (Nassau County area)]: I have a bill that I'd like to discuss with you regarding wheelchair accessible vehicles, especially outside of New York City. We'll be in touch. Thank you.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. Thank you. Good job.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: All right.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Assemblyman Palosado.

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: Good evening. First, Commissioner Scholar, just want to say thank you for your leadership, your team's leadership at the state and local level, through your clerks for the work you do on organ donation. You're truly saving lives. And I appreciate your opinion you have on today. So I just wanted to say that first.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Thank you, Steve.

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: But with my time for my questions, it's for Director Hoare. Last year, Director Hoare, I read through your testimony at the time. I'm going to kind of pivot off what Chairman Magnarelli talked about on the trucking industry and the lack of charging infrastructure on the Thruway. Last year, in your testimony I remember reading it you said, we're working with the utilities in the ISO on this. Today, you said, we're working with utilities and the ISO on this, but there's been no progress. And also, I mean, one of the words you used is complicated. And I agree, it's complicated. But I would also use the words, it's not feasible, it's not workable, it's very costly, range issue, and damaging and dangerous to the industry that it's impacting. Also, heard you mention and I get kind of tired of agency heads always saying the problems are the fault of the federal government and the administration it's certainly not the federal government's fault that New York State can't put in place a charging infrastructure to meet the costly mandates that we are placing on the trucking industry through the Advance Clean Truck Rule, which is in effect already, and the auto industry through the Advance Cleaning Car Tool Rule. So keeping that in that perspective and we had a hearing on this last year, and we heard concerns from the trucking industry where this is going. And keeping in mind that a truck a diesel truck can go 1,800 miles to 2,000 miles on a full tank. An electric truck can only go 300 miles and charge four takes four hours to charge. The thruway is five seventy miles. A truck diesel truck can go back and forth from Long Island to Buffalo and back. An electric truck can't do either. So what is your plan? What is your timeline? When can we expect to see results on this? What's the timeline? Like, when you're here next year, are you going to say, hey, we have charging stations at here for the trucks? And shouldn't we, quite frankly, delay the implementation of this until we get this right? Because right now, all they're doing is delaying the enforcement. But the trucking industry, which you're going to hear from later, are continuing to build up these deficits that they need to have to address. Shouldn't we delay the actual implementation before we move forward? And what is your plan to address this? And will you have more answers for us next year? What is your timeline on your plan to address that need that's out there that we failed to meet even though we got this mandate on the trucking industry right now?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Yes, thank you for your question. It's not my role or within the scope of my duties to talk about that timeline. What's in the scope of my duties is to work with other agencies, to work with the utilities, to identify places along the thruway that we can that are candidates for the heavy duty medium charging, stations. As you point out, it's a long the thruway is long, then they're going to other states. So it's a not only a multi agency issue in New York, it's a multi state issue. So we're making progress in terms of talking to what we need, what we need to do, and where we need to be on that. And we will continue those discussions.

[Assemblymember Philip A. Palmesano]: I appreciate it. It seems like we would have done that before we spent half $1,000,000,000 upgrading the rest stops. Seems like that would have been part of the plan. But thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: J.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. I think I am the next senator up. So I'm going to hopefully not use all ten minutes, but we'll see. So I'm just going to start with the DMV. Quite a few different issues have already been covered. I want to talk about the autonomous vehicles. And my particular concern with the various safety issues with autonomous vehicles that I just don't see anything addressing. So someone decides to hack into my autonomous vehicle company's computer system and they take control of a 100 vehicles and decide to crash them all. Who's responsible?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. S. Senator, I'm not very good at hypotheticals. So I'm not exactly sure. Christian, do you have an idea of how to answer that?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: CHRISTOPHER No. No, he's not?

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Or you're not either?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: CHRISTOPHER No to both, I would say. I don't think we've seen that situation happen anywhere that has deployed these autonomous vehicles. The governor's proposal wants us to do it safely. And based on data and based on experience, we would intend to do that and take a look at whatever company wants to apply, that they have the safeguards in place to make sure something like you're describing could never happen and will never happen.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. And the bottom line, Senator, is DMV will not sacrifice on safety. So I'm the question that you posed, there are several states across The United States who have been doing the autonomous vehicle thing for a long time. I'm not aware of that particular situation. I am aware of autonomous vehicles not adhering to a school bus with a stop sign and the lights on. And so that therefore, they have to then correct it. So but I'm not aware of the situation that you brought up or even how to address it. But we'll look into it and see if there is an answer because we do have a way of finding out what's happening across The United States.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Or even internationally because Correct. I think I think it is fair to say that we all know enough in today's world to know that in the world of technology and AI and apparently computers learning faster than us and being smarter than us, Almost any of these hacking stories can and do happen. Whether they've happened to an entire company's system, we don't know. But I can pretty much guarantee you somebody's figured out how to hack systems within vehicles by now. Right? I mean, they're probably making somebody a fortune in the books they're selling in airports. I don't tend to read those books. But I think they're all out there based on things that are actually happening in real life. So I'm very concerned that we are not even starting to look at some of the questions we need to. I also met with an expert who explained to me something that seemed so obvious once they said it to me, but I hadn't thought about it. That DMV's job is to also make sure that you meet the standards for having a driver's license and knowing how to drive a vehicle safely. When you are in a system of autonomous cars, you have no experience driving a car. You might have had a driver's license, but you might have not even tried to drive a car in multiple years. That means you're a bad driver because the more you drive, the better a driver you are. We all know that. We all know that watching our teenagers learn how to drive. So if it's an autonomous vehicle, the only time you may be called upon to react in an emergency response situation is after you haven't driven in a vehicle forever. And suddenly the vehicle is basically flashing, you've got to take over, you have to take over. But you're not in a skilled position to take over because you're not the best driver you need to be at that moment in history. You may not have even turned the car on for years and years, which makes you the worst person to respond in an emergency situation. So do we think, as we go down this road, that we need to make sure we're approaching how we train people to get driver's licenses in a very different way?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: To, to to the governor's credit and to the legislature's credit. You know, we always like to say New York is first. Well, in this particular case, we're not. And the reason why we're not is because we're being overly cautious because of all of the examples that you just cited. And we want to make sure that we take a look at everything. So that is the reason why the governor is suggesting what she's suggesting and that the DMV will monitor how we go about this in that the municipalities have to show proof to us that they're interested in doing this. But some of the things that you brought up are very good points And these are things that we're going to have to look at. And we do have partners within the Governor's Traffic and Safety Committee. We have AMVA, of which Christian sits on the board. This is a national board. It's like DMV on steroids. But it's for every state in the country. And so this is information that we will try to get to make sure that we're doing the right thing going forward.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You're welcome.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. And it's also true that at least the company who seems to be playing the most aggressive role at trying to establish their right to do this here in New York is a company owned by Google. So they're a pretty well capitalized company. Do we really think a $150 ticket for driving wrong will really be an incentive for them to make sure they don't do it wrong? If I get a couple of $150 tickets and points and somebody threatens to take my license, hopefully, I'll know that I better stop driving that way. But if I am the largest corporation in the world, the second largest corporation in the world, do I really think a few $150 tickets are really going to stop me from anything I'm doing. So should we be thinking also about a different set of standards for penalties when it's these corporations making these mistakes as opposed to individual drivers?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Senator, I think you have it right. When you said a few minutes ago, it's going to be important for us to really look at this in a different way. This technology and what's happening is so different and that we just can't rely on how we've always done it. That that is the reason why, you know, when when when vehicle and traffic law first began, an assembly member put in the first bill in nineteen o six, nineteen sixteen. Now there's 1,100 pages of the VTL. It's important for us to be looking at all of that, especially with the emerging technology. So thank you for that. And we will continue to look at that and to work with our partners to make sure we're rethinking how to do this so it makes sense.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. So from the serious to perhaps the absurd. So we have all these new driver's licenses and it's all working very well. But I feel a little bit like it's still the one government entity where I can play Peter Pan. Because I haven't had my photo changed in like thirty five years. And now they stop us when we come in the building, the state police, to make sure it's us. And I feel like going, I know, I don't look like this picture at all. It's thirty five years old. Is there any rule if I've been breaking a law and I didn't know it? Because nobody's asked me to get a new picture on my license at least for thirty five years.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: J. There is a rule and I don't think it's thirty five years. So I'll yield to Christian Jaksch so he can tell you exactly what it is, senator.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Alright. I appreciate I appreciate that. I really think I need a new photo. It's just not me anymore.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Not me neither.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Upgrading to a real ID or an enhanced driver's license does

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: I have that.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: I have a

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: new ID.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: I have a real ID.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: And it didn't take a

[John McCarthy, Chief of Policy & External Affairs, MTA]: new photo,

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: But they didn't ask for a new photo.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Okay. I'm going have to look into that one because Okay. Yeah, that should have triggered it.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: We And I can certainly do don't I like tried to use anything special. Just nobody ever said I had to get a new photo. Yes? Arrester. Arrester, oh, thank you. Because he likes Waymo's, that's why.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: You see Senator, you see these questions aren't absurd. It's important for us to hear what you just said because if there's one person that this has happened to, there could be others as well. This is the reason why we will look at that.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Yeah. My husband's in high school in his and he's older than me in real life. I'm just saying. So somehow we've both gotten away with something. Frank, just quickly one more question for you. I'm perfectly happy with the new sites, finally, that they're built and they're good. They don't open till 10:30 on Saturday morning for food. I was at one of them on Saturday morning. And the Panera and the Chick fil A or the whatever it's called, Chick fil Is that the one people eat? Yeah. They're not open until 10:30 in the morning. What, is everybody who goes on the highway not eat breakfast? You don't have to answer that because

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: The convenience stores are open twenty fourseven so there is an opportunity. We'll look into exactly what they're supposed to be opening at certain hours and the operator is looking at that, but we'll revisit that.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: I mean, I'm rarely going up and down the thruway that early on a weekend, but it was like, signs were clear. None of them were open until 10:30. And I'm thinking, how do people do this?

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Senator.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Don't know how

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: to do it either. I don't stop.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I don't patronize those. Assemblywoman Gallagher?

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: Thank you. So unfortunately, five percent of drivers with suspended licenses oh, this is for the DMV. Seventy five percent of drivers with suspended licenses continue to drive, and many of the worst crashes are caused by drivers who already have a suspended license. We have several in New York City in the last year, including the death of a mother and two children. And do you I'm wondering, do you know how many fatalities were caused by suspended drivers in New York State over the last year? Additionally, do you have a plan to address the fact that license suspension doesn't generally take irresponsible or dangerous drivers off the road? Licensing drivers is the core function of your agency. So I would assume that this problem is at the forefront of your mind. And I'm wondering how you intend to address it.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. So we we have addressed it by working with our partners in law enforcement. And so we

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: But I don't think you have addressed it because 75% of people are still driving without with a suspended license. So it's not addressed.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Well, that's where we we rely on law enforcement to assist and to help us with that.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: But it's not working. So do you have a new plan? What what are some of the new plans? I I happen to be supporting and carrying a bill called stop super speeders, which is the ISA device, the inner speed lock assistance device. Right. I would like to see that addressed more thoroughly than saying law enforcement will handle it because law enforcement's not able to handle it. They're they're still driving with their suspended licenses.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Well, the governor agrees with you because it's in the article seven. It's in her language for the super speeders. And so we will continue to do the best that we can. We understand we have partnerships with Safe New York, with Vision New York, and we're we're trying our best to work with our partners to eliminate all of that, especially dangerous, reckless drivers. Right. And so we will continue to do our best.

[Assemblymember Emily Gallagher]: Great. And I agree with Senator Cunningham that it should be statewide, not just New York City. Thank you.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Thank you. Thanks, Assembly Member.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Senator Cooney for his three minute follow-up.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you, Madam Chair. And just building off of what Assemblymember Gallagher was talking about, again, commissioner, this super speeders issue continues to concern me. I just stepped out and met with the father of Nyrel McCrory, who lost her life at the age of 14 on 100 and Manhattan Avenue in Harlem. We don't forget the innocent life that was taken away from us because of this bad behavior. We have to do something. I support the bill that Assembly Member Gallagher has. And I applaud the governor for putting it in the Article VII language. But again, I think I really want to underscore that this is not just limited to Harlem. It's not just limited to the borough of Manhattan. It's not just limited to the city Of New York. It is all the way up in Erie County and Monroe County, where we're from as well. I want to also thank you, commissioner. I want to take the opportunity to thank you again for your commitment to donate life. I didn't have a chance to say that before. As you know, this legislature passed wonderful legislation around bone marrow registries. And just recognizing that whether we're talking about organ donation, bone marrow, it's so important that we register and have people be aware of how their lifesaving ability for others New Yorkers. So thank you for your

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Thank you.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Personal commitment to that. Know that. Finally, I know that my colleague, Senator Barrello, raised the issue earlier around license plates and how when we turn things back into the DMV, we want those plates destroyed or taken care of, accounted for somehow. And I know that you and Christian are working on kind of some guidance around that. And with my good friend, former Ascension member, Jaime Romyo, now the head of the New York State Clerks Association representing Monroe County Clerks, I hope that we can come up with some firm guidance. We just don't want that to happen again, Not pointing the finger at anyone in particular, but just recognizing that as these plates become very valuable, we have to have procedures in place to prevent fraud from occurring.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yeah. Thank you, Senator. It's always a continuation with us at DMV. We're always trying to figure out ways to do better and to work closer with our partners because when a surrender plate comes in, it's automatic at DMV. But then we have to share the information with other partners.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Right.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: And so we know that we have to continue the communication and work together to make sure that we're all on the same page.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you, Commissioner. And Director Hoare, just wanted one more point. Again, congratulations on completing the rest stops. They are terrific. And I'm glad that they are operational. We need to continue to do more investments in EV. I know we have 120. I know we have four fast charging stations per stop. But as we get more electric vehicles on the road, we need to make sure that we have the infrastructure in place so that New Yorkers feel confident to purchase those electric vehicles. So I'm not asking for your comment, just a recommendation that we continue to make those investments moving forward.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: DAVID I agree. We just note, Senator, that the contract we have with the operator requires them to keep pace with the need.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you very much.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assemblywoman Giglio.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Yes, thank you, Commissioner. My question is for you. So the governor has put in the executive budget requiring first time Class M applicants to show completion of a motorcycle rider safety course. I'm all for that. I'm all for safety. I want to thank our chairman of the Transportation Committee and the Assembly for having an e bike hearing last week, where we learned a lot And or the week before. But one thing that we learned is that law enforcement is doing everything that they can to try and educate people on how to ride an e bike, what the laws are in the state of New York. And it's just not working. The pediatric trauma unit at Stony Brook University Hospital has seen an increased number of children that are being injured on these e bikes. And the parents don't know the laws. The children don't know the laws. We have boater safety classes throughout the state of New York. And you have to carry your license in order to be operating a watercraft. I'm wondering, don't you think that we should maybe take this Class M safety course, as we have the boater safety course, and include that into the e bike safety where we require a certificate of completion of that safety course before they can purchase an e bike.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: So assembly member, is the main reason why we at DMV attended the assembly meeting regarding e bikes, the public hearing. Because we are very interested in everything that you have to say. And we took notes. And we will do our best to whatever the legislature and the governor can come up with on this issue. And I know there are many, many things that are on the table. And so DMV, we are ready to implement whatever safety measures you put in place.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Yeah. I I have a bill that's actually getting filed today that requires boaters or I mean, e bike safety classes before and providing your certificate and your license. Law enforcement are pulling these kids over that are going 14 mile 14 years old that are riding recklessly on sidewalks, risking pedestrian safety. And they have to wait with this child for two hours while the parents come and pick them up. And the parents are not familiar with the laws. I think it's very important. And I think that it should be included in any safety training that we have, whether it's for Class M licenses, boater safety, and I think e bikes need to be wrapped up into that category. And following up on what my colleague said about suspended driver's licenses, law enforcement does not have the ability to take someone to jail or to bring them to the station if they are operating a vehicle on a suspended license. And we've had this conversation before. It takes somebody to actually die who is driving a car on a suspended license for anything to happen to them as far as our legal system. And you are going to be talking to your judges about that. And I hope that those conversations can continue.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Okay. Thank you.

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. You.

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: And

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: a second round for our chaircomery of authorities.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Director Hoard, New York told by mail the plate lookup app, part of it doesn't work. When you try to access it, it needs updating or tinkering or something. I get a lot of complaints from people that it doesn't work properly at all. You can't track your as I said earlier, you can't track the the tickets that you may have. I received a ticket back in July '24, and I just got a notice in the mail. And when I tried to find it on the app, it's not there. So there's something wrong.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Senator, I I will certainly look into that and we'll circle back with you and your office to get it

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: Yeah.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I hate that you have to be the one doing this. You know, I I would hope that we can amp up your office so that you can have more personnel. I don't wanna bother you with the dirty complaints I have, but since you opened the door, you're gonna get them.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: It's not a bother.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I mean, question though, I was thinking, is your authority limited? Can you take over any other roads or is it you're just limited to the miles that you have now? Can you, like Oneida County or other counties, is there a way to increase your increase the amount of roadways that you have or take over other roadways like the Cross Island Parkway or

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Currently, the throughway is set out in the public authority's law.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: So if we wanted to get the three way to take some other roads, we'd have to change the law?

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: That would need a statutory change is my understanding. Yes, sir.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Would that need to be okay, all right. Got it. Thank you. Thank you. That's all for me. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Senator. I just have a couple of comments. First, for a throughway authority, I have, I guess, compliments and complaints. My compliment is you do a fantastic job when it comes to snow removal and cleaning the throughway. After that big snowstorm that we've just had, the throughway was spotless the next day. I really appreciate that. I still have an issue with the reflectiveness of the lane markers on the Thruway south Of Woodbury. For some reason, must see the cheaper paint down there because I cannot see the lane markers. So it's kind of problematic. And thirdly, I've been driving up and down the Thruway for several years now, and I still do not see very many BMWs. There's black men working, if you want to know what it is. I think that something has to be done with the Thruway and doing repairs. Commissioner Schroeder, my relationship with the Motor Vehicle Department actually goes back to the time when having seven or eight simultaneous root canals without anesthesia was a more pleasurable experience than having my license renewed. We have done a good job in making It's and speeding that almost seamless. Licenses come in the mail. You don't have to really go through any kind of jump through any hoops to get your driver's license and everything. I think it's really doing well. I just have one question having to do

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: what

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: now requires a self propelled vehicle to license have plate or insurance. Because I remember when Segway came about, people didn't have Segways because you required them to have insurance and licenses. And now I see people driving motor scooters, motorcycles, motorbikes, you know, all kinds of vehicles. No plates, no helmets. The cops don't chase them. They say, we can't do it. We don't know. What is legal where is there must be a limit. Is there a speed limit for motorized vehicles? Is there a size limit? Is it a combination of two? Is there an age limit? Can a 12 year old drive a 50cc motorbike or motorcycle?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Yes, everything that you just said. And that is the reason why we're grateful for the assembly having the public hearing that you had just recently. Because coming from that, just like when the assembly member mentioned about motorcycle safety, this all derived from legislation. And then it was not mandatory. Now in the governor's language, Article seven language, it is mandatory for motorcycle safety to take the safety course. And so these things are very important. And the more we get it out to the public and sometimes when there is the ability for the New Yorker to have to respond to be able to have a registration or a license to do all of the things you just mentioned, sometimes that would be better in terms of communicating. And that is what I know you are deliberating now.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: But is there a point where is there a line where because I took the safety course, but I also have a motorcycle license. I had a 1,000 cc bike, but still. Is there a line where a 12 year old can actually drive

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: a

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: motorized vehicle, or a 45 year old needs a license to operate the vehicle? What size motorcycle or motorbike or scooter? Is that Vespa, for example? Vespas are not very powerful. They're cute. People drive them around and go through Italy. Do you need a driver's license in New York State to drive a Vespa?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: To drive a what?

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: A Vespa. It's a little Italian scooter. You see them all over the all the foreign movies.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Yes, you do. That's considered a moped. So for a moped or a motorcycle, you need a license. For an e bike, it does not require license.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: So motorbike that goes 50 miles an hour does not need a license?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: No, it does. Any moped or any motorcycle needs a license. An e bike does not require a license.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: And there's an age limit for

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: J. And you have to be 16 to operate any of those.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. And any age can ride that. So a nine year old can get on

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: a Incorrect. You have to be 16 to ride any of those vehicles, including an e bike. No one 16 can operate an e bike in New York.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Well, there's a lot of violations of the law right now.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: DAVID Agreed. DAVID G.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: DAVID right. Thank you.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: DAVID Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: That concludes this section of the hearing. Gentlemen and lady, I thank you all for your attendance. You've been most Thank

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: you, Mr. Chairman.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Appreciate it. Take care. Bye bye.

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Okay, Thank thanks.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Will the participants on panel A please come to the table? Mr. Miguel Velasquez. Ms. Lisa Dugelin. Steve Strauss. And Michael Durso. Can transportation people please move from the table? Francois. Can side conversations with transportation please go to the by the door or more preferably outside the door? We're having

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: He's saying, did you want me

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: to make an announcement

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: about it?

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Alright, gentlemen. Thank you. Before we go on, to remind all legislators that we everyone has three minutes and there are no follow ups. Gentlemen and senator? Chair Magnarelli, All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. I guess we'll we'll hear from the New York Public Transit Association first. Mr. Velasquez.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: Thank you, Chairman Kruger and Chairwoman Kruger and Chairman Pretlow for the opportunity to testify. And thank you to Chairman Cuny, Cumbria, Magnarelli, and Brownstein, and members of the Senate and Assembly who support public transit. My name is Miguel Velasquez. I'm the CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority and President of the New York Public Transit Association. Earlier today, you heard from the MTA and we support their priorities. My testimony centers around the needs of Upstate New York and the downstate suburbs. Areas that are essential to the state's economy, but are underfunded and being left behind by the current funding structure. As New York confronts the issue of affordability, we need to be clear. Public transit must be treated as a primary solution, not a secondary consideration. It is one of the most powerful affordability tools the state has. Few investments deliver the immediate results by reducing household costs, supporting employment, and growing local economies. Upstate transit systems are operating under structural budget deficits. These are not temporary challenges or a future concern. These deficits will undermine access to jobs, education, healthcare and childcare. The affordability argument is clear and undeniable. The average cost of car ownership in The US is about $12,000 per year. In contrast, you can access unlimited public transit in any Upstate community for less than $1,000 That is not a marginal difference. It is the difference between affordability and financial strain. Public transit is also a proven economic engine. Every dollar invested in transit returns $5 to the economy. Few state investments deliver that level of return. Despite this, funding for Upstate transit has failed to keep pace with rising costs and growing demand from employers and communities. Aging buses, obsolete facilities, and workforce pressures are threatening service reliability. In Rochester, employers like the U of R and Amazon have asked us to expand service, but we don't have the resources to do it. Downstate benefits from 18 different dedicated revenue sources. However, Upstate systems rely on just four, two of which are declining. If Downstate funding mechanisms are proven and effective, why not expand some of those to Upstate? Upstate riders and communities are no less deserving of safe, reliable, and financially sustainable transit service. We urge the legislature to take three actions, increase TOA by at least 15%, increase non MTA capital funding to $350,000,000 and establish new revenue sources for Upstate. If New York is serious about affordability and economic growth, then public transit in the entire state must be part of the solution. Thank you, chairman.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you. No one there looks like a Lisa. Who's representing the Permanent Advisory Committee to the MTA?

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: I am. Lisa? Good afternoon. I'm Brian Fritch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC, created by you, the state legislator, 1981 to represent riders of the MTA system, advocate on their behalf, and advise the MTA on operational performance and capital projects through reports and policy recommendations. Thank you for holding this hearing today and for all that you do to improve transit for millions of New Yorkers. To begin, we applaud you, the legislature, and the governor for their unprecedented support of the MTA over the past three sessions. During this time, you have successfully navigated the agency's operational fiscal cliff, supported the launch of the historic congestion pricing program, and three, provided the needed funding to finance the twenty five to twenty nine capital plan. Thank you so much. It is now up to the agency to deliver on these unprecedented investments and organizations like ours to work in partnership with you to hold them accountable. Another place we can believe we can partner is on making transit more affordable for New Yorkers. It is the top priority for them. Following the MTA's fare increase at the beginning of the year, which included two wins that I'd like to highlight briefly that you helped advocate for, which included allowing seniors, disabled and Medicare eligible riders to use their discounts at all times on the railroads and expanding the family fare to age 17. Thank you for your staunch support. But we believe that even more can be done. For example, PCAC strongly supports the recently introduced One City, One Fare Act, which builds on the success of city ticket that you heard about this morning to create a single unified fare zone for all of New York City for both Metro North and Long Island Railroad across all ticket types and allow riders to transfer freely to the subway and buses on the same ticket and between the two railroads. In addition, there are other good ideas that we think are worthy of consideration, such as resurrecting the thirty day and single day tickets as a fare cap on the new Omni system or bringing back the 10 trip ticket package on the railroads. You may have heard about some of the recent fare changes on the railroads from your constituents. We believe some of them are worthy of reconsideration and changes. In addition, we have a couple bills to strengthen rider representation in government, a governance including strengthening PCAC's councils and empowering the needs of riders on the MTA board. Thank you for holding this hearing, inviting us to submit testimony and continuing to prioritize the need of riders this budget season.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. I'm the representative for the Empire State Passengers Association.

[Steve Strauss, Executive Director, Empire State Passengers Association]: Good afternoon. Finance Committee Chair Kruger, Ways and Means Committee Chair Pretlow, and members of the legislative committees who are here today. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the proposed budget for the Department of Transportation. My name is Steve Strauss, I am the executive director of the Empire State Passengers Association. ASPA is a statewide advocacy organization working on behalf of intercity passenger rail riders for more reliable, more frequent, and faster Amtrak service in New York. For several years, I have been coming to Albany to testify and inform the legislature that the tracks to better Amtrak service in New York run through the state capital. Under federal law, these are primarily the responsibility of New York State DOT. And in 2025, we saw some evidence of increased DOT interest in implementing our passenger rail improvement program. The replacement of the Livingston Avenue rail bridge moved into the construction stage. The governor and the legislature agreed on providing an additional $25,000,000 for project development on the lower end of the Hudson Line. The state is awarding a consultant contract to update our 2009, yes, said 2009 state rail plan. And at the end of this week, the state will submit a grant application to the Federal Railroad Administration for two large passenger rail improvement projects. Yet with all these actions, the department remains under resourced to implement the rail improvement program at a 500,000,000 to 800,000,000 per year spend level, and that's the level it would take to implement the full plan, which was approved in 2023. The governor's budget requests a four person increase in the design and construction bureau at DOT, but provides no information on where these individuals will be assigned. ESPA requests that the legislature provide 10 new positions for the rail program, giving the commissioner the freedom to allocate them as she sees best. We are entering the final year of the department's five year capital program. Currently, the department provides you with no schedule of projects for the rail, aviation, and non MTA transit capital programs. You're funding them rather blindfolded, and this is not good public policy. We all benefit from acquiring DOT to provide a program of projects for these modes in the next five year capital plan. Upgrading passenger rail service across the state is highly popular. Communities want it. Riders want it. Advancing the program will generate good construction and rail industry jobs upstate, followed by additional middle class jobs at Amtrak. What's missing right now is a stronger commitment from the administration to advance this program. We need your assistance in pressing the commissioner to accelerate the rail program. Thank you for allowing us to testify today. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. ACEC?

[Mike Burroughs, State Director of Government Relations, ACEC New York]: Good afternoon. My name is Mike Burroughs. I'm the state director of government relations for the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York. This time last year, we were here asking for $800,000,000 to address inflationary impacts in the core program of the current year New York State DOT plan. The governor had provided that in her executive proposal, and you all delivered. So we want to thank you all for that $800,000,000 We know that it's going to be going to good use. This year, you know, we know that inflation and other external factors are not the only, you know, it's not the only thing that's eroding our purchasing power. And it's been talked about the CHIPS program. So you'll see in our testimony, this year we are supporting an additional $250,000,000 for CHIPS. We also feel that we want to make sure that the final year of the capital plan, we finish strong. It was very encouraging to hear the commissioner talk that we're on track. We want to make sure that they have all the support they need. This year in coalition with NRIC and other design and construction groups. Not only are we asking for the additional CHIPS funding, we're also asking for an additional $950,000,000 to make sure that we do finish the five year plan strong and that we can pivot towards the next plan feeling confident that everything that is in the MOU right now is being addressed and there's not too much carryover into the next plan. So those are our top priorities for this year for the DOT plan. We are very happy to see what's going on with the MTA and their capital program. And looking towards the next DOT plan, hopefully we're going to see a significant increase on that. You know, just in terms of, you know, what's going on at the federal level as well, we work with our partners in Congress to make sure that New York State is getting its fair share of dollars. Just found out that the House of Representatives passed their appropriations package. And so, you know, we heard that the transportation appropriations for that are encouraging. A lot of the cuts that the White House had proposed are actually we actually they were turning to increases. So now we can focus on the surface transportation reauthorization headed into the fall, working with you all to make sure that we're doing what we need to do at the state level. And again, thanks for having us. Thanks for the $800,000,000 that you provided last year. Do like I said, we want to make sure that this last year in the plan that we're headed into it on a strong position. And we welcome your support headed into the rest of this budget season for that additional money that we've been asking for and that my colleagues in the next panel can provide some even more intricate detail in terms of why we need that $950,000,000 why we need the CHIPS investment, and everything else in that space. So thank you. If you have any questions, happy to answer.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Mr. Burroughs. Assembly Member Magnarelli?

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Right. New York Public Transit Association. I have a question. You talked about dedicated funds. What would you suggest?

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: J. As an association, what we're suggesting right now, what we're proposing is a DMV fee that is currently in place downstate. We're just asking for equity and parity that that's extended to Upstate. It's a DMV fee, which is $25 a year. We feel that that would be a good proposal for us. That would raise enough funds to

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: How much would it raise?

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: There's about 5,000,000 registered cars in Upstate, so it would raise around $125,000,000

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: G.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: 120. And that would be divided among the transit authorities or all of transit? Or how would that be dispersed?

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: It would be the transit systems in Upstate New York.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Just the authorities, like Centro and RTA and Capital District, or other transit companies that may be operating in New York?

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: J. Other transit systems as well that are represented by the association as well, yes.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. Okay. That's all I have. J. Thank you. And thank you very much for being here, all of you. I appreciate your testimony.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Okay. Senator Cunningham.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you, Madam Chair. It's good to see you all. Steve, Mike, Brian, and Miguel, thank you so much for your leadership, not just today, but throughout the year. I'll kind of build off of what Chair Magnarelli was shifting, starting with NIPTA, on the use of dedicated revenue to increase our STOA. You talked about a 15% increase is what NIPTA is pushing for all the Upstate public transit authorities. If you were able to get that 15%, whether through dedicated revenue with the DMV registration fees or a different methodology. How would you expand transit services? What does that 15% translate to?

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: J. Thank you for the question. There's two aspects to that. First, we're facing a deficit, a structural deficit, funding budget deficit. So to make sure that we're in a strong financial footing, to make sure that we can sustain the services we have today. Secondly, to your question, one of the things that our customers and public transit in general has proven, what is needed is safe, convenient, reliable transportation. And our customers are consistently asking us for more service, expand the service, and that frequency, which is what makes it convenient.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Yeah, I just want to underscore that, that the frequency is a continued issue in Upstate New York. So, you're in Erie County or Onondaga County, we want to make sure that all of our transit agencies have that frequency, which will include an increased ridership. So, thank you for your leadership on that. I want to take a quick question to my good friend Steve Strauss from Empire State Passengers Association. You heard some of the testimony throughout the morning around the Empire or I should say the Hudson line of service between Grand Central and Albany, and the back and forth between Amtrak running that operation versus Metro North. One of the things I questioned the MTA about was the capped fee that Chair Lieber talked about that. Can you make some comments about your thoughts on running service between these two spaces?

[Steve Strauss, Executive Director, Empire State Passengers Association]: Sure. We, like everyone else, were pretty excited about the idea of having a $38 fare and an unreserved train coming out of Grand Central. Although I sat there and wondered about Fridays and Sundays when there might be standees on a seven car Metro North train with three two seating at $38 to Rhine Cliff, Hudson, and Albany. So it was exciting, but people also forget by bringing the Amtrak service back, the governor was actually able to get a much wider span of service than we have now and also get rid of the two forced layovers here in Albany Rinsalere. I'll be taking the 07:40 train back to New York City tonight, which will be one of those trains will be waiting for an hour and a half at Rinsalere for the Adirondack to arrive. That's had a big effect on ridership on those two trains, and it's a negative for Upstate New York.

[Mike Burroughs, State Director of Government Relations, ACEC New York]: So we're

[Steve Strauss, Executive Director, Empire State Passengers Association]: glad to get the Amtrak service back.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: you. Samuel Magnarelli? I guess he's going.

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Oh,

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: okay. Some in Bernstein.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you. My question is for Brian from PCAC. It's come to our attention that there have been some issues with the commuter councils getting a quorum because of appointment delays. Do those issues still persist?

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: Yes, absolutely, especially on our Long Island Railroad Commuter Council, which has more vacancies than members at this time. We have a bill that is up in the assembly to address that issue. I can get you the details for that. I believe it's on the House floor the floor for consideration now. It has passed the Senate two years ago, the Assembly last year. So we hope that it will get moving this year. We have another bill that would expand the pool of elected officials to assembly members and senators to allow to make recommendations for these councils as well, which is called our Rider Act, which is also up for consideration. It's being sponsored by Senator Gennardis and Representative Rosenthal. So we hope to see movement on that bill as well.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: J. Okay. And with the one city, one fair, so it would work that you pay for a city ticket and then you could transfer to the subway or bus without buying a MetroCard?

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: Correct. In the same manner that the Atlantic ticket did in years past. And the other thing that that bill seeks to do is, you know, right now if you buy a weekly or monthly pass on the railroads, which you can from, you know, Bayside or for a Rockaway, the fares are very different from one another. So it would unify the fare zones, making the cost for weekly and monthly tickets equal across the city limits.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: So if you buy a monthly pass from Rockaway, it's different than you would get in Bayside?

[Steve Strauss, Executive Director, Empire State Passengers Association]: Yeah, exactly.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. Do you have an estimate of what this would cost?

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: We're suggesting a two year study pilot, which, you know, we don't think would have a major financial impact. The city ticket has been financially very successful. Has stated that it's essentially paid for itself due to the increased ridership on the railroads. So we think the financial impact would be pretty marginal.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. Thank you. Thank

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: you.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: I don't have your testimony in front of me, and I wanna review it later. But I think, Steve, you talked about you talked about a plan, being brought back for Amtrak. And I just wonder if there's room in that plan or if anybody considered perhaps that the Amtrak could stop at a Hundred And 25th Street, on the West Side Of Manhattan, as it comes in. It passes by. It goes down to Grand Central. I mean, it goes down to, I'm sorry, 34th Street. And I just wondered if there was any consideration that it could stop uptown, for those riders who do come and use that Amtrak and have to go all the way Downtown Manhattan only to come back up to come home.

[Steve Strauss, Executive Director, Empire State Passengers Association]: Right. You're I don't think it's been talked about some well, the question, I guess, is who would build the station? And under the current rules, either New York State DOT would have to build a station for Amtrak or Metro North would build a station for eventual Hudson Line service into Penn Station, which people have talked about in the past. And that cost could be shared with Amtrak. But someone would have to build a station for that task.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: Let's talk about that. I'd like to have that conversation. And also, the fee, there was a DMV fee that was discussed and possibly having that upstate to increase, transportation. But, I just wonder if in that plan we could consider I chair the committee for the aging and some kind of iteration access a ride for older New Yorkers and those who are disabled, especially that have difficulty getting to appointments, doctor appointments, clinics, dialysis, that kind of thing where it doesn't exist as I have asked, and have visited different parts of the state. Any thoughts on that?

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: Thank you for that comment actually. That one is one of the areas that we struggle the most. Upstate New York is older adults aging in place and not having access to transportation. And we are unable to expand our service and our access to transportation because, again, the financial situation. So, yes, being able to have another 15% and a reliable, dedicated source of revenue that would allow us to expand service would be tremendously helpful to that population.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: J. And would you all consider including that in the use of those dollars should you get what you're

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: doing? Absolutely. J. Okay.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: L. We'll think about everything.

[Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes]: J. All right. Thank you so much.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Thank you. J. Comrie.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: J. Thank you. Is Lisa okay, or did you just hear today to represent?

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: She's doing all right. Thanks for asking, Senator.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: All right. Thank you. Can you expand why the one payer program would be so beneficial and what you think the expected revenue would be from it?

[Brian Fritsch, Associate Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)]: I don't have a revenue figure to share with you today, but I think where that bill would be most beneficial is in places that are currently two fare zones subway deserts around the city Southeast Queens, parts of Brooklyn and parts of the Bronx, places where the railroads can physically go through people's backyards, but they may not feel like they have access to it because it's too expensive. Particularly for those folks who are commuting regularly into Manhattan, they could really see a benefit, especially if they need to take a bus or to get to the train and then take the train into the city. Not only would they save money, but they would also save precious time in their days being able to commute via the mode of transit that is fastest for them.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I believe, like the Atlanta ticket, which we fought to do, and the city ticket, that this would be a boon to ridership and increase ridership exponentially and would pay for itself. So thank you for continuing to find innovative ways to try to increase ridership. To the upstate groups, I agree with you on doing the MVP so that you can get the extra funds that you need. And I will be working with Senator Cunningham to try to make that happen. So it's important that we have our Upstate communities as robust as any other part of the state. So I hope to make that happen for you. Thank you.

[Miguel Velázquez, CEO, Rochester-Genesee RTA; President, NY Public Transit Association]: On behalf of Upstate customers, we appreciate it. Thank you so much, Senator.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you all very much.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I believe that concludes this portion of the hearing. Gentlemen, I want to thank you all for your testimony, and we'll take it all into deep consideration. I am very interested in this one this one fair pass. It seems something that would be beneficial for everyone in the state of New York. Okay. I'm now calling up panel B, the Association of General Contractors of New York State Construction Industry Council of Westchester and the Hudson Valley, New York State County Highway Superintendents Association, the New York State Association of Town Supervisors, Superintendents of Highways, and Rebuild New York NOW. Okay. Gotcha.

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: Alright. Gentlemen,

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: good afternoon. Where we gonna start? You all did one of these.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: With the Rebuild New York NOW coalition. Thank you for allowing us to comment on the executive's twenty sixseven transportation budget. As we go into the final year of DOT's five year capital plan, the state is in a unique financial position. The executive budget reflects better than forecast revenues, projecting $17,000,000,000 increase above resources over the next fiscal years. Looking at December's cash report from the comptroller, the state had $82,000,000,000 in the short term interest pool, generating $4,500,000,000 a year in 'twenty four and close to that in 'twenty five. These huge interest revenues didn't exist when you adopted the DOT's capital plan in '22. We hoped DOT would ask for more money today, like many of us are doing here on their behalf, but they didn't. It's certainly not because the conditions of the system improving. According to the department's own data, nearly 40% of the state maintained pavements and bridges by deck area are rated in fair or poor conditions, some of the worst conditions in the country. After DOT's program was adopted in the '2, you and your legislative colleagues negotiated an MOU with the governor that laid out in great detail the cost, project type, location, time frame for spending the DOT's $34,000,000,000 capital program. The MOU required in the first four years that the five year capital program obligate $11,000,000,000 on core projects. With a couple of months shy of that four years, the DOT construction lettings totaled only $5,200,000,000 Only about 52% was spent on construction projects. In New York City, where the greatest infrastructure needs are, they're sitting on $3,000,000,000 there unspent to date. Why aren't they spending the money? It's a policy change. The schedule for delivery of construction projects regularly slips historically, including when I was at the DOT, the agency substituted other projects and then reprogrammed the monies when projects were ready to go. But DOT no longer does this. Too often, when projects get delayed, the agency holds the funds and the projects until some future date when hope of the project may move. We're seeing the negative impact of this policy change in virtually every region of the state, but especially in the Hudson Valley and Western New York, two regions with some of the state's worst road and bridge conditions. As a result of this misguided policy, these two regions will see over $2,000,000,000 less than you appropriated in the MOU in '22. In the current five year plan, having billions of construction dollars going unspent while inflation eats away at its buying power makes no sense and this policy needs to end. Rebuild New York asks that you and your colleagues request the DOT to provide you with the counting of the actual dollars versus those contained within the MOU before adopting the twenty six-twenty seven budget this spring. In addition, Rebuild is requesting you include $250,000,000 for more chips and $950 additional for the core DOT program in this year's enacted budget. On behalf of the Rebuild New York NOW coalition, thank you very much for addressing these important issues.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: You please go. Good

[James Dussing, President, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways]: afternoon, Chair Good afternoon, Chair Krueger. I'm sorry, Chair Pretlow and other members of the New York State Legislature. My name is James Dussing. I am the president of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways. I am also an elected highway superintendent from the town of Clarence in Erie County in Western New York. With me today representing the New York State Association of County Highway Superintendents is William Geary. Bill is the Commissioner of Public Works for Erie County. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to discuss the executive budget proposal and report to you on the conditions and needs of New York's local infrastructure transportation system. I will start by presenting, and Bill will be providing the conclusion. We would like to begin by thanking you and your colleagues for your steadfast support of local highway infrastructure. As you know, our collective membership and union workforce is responsible for ensuring the safe passage of 87% of the state's public roads. Half of its bridges and not only plowing our system, but we also plow a quarter of the state's system. Every time there is a weather event, major snowstorm, accumulation of any type, freezing temperatures, severe flooding, the hardworking people on our local crews ensure New York's drivers get to and from work, their homes, schools, hospitals, and other destinations safely. As we know, this January has been one of the coldest and has delivered some of the heaviest snowfalls in years. In our home region of Western New York in the month of January, we received over 80 inches of snow. This year's 02/2627 executive budget keeps local transportation funding to the 1,600 municipalities in New York state flat. It does not recognize the cost of the harsh winter weather or the significant needs of the local system, which is estimated at over 100,000,000,000. And it does not take into consideration the record high inflation rates for highway construction materials. Additional funding is necessary to slow infrastructure deterioration. We supported last year's additional funding at $800,000,000 but as was stated earlier, CHIPS, the chips formula also needs to be increased. I will skip right to it and see as we're getting low on time. It is critical that an additional $250,000,000 be added to the 2627 budget for CHIPS. This will allow us to recoup some of the real funding values lost to inflation since the five year program was adopted in 2022. We are also requesting that five of

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: the state's local assistant programs be combined into two to reduce the administration burden and record keeping at New York state DOTs and in our home offices. Thank you, Jaime. You have our written comments, and Jaime has highlighted our fiscal ask and our request for you to consolidate the five local highway funding programs into just two, CHIPS and POP. I'm going to mention a few other other legislative requests, but first, I'd like to take some time to talk about some of the unique challenges facing Erie County and many of the other large counties around New York State. Erie County and its municipalities maintain more local bridges, three ninety five than any other county in the state and we're responsible for over 8,000 lane miles of road, more than any other county upstate. Erie County's localities maintain more bridges than New York State does in all but two counties statewide. We maintain more roads than DOT does in 11 counties that make up the New York State DOT districts regions four and five in Western New York. Unfortunately, there is no county in the state that has more local deficient bridges than Erie County at a 105 bridges. No county has more miles of poorly rated federal aid eligible roads.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: But we're not

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: the only county struggling. Manhattan has multiple times more bridge deck than any other county in the state, and an amazing 68% of that bridge deck is deficient. The borough has over 2,000,000 square feet of deficient bridge deck, not only more than any other county, but more than any other multi county DOT region in New York State. Westchester County, like my home county, has a 150 a 105 deficient local bridges. But making matters even worse for them is they have just half as many bridges as Erie County. And as a result, half of the county's 223 bridges are deficient. The Bronx, they have 62% of its bridges rated deficient, while Nassau County has 58% of its bridges deficient. The current five year capital plan includes 1,000,000,000 for local Bridge New York program, $750,000,000 for bridges, $250,000,000 for culverts. That is a statewide total of only 150,000,000 a year for bridges. In July 2024, the office of the state controller released a report on the condition of locally owned bridges. The report concluded that Western New York's bridges need an investment of $2,100,000,000 The Hudson Valley, also $2,100,000,000 New York City bridges, 10,400,000,000.0. Statewide, the report pegged the investment needed at $19,000,000,000 and this was just in $24. Again, the current program invests just 150,000,000 a year in local bridges. We need to do better and we need your help to do better. Some of the other initiatives are work zone safety. We support the TED Act Article seven executive budget part f and part g, which would amend categories of transportation workers that qualify for enhanced protections, establish new penalties for menacing highway workers, The people responsible for maintaining our low our state and local infrastructure deserve to go home safely at the end of each day.

[John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley]: Thank you. Good evening and I thank you all for your time and your patience. You've spent a long day and I appreciate that you're still here willing to listen. My name is John Cooney Jr. I am the executive director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester in the Hudson Valley. We have some 600 members and we partner and negotiate over 30 collective bargaining agreements across our region. We are a union industry association and collectively with our partners in labor, we represent over 30,000 people who live in the Hudson Valley. You know, I'm not going to there's much of the ask and what has been here, I'm not going to bother to repeat, but we do support the $950,000,000 to go into the core plan of New York State DOT, the $250,000,000 increase for the local roads. And I must stop and thank you all for the $800,000,000 the support of the $800,000,000 increase that the governor proposed. That was needed. But due to the inflation that we've encountered, the $32,800,000,000 plus or minus original capital plan has been eroded by a 30% construction materials cost inflation. That's $10,000,000,000. We just need to understand that. And that's nobody's fault here in the room, the governor, or anyone else. That one that just occurred nationally. And I'm just going to point out to you something else nationally. Our roads and bridges, New York state's roads and bridges have consistently ranked, and this is now for ten years plus or minus between number 45 and number 47 out of 50 states. Not so good. So we're just not here asking you to pile more money on so our members and everyone can just do more work. The need is clear. It's out there. Additionally, now a couple other things. We support the the worker safety chapter seven that the the governor is asking for. It just makes sense. It just absolutely does. The and one other, you know, thing that I hasn't been brought up, but I believe that a need study, a twenty year need study should be performed for the New York State DOT infrastructure. It's roads and bridges. Something like this was performed for the MTA and I think it ended up being a very productive exercise that pointed people on, you know, what the real numbers are that need to maintain this. You know, I'm get gonna stop because you've heard all the asks and you've been here a long time, but just remember one other thing. A dollar invested in infrastructure creates 3.4 knock on dollars to our economy. Our infrastructure needs to be fixed, but it we're not making this up. The money needs to be spent.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Thank you, gentlemen. Chairman Magnarelli?

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Mr. Haifa, I know you've explained this to me before, but I'm going to ask you again. What you just testified about, the capital plan, how much money went into it, how much money was actually spent, and the difference. Would you do that again, please?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: Sure. So back in 'twenty two, you signed a 32 page document.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: J. G. L.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: Leaders, the legislative leaders in the governor's office signed a document. And I'm pretty old, but this is the detail that's in by project. I need a magnifying glass to see it.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Okay. But this for there was a product. There was a list of projects.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: You what the projects are Yeah. What region it was gonna be spent in, what type of work it was, and how much it was gonna cost. Okay. And then you said, okay. We're gonna fund it to the tune of about $34,000,000,000.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Okay.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: And so then what some folks did, they're smarter than I, they went through this entire document and did it by region and did it by year. And in my testimony, you have on the fourth page, I believe, this list that has by region through year four how much that MOU said that they were going to spend and how much they're spending. And so what you find is some regions, the numbers are particularly big in New York City. But a lot of them are 30%, 40%, 25% of what was in this MOU having gone to construction spending. So in simple terms, you gave them a blank check. But you have the ability now to say, where are you at with what we gave you? And I think what you're going to find, too, is because when you look at the state financial plan, you anticipated J. That

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: there's a difference between the MOU and what was actually budgeted or not?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: The when you the DOB will say there was a 15% flux in here. And that's always over programming. But the reality of it, Chairman, is that when you do these numbers, they come out almost to what the budget was. And I think the more important part of

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: that is what was spent was what the budget was?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: No. What What

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: the MOU was?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: Yeah. The MOU tied to the amount that you appropriated for the five year plan. Oh. You were supposed to be set you gave them the authority to spend about $7,100,000,000 a year on average the first three years. And we can look back and they're spending about 1,000,000,002 less than that. So they're not achieving and this is with all that inflation. You would think they would be asking you for more money and saying

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Right.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: What you did in '22 would cost $5 then is now $7. We why would they be delivering less if they were really delivering what was in the program? And then that ties back to the conditions that we have where we're seeing declines across the

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: board. Okay.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: So, yeah, so that's just the thought process.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Thank you.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Sure.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: Thank Thank you for the question.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: Where is this testimony?

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: I didn't get a copy of

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: that testimony. They don't give us one. And

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you so much for everybody's testimony. And I just want to say to all of our highway superintendents, thank you, thank you, thank you. They did an amazing job. I represent Smithtown and Huntington. Two best, best highway superintendents, Robert Murphy and then Andre Sorrentino in Huntington. And they just did an amazing job, Even when we had a little situation where there was a lot of parked cars and everything like that, they went there and they cleaned up all of our villages. They just did an amazing job. But I'd like to talk about that. In other words, the money that we need for chips, it's not enough money. Our local roadways, I said this before, look what's happening. We have all this drop shipping that's going more and more. We all know this, that there it is. Every day, probably at everybody's house here, You have drop shipping going on, trucks wearing on our roadways. Do you feel that really that has a lot to do with a lot more traffic on our local roadways? And is this gonna be even enough money at $250,000,000? Because I know with both my superintendents, with the money they have to they're stretching it, and it's just not enough. We talk about this all day all the time. We need to make sure there's a lot more money in chips. So please, can we please just talk about this because this is the time to talk about it.

[James Dussing, President, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways]: Well, to answer your question plainly, $250,000,000 is not, but it's a reasonable ask compared to the 50,000,000 that we received.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: The real numbers.

[James Dussing, President, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways]: Yeah. I would think in in excess of a billion dollars just to bring our local, you know, infrastructure up to speed on the local level that is. You know, the it's really unlimited. You know, we can do a lot of patching. We can do a lot of minor repairs, Band Aids, if you will, with the money that we have. But real repairs where you're doing full depth reconstruction with drainage and everything that's involved, sidewalks, ADA, everything, the $250,000,000 won't touch it.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Okay. But my question again, too, is with the drop shipping. You see what's happening. Am I correct by saying this? Don't you think that this is definitely doing something to our roadways, our local roadways?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: I mean, clearly, the traffic volumes and the weight have a huge impact. So do EV vehicles, especially the trucks. I mean, we have we owe the legislature, rightfully so, enacted EV school buses. You know, we're working with Cornell now on those additional weights and what they do to a lot of our secondary roads. If you're gonna run an EV bus on the Thruway or a DOT road, it's probably fine. But, you know, we we have like an inch overlay. That just spreads it out like peanut butter. So, you know, there's a huge cost in in the escalation, probably about a 20% reduction. But what ends up happening is the sublayer ends up, and and that's when you have to do re depth refill re depth reconstruction with those heavier EV school buses. So, yeah, there there is a definite financial impact to the local municipalities.

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: Great. I just want to say to all the hardworking men and women in the unions, they did a great job to making sure our roadways were clean for us. They worked so hard for us. Thank you so much. Great job.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Assembly member Miller.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: I just

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: want to thank you all for your testimony. I've got a few questions here for the highway superintendents, if you could answer these. We got an extremely cold winter. It's driving up operating costs and the impact. And what impact is this going to have on your maintenance schedules next year? Because this is two years in a row that our winters have been like they were back. This is the coldest winter since 1979, you're saying.

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: No. That's a great question. And these are all costs that we forecast about six months prior to our budget year, not having a crystal ball to know what the weather's gonna do. But we I will remind you the January, we did hit fifty and sixty. That freeze thaw cycle, now we're into a deep a deep freeze that's gonna just keep blowing the road apart. You know, we're going to have a lot more. You see it. We drove up today on the thruway. Every system's going to see the potholes reemerging. But it's not only that. There are other costs that aren't included into the repair and maintenance of the roads. It's our day to day budgets, our electricity costs, because everything is driven by natural gas. Getting natural gas out of the ground right now, the average rate for New York State is about $0.27 a kilowatt. We're probably fourth highest in the state. This is really some of the hidden costs, if you will, that we're facing to stretch those same dollars that we need to do to repair the roads and bridges.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. So these energy costs to heat your facilities is gobbling up more and more and more and more all the time. How is the state touring route the road program working?

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: J. That's another great question. So there's a lot of areas in which the cities were included. There's a lot more state touring routes. I, as Erie County, have 20 miles of state touring route. However, it's not recognized in the program. So we're unable to access that money. But the cities of Buffalo have, you know, in rears, haven't spent their allotment for over three years. New York City has about $92,000,000 in state tutoring route money that was funded and hasn't been available. That's one of the programs we're included back in so all 1,600 communities can access it. And you can improve the number of chips dollars that are out and making their head getting into the roadways, getting into the networks.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Okay. So last year's ask of an additional $250,000,000 wasn't given. Correct.

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: You're at

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: 125. So that function is not a linear function on road deterioration. It's an exponential function on what's going on. So this year, we're asking for $2.50 additional CHIPS dollars. It should be really more than that to get you back to where you would have been last year.

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: Absolutely. Then with the inflation rates, we see, you know, over the last three years being over 40% probably since 2023. But I can tell you just in the bridges, that's $25,000,000,000 for all regions across New York State to address those bridges.

[Assemblymember Brian D. Miller]: Thank you.

[Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia]: Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Senator Conroy.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I don't have any questions. Just want to thank you gentlemen for your consistency. And, you know, it's important that we do make sure that Upstate roads are taken care of. Just want to you that even though I'm a Queens guy, I love Upstate. So making sure the roads are accessible is important to all of us state folks. Thank

[Senator Tom O’Mara, Ranking Member, Senate Finance]: you, Senator.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Long Island, I never went to Long Island.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Assemblyman Ra.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you, gentlemen. Can you give me an idea of what does the number look like for a program like CHIPS if we were to do what we did last year with the state capital plan to have an increase to allow essentially the same number of miles of road to be paved to reflect the increased costs that it costs to do that. We know if we keep chips flat, it's not you can't pave the same number of roads that you did the year before when the cost of doing so was going up.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: And if I could, because I do want to touch base on STR because it's part of our proposal, which is also the bane of my existence. So you've got 95,000 local lane miles. STR goes to three ninety eight of them. You have sixteen oh seven municipalities receiving chips. You have 88 receiving STR. That $140,000,000 going to STR, adding that to the $2.50 is a big start in the right direction and redistributing those funds to the entire state the way we've done every other local program, including the Bridge program, which is competitive, but there is no other program that ever decided to take and and and what Bill's saying is, every county, if you include the counties, they're his miles. He has more STR lane miles than any other county in the state, more than the four or five boroughs of New York City, yet New York City gets more than them because somehow the counties were excluded. So by combining these, you're doing for the municipalities, which has always been done, a fair, balanced distribution of those resources.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: J. Dussing, if you could, you know, comment on that and, you know, what you're seeing in your town in terms of what you can do now versus what you could do a few years ago in terms of your paving program if the numbers are flat.

[James Dussing, President, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways]: So I just want to bring up the point that most of the towns that I represent, nine thirty three towns, are small towns that rely solely on their CHIP's budgets, okay? I come from a town, a second ring suburb, 14 miles east of Buffalo. We have, you know, a fairly decent budget. We have some skin in the game in addition to our chips. Most people rely, most smaller towns, you know, I'm talking three employees with a working superintendent. They depend solely on their chips. So there's very, very different degrees. I am okay. We are a growing town. Our town's grown gone from about 10,000 people to about 32,000 in the last fifteen, twenty years. So we're experiencing the bubble right now. It's the people that are past that, where their towns are built out, or they just don't have the resources within their town budgets. That's who we're really here, who I'm really here to represent. J.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: D. You. Senator Cooney.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you, Madam Chair, good evening everyone. And thanks so much for your advocacy. I appreciate hearing from you often. And well, with the exception of Fred, I appreciate hearing from you often. And I want to say thank you for your steadfast advocacy. I'm not going to ask you today about CHIPS, because you've heard from my colleagues about the importance of it. Of course, I support two fifty million dollars in CHIPS funding. Obviously, it needs to be more. But I had an opportunity this past year to spend some time with Bill and Erie County and do some touring around with their fair committee and also spent some time down in Region 8 with my good cousin. And we know that there's a real need out there. What I'm hoping and I guess I'll start with you, John, just because I'm biased, family. I wanted to really underscore the importance of the core program. Earlier this morning, we heard from the commissioner who actually used core as almost a bragging point. She should be proud, right? Letting those contracts out, over 120 contracts, really spending the resources that were there to get more state roads paved. But for some reason, we didn't see that in the governor's executive budget proposal. There was a complete cut of the $800,000,000 and now we're obviously seeking $950,000,000 Can you just talk to us about the importance of this last year of the DOT capital plan and fully funding that core program?

[John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley]: It needs to be fully funded to deliver on what was promised in the original five year plan. You know, the inflation, that number that we threw at you is just there. But we also need to build on that for the next five years and beyond. And the core program, if you take a look at it through the the stated five year plan, was pretty flat. In fact, it was down from the last year of what was a two year plan, I believe. The core is what drives, to the largest extent, the road and bridge conditions in our region.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Right.

[John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley]: And they are declining, and inflation isn't helping any of that decline. That's why we need to

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: have So that if you

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: want to make a difference in the road conditions report, if you want to make a difference in what most New Yorkers will feel, funding the core program for this final year will allow us to get those contracts let do the payment work we need to do, which is what Fred has been talking about. I really appreciate that. And I will just make a note, John, that, as you know, the twenty year assessment is a bill that both Chair Magnarelli and I carry. And we've got to get that done, because it does work for planning purposes for our friends in the MTA. There is no reason why state DOT should not be going through that same planning process so that our highway superintendents, so that our counties, so that all of those who are doing the work every day to make sure that our roads and bridges are safe can have assurance that we have that money in the planning process. So thank you all for the work that you do. I yield back my time.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you, Senator Assemblyman Otis.

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: J. Thank you all for your testimony and for advocating for not only more money, but recommendations on how to move the money quicker and get into your hands. And I have driven on the roads of the town of Clarence, and it's a beautiful, beautiful country. I have a question for John Cooney, who I know well and is such a great advocate for this kind of spending. Our region, the Lower Hudson Valley region, has the worst road conditions of any region in the state, which was news to me but is of concern. So question is, is it a combination of road miles? Is it a combination of increased usage and wear and tear on those roads? Do you have any theory why we're lagging behind the other regions?

[John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley]: You know, we have the most lane miles, we have the most bridges, and we've had the worst conditions for ten years plus. This isn't a surprise. Yet the region receives on average, and this is can get a little muddy, but I'm going to use the average of the third or fourth most funding of all the other regions, except for Region 8 has more repairable assets than any other region. I think that has something to, know, you can infer it has something to do with it. Wow. Meaning infer if we were all in a windowless room and it was raining and someone came in with a coat and they were soaking wet, you can infer that it was raining. It's a strong inference.

[Assemblymember Steve Otis]: Well, and certainly I share the value that you all know to be true, which is the better we maintain our roads, the more cost effective it is for local budgets and state budgets. So thank you all for your advocacy, and I'll yield back my

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: time. J.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Assemblywoman Shimsky.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Thank you so much to all of you. I've got four questions. Let's see how fast we could go through them. At this point, which regions are most behind in DOT lettings?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: Clearly, it's Region 8, New York City, and Region 5. I mean, the thing that is simplistic to me when you ask the question of why do I have bad roads in my region and you had a billion dollar mega project that's not going, why did you not take the billion dollars and reinvest at least a portion back into those bad roads and bridges? Why is it going to the last year and somehow we're gonna just roll it into another program? I mean, that didn't happen well in Region V. They lost two mega projects over the last ten years that never recurred. So when you appropriate the funds and this was part of my original message you can quickly turn around and reinvest those monies. You don't have to hold them. I apologize. Took a little long.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. The $950,000,000 you're asking for for core road and bridges, that's not for more projects. That's basically an attempt to keep up with the rate of inflation?

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: What it ended up being at this point would be a combination of both. The reason I say that for your 800,000,000, you appropriated the funds or passed the budget, so I think it was five weeks late. But it wasn't announced until after the entire season. None of that $800,000,000 was spent in this entire season. This is New York. You can't pave in the winter. So, when you do an announcement in October, that's pushed to the next year. Hopefully, you add more money this year, the governor and DOT will move the projects during the same season.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. We haven't talked about the bidding threshold for chips. But when was the $350,000 figure

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: fill that over again.

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: I'm sorry. I ran out of time that was on mine, but, you know, shot clock ran out.

[Frank G. Hoare, Executive Director, NYS Thruway Authority]: No problem.

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: I believe it was about four years ago, but we were asking for it to be raised to $1,000,000 We're eliminating altogether because that is one way that we, Jaime and myself, work together paving roads. And just to give you a for instance, at $75 a ton for asphalt placed, our crews doing it, that's almost $375,000 for 5,000 ton. That's about a mile a road. So you can see just the cost of supplies blows us past that ask. J.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Now for your smaller communities, having to decide which of five programs or seven programs to apply to, does that create a certain amount of bureaucratic problems that makes it less efficient?

[James Dussing, President, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways]: G. Sure does. It just takes more office time, really. We apply for all seven of them. Right. And we receive generally all seven of them. So we're using them all. It just would take less administrative time, less headache for the DOT and our own office staffs and myself.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Wow. Thank

[Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams]: Thank you you very so much, everyone. Okay.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: And I believe that this concludes this section of the hearing. Gentlemen, I want to thank you for your input. We have copies of testimonies. And hopefully we can do something with CHIPS. Real quick question. If we did put an additional $250,000,000 to CHIPS, that's usually done on a pro rata basis. What would a county like Erie benefit from that?

[Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles]: Number for

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: would be somewhere in the range if because I did it for STR at $1.40, so it'd probably be about 10,000,000 extra for Erie County and its municipality.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: So at at a 250,000,000, Erie, we get 10,000,000.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Dollars Yeah.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: And then say Westchester would get half of that, maybe a little more than half of that 7,500,000.0 in

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: that Westchester is pretty comparable to Erie County in size for lane miles. It'd probably be

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: But you

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: go by lane miles, you don't go by population. I

[William Geary, Commissioner of Public Works, Erie County]: just G. It's a formula, but lane miles would be probably about the similar population size, cars A. Right.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Registered. Thank you, gentlemen.

[John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley]: And the one thing about that money is it spends in the season it's allocated.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: G. It's allocated. G. Gets right to the road. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: I'm competing panel C, NYAMA of New York Aviation, Managers Association, the Trucking Association of New York, and New York Lawyers for Public Interest. Is someone missing? Okay. Then we'll start from my left. Your right?

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: That's me. All right. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Zach Miller, and I serve as vice president of government Affairs for the Trucking Association of New York. Tanny has represented the businesses that move nearly 90% of all freight in New York and 95% in New York City. If trucks stop moving, shelves don't restock, and hospitals don't get supplies. We've submitted our full remarks today, so I want to focus on three things affordability, safety, and solutions at work. First, insurance affordability. Auto insurance is transportation policy. Fraud, staged accidents, and lawsuit abuse are distorting the system. National trucking data shows litigation claims and verdict sizes have risen steadily for over a decade, with commercial auto liability premiums increasing by nearly 40% per mile over the last ten years. For small fleets, this is not abstract. We have members with clean safety records being dropped by insurers or quoted more than $50,000 per truck per year just to remain insured. Governor Hochul's proposed reforms target these real cost drivers while preserving legitimate claims, we urge the legislature to advance them. Second, the highway use tax. The highway use tax is an outdated, duplicative tax that makes New York one of only five states still imposing a separate highway mileage tax on trucks. It stacks on top of fuel taxes, tolls, and registration fees, while producing evasion rates near 50%, largely by out of state operators. This places compliant New York carriers at a competitive disadvantage and drives up costs for consumers. A phased repeal would improve compliance, reduce costs, and maintain transportation revenue. Third, and critically, safety and human trafficking prevention. TANI strongly supports S2399A and A3485A, which would integrate TAT Truckers Against Trafficking training into commercial driver education. Truck drivers travel millions of miles each day and operate in locations where trafficking often occurs: rest areas, truck stops, ports, and distribution centers. With proper training, drivers nationwide have already generated tens of thousands of trafficking related tips to law enforcement. This legislation would provide standardized, proven training at no cost to the state, schools, or students because the materials are provided by TAT. It is a rare policy that strengthens public safety without creating new mandates or expenses, and we urge swift passage. Finally, we caution against one size fits all approaches, such as an indirect source rule, which risks raising costs and disrupting freight movement while ignoring clean fuels and proven strategies already delivering emissions reductions today, such as a clean fuel standard. Transportation policy is economic policy. We look forward to working with you to lower costs, improve safety, and keep New York's supply chain moving. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Mark Heefner, Commissioner, Greater Binghamton Airport; Past President, NYAMA]: Good evening, Chairs Krueger, Pretlow, and members of committees. I'm Mark Heefner, past president of the New York Aviation Management Association, or NIAMMA, if you will, and I'm currently the commissioner of Greater Binghamton Airport. As you may recall from our NIAMMA advocacy or our testimony last year, New York State Aviation is a cornerstone of the state's economy To the tune of $80,000,000,000 in annual economic activity, with 454 jobs statewide in aviation, that equates to $6,100,000,000 in state and local tax revenue. Over a 111,000,000 passengers utilized New York Airport Commercial Air Service last year. Airports drive tourism, attract business, and sustain local economies, so much so that the numbers that I just highlighted are more than the combined aviation impacts of Portugal and Italy together. New York state tax dollars and New York state dollars invested in our airports have an average minimum multiplier return on investment of between one point five and two with with capital investment programs up to 20 times multiplier. We know how to spend money, we know how to get get money back for our for our state, which brings me to my my comments on the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven executive budget. We appreciate the governor's continued support and recognition of New York State Aviation's importance. The current New York Aviation Capital Grant program is severely underfunded at $12,500,000 a year, an amount unchanged since 2018 and that requires a program of every two years to do a solicitation. We're requesting that a million minimum yearly investment of $40,000,000 be made to meet critical needs like resiliency, facility improvements, environmental advancements, financial stability, and clean energy projects. I think that you can agree that the requested investment of $40,000,000 is quite modest in comparison to some of the other transportation programs you've heard today. NAM urges visionary thinking and investment with our legislative partners to help New York State Airport stand out with air service development and economic development programs that can set New York State apart from other states competing for the same services. Finally, as aviation evolves with advanced air mobility sustainable fuels, New York must lead the way. Airports need to support need support to upgrade electrical infrastructure, prepare for electrical and unmanned aircraft, and to keep New York state competitive, protect jobs, and create oh, create world class facilities. In short, enhanced funding is essential to keep New York State competitive and to ensure our facilities are well maintained. Niyama stands ready to partner with you and to make a vision make this vision a reality. Thank you for your continued support in New York State Aviation.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. I don't think I have any questions to my left. I just have one question, I guess, for Mr. Miller. You represent the trucking industry, I'm assuming. I know it's not the entire industry, but you truckers. And there's a fee being assessed to, I guess I'll call it a bundler or bundlers that pay the tolls for the trucks. And formally, and the executive director of the Thruway Authority testified that there's no direct effect to the truckers themselves. And it was my understanding that truckers do they get a discount based on usage of the Thruway.

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: Yes, they do. What will have an impact to them, though, is the 1% service charge on the toll management company. So there are currently two main toll management companies that many of our members and many of our non members utilize. The 1% fee would be assessed on those management companies, which would then be passed to the trucking companies who utilize their services. The companies would wind up paying a little bit more for the three way if the 1% goes through as currently discussed. But I know that the executive director did mention the litigation. We're hopeful that they could continue this dialogue and work something out so that there isn't a cost that goes to the trucking companies, especially during, you know, a time when we're all concerned about affordability.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Okay. Now, it's my understanding that authority gives this company you're referring to a discount. If the through authority decided to cancel the discounts, would that adversely affect the truckers more than them paying the 1% increase?

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: No, so that's a great question. The discounts are not going to go away. So why

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Why not? I mean, it's administrative because they because

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: say we I guess they could, but that's not what the three way is talking about doing. Now. Now. That's a great point. But the benefit of this service is it takes a massive administrative burden off of both the trucking companies and the Thruway Authority for these commercial accounts, for these discounts. The added benefit to the three way is it takes bad debt because the management companies are still paying the toll, even if they're not collecting it from some of these trucks that are going through them. So the bad debt is actually on the books of the management companies, not the Thruway Authority, which is why, for a long time, this was a mutually beneficial agreement. And we hope that it will maintain a mutually beneficial agreement.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Right. Thank you. And I'm out of time.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. Thank you. Senator Cunningham.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Thank you, Madam Chair, and good to see you both. Question actually, I'm glad that Chair Pratlow asked that question of you, Zach, because I was thinking the same thing. I appreciate your response. Mark, could you answer me a question around the investments in airports, specifically modernization? What capital investments are most urgently needed to modernize our airports, specifically around economic competitiveness, both commercial and general aviation?

[Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority]: R. Well, if you've been to

[Mark Heefner, Commissioner, Greater Binghamton Airport; Past President, NYAMA]: one airport, you've been to one airport. That's kind of our saying. But I would say, overall, if I had to generalize, I think your infrastructure needs would be centered around electricity. A lot of airports are lacking in that for expansion, both commercial aviation and general aviation, and then also economic development of the airport sites themselves.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. And what about vertical and takeoff landing vehicles and such in terms of preparing for, as that technology gets through FAA approvals, etcetera, just being ready to embrace that type of technology?

[Mark Heefner, Commissioner, Greater Binghamton Airport; Past President, NYAMA]: Yeah, that kind of goes back to electrical. Most of those airports are going to need those ready made facilities that can generate a tremendous amount of electricity quickly so that those aircrafts can be charged and maintained. So I think electric is probably going to be your number one priority moving forward with those types of unmanned aerial and electrical vehicles.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: J. Think we're hearing the theme in the transportation hearing today around the need for more electrical access, especially as innovation's continuing, whether we're talking about autonomous vehicles or whether we're talking about vertical takeoff and landing or just new airport services overall. It's something you've got, surely, my commitment as we go through the capital plan process for the state DOT to make sure that we are looking to reinvest in our airports, especially our Upstate and regional airports. I give Governor Hochul a lot of credit for continuing the modernization program, but we want to make sure that we are continuing to stay on the forefront here because we don't want to fall behind.

[Mark Heefner, Commissioner, Greater Binghamton Airport; Past President, NYAMA]: Absolutely. I think Commissioner Dominguez kind of highlighted that earlier, that all of the ones that were awarded in 2023, I think there's only, like, two or three that haven't been substantially completed. So that's really impressive that we've done it in about two years, and you've put about $200,000,000 into that program. So we know how to spend money. We know how to spend it correctly and quickly, and it's already coming back as a return.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Thank you both. I yield back my time.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Osama bin Magnarelli.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Just a follow-up question to Mr. Miller following Chairman Pretlow. Isn't there another part of that whole equation of how they get paid and how the truckers pay in the sense that these companies that do all of the bundling, as he put it, they also pay with cards. With credit cards, there's some kind of benefits that they receive Yes. You know, not being shared with New York State. That's one of the things that I heard kind of push this thing along.

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: That is something that I know for the most part what you're referring to, and that is something that, as I was told, the tolling companies agreed to work with the thruway on that issue because they understand where the Thruway was coming from on that. I believe there was a reimbursement that the Thruway needed or was it could have applied to, and they weren't necessarily doing that. But I also believe that the companies in this area worked through that issue. I could follow-up on that aspect of it.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: I think that's something that's they worked through. SPEAKER Okay. So and that's one of the major reasons why this thing is where it is.

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: Okay. I'll follow-up with them because that was the second component of this and that was the component that they understood where the through air was coming from.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: Okay. I got one more question, just an aside. The ton mile tax Yes. Still there?

[Senator Mario R. Mattera]: It is. I have a bill.

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: And we appreciate that. We do.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: I just can't pass it, but I have a bill.

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: It, you know, it really would speak to the affordability Yeah. Of the state, and it it would reduce the evasion issue.

[Assemblymember Matt Slater]: Right. We

[Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs, Trucking Association of New York]: do believe the state would collect more revenue from Yep. I I

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: can't convince anybody of that. But that's the way I look at it, too. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you. And that concludes this section of the hearing. I will now close panel D, our final panel, ADA Accessibility Transportation Group. Mr. Christopher Grief of Accessibility Community, L. A. R. R. I like you don't like Grief? I suppose you give each other grief? How does that work?

[Senator Peter Oberacker, Ranking Member, Senate Transportation]: Okay.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Grief. Accessibility Community, Long Island Railroad, veteran of Deborah Greif. Transportation Alternatives, Elizabeth Adams Families for Safe Streets, Amy Cohen and Access to Independent Cortland Cortland County, Alexandra You. Did I get there? Okay. I'm sorry if I destroyed your names. Okay. Who who wants to start? Or do you wanna start? Oh, you do one of those. Okay. Let's start from my left, your right.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: That's me. Good evening. Yes, my name is Deborah Greif. And as my late mother, Bernice Greif, would say, If you'd like us to cause grief, we can. But I don't want to. But I will tell you I'm very proud to be sitting next to my son. I couldn't make it last year because my other committees needed my full attention. I am a person, as you see now, uses a mobility device, but I am also the child of a person who was disabled with her it was a hidden disability with her heart. But we were taught, my younger brother and I, how to go through the public transit system through ADA. And this was before ADA because my mother was born in 1932. So I do understand what people with disabilities go through. In fact, my mother was in special and they called her the cardiac cripple. So I do understand what labels can do. But she did tell me, you use your label to get the help you need. As you see, my testimony was mostly pictures because everyone puts everything in words. But I wanted to see what a person like myself who now has mobility disabilities would have to go through. I do understand who is supposed to clean the bus stops. No, I don't tell the MTA to do it. Is supposed to be New York City DOT with the sanitation department. As a member of my local community board, we would train very well which service is supposed to do it. And I would like for them to learn to work as a team. I would like to say this. Ever since I have been growing up, I have seen the MTA improving. It is finally nice that when you have issues with accessibility, they listen to you for a change instead of looking at you like, why are you bringing this up? It's a big difference because I will tell you one of my biggest and happiest projects and I hope they do it in my birthday month. They're finally going to put an elevator at the Sheepshead Bay Train Station which technically is five blocks away from where I live. Yes, I do use Accessoride too and I don't have issues with it and I do love congested pricing because it used to take me two hours to get to Broadway. The, my Access Right drivers knew how to get us into Manhattan, but once we started to leave the tunnel, it took one hour. One hour to go from where the tunnel and you come out to get over to 2 Broadway, I could have walked it faster. So I want everyone to know that congestion pricing is working now because we are flying through the tunnel and when we have to go around to get into 2 Broadway, it's not an hour extra where myself and the other passengers were squirming because we wanna use the restroom. So I want you to know that congestion pricing has made a big difference. I am very happy to see more elevators and more things done to make things accessible. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: Good evening. Christopher D. Greif as the president of the ADA Transportation Group. Yes, I do have other titles, but I'm here with this title because so far the last five years, I have seen getting things accomplished working as a team. And I will say, as my mother who's here and I have to say one thing, thank God I'm not by myself this time because last year I was right here. I'm here today to support continuing the future of accessibility. And as I sent emails out, yes, I'm guilty as charged, I have sent out the past and the future. And yes, thank you senators and assemblies who did show up on Zoom because mentioning to work together with DOT and MTA, it's to move forward, not going backwards. As my former colleague, either Prentiss will say to people, get over it. We need to get over it and move forward in our transportation. What I'm seeing in all districts from Downtown Brooklyn, which I know assemblywoman is very happy about Borough Hall because trust me, I am happy. But I'm also happy to see not just an elevator, station Braille, humps, lighting, signages. And on the railroad ends, we're seeing the new boarding signs to alert the conductors. There's an accessible customer there. It's been working. And I'm going to continue doing that because advocating is something we need to do now and the future. And I do support my other title of the moving the city ticket and there is something I will add in the city ticket. There is a reduced fare, 3.5. And I will say this is, it is working but I agree. We need to have the transfers, we need to use the omni in more accessible options, which we are. But yelling and fighting is not going to solve anything. And it's hard for them to not understand that we have we may agree and disagree, but yelling and fighting or going blocking streets, it's not going to work. And I have to say what the MTA has been doing during the snow, thank God Accessorite did run a little better because it picked her it picked the customer up where they had to go to get home. Metro North ran. The railroads ran. The bus the trains the buses can do the best they can but with nothing being shoveled, we still have to continue advocating. And I will say that the Amtrak train, they should be ashamed because we need the Metro North to run to Albany. For us to come up yesterday, an hour and a half delayed, it's unacceptable. And I did complain to Amtrak And they're still canceling trains and they're forgetting. There are seniors and disabled who want to go to New York City or come up to Albany. Just to advocate, to learn the history. So that's all I have to say. Thank you everyone.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: And I do cause grief.

[Alexandra Makowski, Executive Director, Access to Independence of Cortland County]: Hello, everyone. My name is Alexandra Makowski. I'm the executive director of a small rural independent living center, a member of our NILE, the New York State Association on Independent Living. I'm person disability. With

[Assemblymember Jodi Giglio]: I have a

[Alexandra Makowski, Executive Director, Access to Independence of Cortland County]: speech impairment, which you'll probably notice and you probably already have. I have a learning disability and written expression, so I typed most of my speech with speech to text. And I have a physical disability, so I travel in my role later. I'm the vice chair of our local transportation advisory committee. And I'm a person who loves public transportation. I take the Amtrak as often as I can. And in fact, because this ran much later than I was expecting as my first time testifying, I'm going to stay overnight and then take the Amtrak back to Syracuse tomorrow. I'm here for the expansion of the ADA minimum from three fourths or three quarters of a mile to three miles. So let me tell you why this matters. It can just be numbers on a page. But you build a life that works. And then suddenly, the bus changes. And for us, Centro is our regional transportation authority. They're going to change the bus routes. There used to be two buses that came by our office. Now they're going to be several blocks away one direction and five blocks away another direction. So you build a life that works, and then it doesn't work. ADA was meant as a floor and not a ceiling, but that's how most transit companies are treating it. There's more information about what we support on the NILE website. And so I worked with our local planning department when I saw this opportunity to come and speak to you guys today. So their GIS planner created a map of what the system might look like and how many households would be able to access service and not be stuck in their homes. Transportation is something that's vital. And disability is a club you can join at any moment. So beyond just sharing data, I want to share a story about a family member. She picked her lovely trailer to live in when she could drive. And now she's lost her vision and has to use a rollator for mobility. She has limited access to resources, which meant she couldn't get to the pharmacy to get her medications. She couldn't go to the senior center, which led to three hospitalizations in three months. So just one of those multi day stays in the hospital, because she didn't have access to her medication, would have more than paid for the bus to go a little further out to grab her. So by increasing paratransit, we would increase social connection, drive down medical and increase quality of life. This isn't an attack on our system, but a way to serve more people. The state should address this by increasing the minimum service level to three miles for any bus line. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: Thank you. Wow, you guys have been here a very long time. And I will read some of my testimony. But I do want to point out in the written remarks that I submitted at the bottom of the page there's a link to our web site where we have a white paper and a lot of data on the Stop Super Speeders bill because I can't imagine any of the numbers I'm going share now you're going to remember. So again, my name is Amy Cohen and I'm the president and founder of Families for Safe Streets. As most of you know, we're an organization that no one should have to join. We all lost a family member or suffered a life altering injury in a crash. And you know, I am here representing my son Sammy who was killed in a crash. You know, I miss him every day. I come up here a lot and I meet a lot with your staff. And this year Sammy would be turning 25. And every time I have a meeting, I'm meeting with one of your aides, I'm like, ugh, the same age. He would have loved that job. So two years ago, thanks to your leadership, Governor Hochul's support, Sandy's law was included in the budget. It was a lifeline for families like mine. But as we celebrate that victory, we certainly know there's more to do and too many lives are still lost. That's why I'm fighting for the Stop Super Speeders bill. Every year more than one thousand New Yorkers are killed in crashes and over one hundred and fifty thousand are seriously injured. In New York City alone like last year, two sixty two zero six people died. That's two sixty families like mine that are forever devastated. Another three thousand were seriously injured. Speeding is killing our neighbors and it's entirely preventable. You know, the worst of the worst, they're a small number, less than one percent of drivers. But their impact is enormous. They are disproportionately causing harm. New York was the first state in the nation to propose a stop super bill. But it's really gaining momentum. Last night I spoke with folks from Hawaii because there's testimony this evening I am doing. They are the eleventh state in the country to introduce a stop super speeders bill. And we're expecting another half dozen. That's in addition to the three that are already passed. So this bill is smart. It doesn't take away anybody's ability to drive, to get to work, to take children to school, to go to medical appointments. It just requires intelligence speed assistance devices to be installed in their vehicles so that they cannot cause harm on our roads. The technology works. There are studies in Sweden, The UK, Netherlands, New York City shows that ISA saves lives, cuts injuries. The cost is modest. It's about $100 to install, dollars 4 a day, dollars 100 to remove. So know, Governor Hooks' inclusion of this bill in the budget is a moral imperative. It gives the courts the tools to stop the most dangerous drivers while allowing law abiding families to continue living their lives. It prevents tragedies before they happen. Thank you.

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: J.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you.

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: J. You. You.

[Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives]: J. J. L. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here and still being here. My name is Elizabeth Adams, the deputy director for public affairs with transportation alternatives. For over fifty years, TA has been a leader in the fight to make our streets safer and better for all New Yorkers, whether you walk, bike, take public transit, or drive. And today, I'm testifying to urge the state legislature to prioritize street safety for all New Yorkers through the passage of the Stop Super Speeders bill, along with measures to expand complete streets design and projects, reduce highway funding, and support public transportation. And I've submitted full extensive written comments. And I'm going to focus my comments here this evening, primarily on the Stop Super Speeders bill, which Amy spoke about as well. We are incredibly pleased that the governor has included Stop Super Speeders in her proposed executive budget. It is a sign that this is critical and urgent. And as Amy said, people across the country are recognizing the importance of legislation to hold super speeders accountable. Too often dangerous excessive speeds are the difference between a traffic crash and a traffic death. Approximately one in three traffic deaths statewide involve speeding, And those numbers are only climbing each year. For most drivers, the current enforcement systems are working. In New York City, most motorists who receive one or two tickets don't get another one. They don't speed and they change their behavior. But unfortunately, for a small number of drivers, what we call super speeders, tickets and fines are not a deterrent. For these super speeders, a single car can rack up hundreds of tickets and thousands of dollars in fines. And they are still breaking the law. Reckless super speeders are dangerous for everyone on the road. Just last year, a speeder with dozens of tickets hit and killed a mother and her two children crossing the street in Brooklyn, who was mentioned earlier in testimony before as well. The Stop Super Speeders bill would install a speed limiter device in the vehicle of the worst of the worst reckless drivers, preventing them from speeding and preventing crashes and deaths. This technology is already extremely successful in New York City. DCAS, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services, uses speed limiters in the city fleet and has reduced speeding behaviors by 64%. If we had passed super speeders bill, if we had passed this legislation last year, it is possible that that mother and her two daughters would still be alive. As a new mother myself, I think about that every time I cross the street. We do not know who a super speeder will kill next, but we know that they will. And we must act now to protect all New Yorkers, and we have the tools available to do so. Additionally, I want to urge the legislature to reduce state funding for highway widening and expansion and end our over reliance on highway infrastructure. We have seen a number of projects where communities have come forward and say, enough with expanding highways. It is time to invest in local public transit instead. And then finally, just to close, also I urge you to support Complete Streets Design on State and Local projects as well. And thank you for your consideration this evening.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: J. Thank you. Assemblyman Magnarelli.

[Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli, Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee]: I think I've seen many of you many times before. I just wanted to say thank you for being here today, and thank you for giving your testimony to this panel. All of it will be taken into consideration. And as some of you know, sometimes it takes a little longer than others to get things done. But we get there. And so I just wanted to say I appreciate you all being here today. Thank you.

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: Thank you. I did forget to say one thing, which is I know this technology is new and many are not familiar with it. So I have a car that I'm staying overnight and will be here tomorrow with the tech installed. If anybody would like a personal demo, I'd be happy to do that at your convenience. So you can come up to me after the hearing.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: Assembly, just to let you know that I'll be here until tomorrow. I'm not like last year, I'm not running away like I did last year because how Amtrak is not running. But I do want to let you know I did leave you stuff if you need more, if you need me.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Hi, everyone. Thanks for hanging with us today. I know it's been a long day for you, too. Thank you so much for your testimony. We've worked with you in the past, I'm just so grateful that you're here to give voice. And I wanted to just underline the importance of what you said on behalf of Niall in terms of the three mile minimum service bill. That is a location that I do carry. We talked in one of the earlier panels around the importance of STOA, state operating aid for our transit authorities. And this is what we could do. If we actually fully funded STOA, these are some of the services that we could offer to New Yorkers. We all talk about elevator access in the city and we talk about other accessibility access. And that's incredibly important in the lighting. I want to thank you for sharing some of the good things that are happening. But we are woefully unprepared in Upstate New York. And I always remind folks that it's cold outside, and it's even colder when you're waiting for a bus outside. And it may be forty five minutes to an hour, right? And if you have a person with a disability, then that could be even more challenging to find a bus that's suitable to you. So just wanted to underscore the importance and the relationship between advocacy around people with disabilities and STOA in terms of the budget conversation. And then I wanted to add my support. Amy, you know this, of course, for the super speeder legislation that Senator Ganardis carries. We passed it through our Center of Transportation Committee last year. I think that we can beef up some of the language that's in the Article seven that the governor put forward. But it's a great step. And again, want to underscore that I want to see that across New York State, not just in New York City, because there are speeders and bad offenders everywhere, and we have lives to save. So thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. Vice President Monroe. R.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: You all for being here. Just, Ms. Reif, have you had any I know you mentioned congestion pricing. One of the issues I have dealt with with a number of disabled constituents is the process for the exemption. And their, basically, accessibility to getting into somewhere in the city where they have these centers that they have to do an in person visit to in order to get that exemption. I'm just wondering if you have any comment on that, if you think what we have J. Now is

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: Okay. First of all, am not a car driver. Okay. But do I understand the process? Yes. And I have to tell you that it is frustrating. And I have worked with many people with disabilities who drive and explained to them and please hear exactly what I'm saying. You're right, the system doesn't help them, but sometimes they don't help themselves because when you're supposed to tell them why you need it, they give very little bit of info. So I sit there and want to pull my hair out because I understand what you're saying. Please, what I'm saying is you're hurting your own self. Here we were. I'm getting them to listen to you, and you're not giving enough information. Because they're so then they say to me, well, I'm ashamed because I have this this is not the time to be ashamed. This is the time to be truthful. If you noticed what I said before, what my mother used to tell me, so what? You have a disability. You have a label. Use it to get the help. Yes, we need to make it more simpler and easier for them to get the help. They should be exempt. Especially anyone who drives or also parents who have children with developmental disabilities who have serious, challenging behaviors, they need to be exempt, too. And I do advocate for that very strongly. But please, let's also educate the writing public to be truthful when they need the help.

[Assemblymember Ed Ra]: J. Thank you. J. I

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: also want to thank you all for your work and for being with us today. And my colleague just talked about that you're advocates. And there's probably no better set of issues than addressing concerns for people with disabilities and also addressing concerns for people who have had their family members go through terrible experiences. And Amy, I've gotten to know you over the years and you have worn your heart on your sleeve on behalf of so many people all these years. You're the folks who keep us honest in government. Okay? You're the folks that, frankly, we can't look away from and not be responsive to. Because it's real blood and guts. And we need to make sure that when we make the commitment to ask to be your elected officials and to get you the best government we can try to do, that we are not looking at the really tough issues that are often the very hardest to address. So I guess it's appropriate at a certain level that you're closing down this hearing for us. And I want to thank you for spending your day and some of your evening with us. And just to try to make sure that you know how really important it is that you're all doing what you're doing and that you find us when we're at home and you find us when we're here and you build larger and larger coalitions of people who get it and who continue to make sure that we're hearing you. So thank you all very much for being here.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you, Senator. Assemblyman Brunstein?

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Thank you. And I want to thank everybody for staying all this Some of you missed your train, so we appreciate it. I have two questions, one for Christopher. With the Queens bus redesign, they instituted buses that have limited stops. Has that presented challenges?

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: You're talking I just want to be clear. There is the limited, there is an SBS, and there is the half I call it half limit, half local. And I have seen those buses. They're called like the fast run because they've been helping ease down the local service because it's a lot of people who are using it. And what I've been seeing is I have been out there during the times because I was out there on buses with my other colleague, was out there as well as some of my other friends. We have seen buses moving. But, again, it's not the buses who can move faster, it's the cars that are blocking or blocking

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: I'm the saying bus

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: for people with mobility issues, if they don't want to take the limited, let's say they live too far from a bus stop, there are local buses that come through as well.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: J. Yes, sir. And I just want to be clear also because a lot of people do get mixed up. The bus stops are DOT. We have to remind people in Queens that you have to also let DOT accessibility know, too. Because if you know that stuff needs to be needs to stay, we need to know why.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Okay. I'm sorry. Just have one more question.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: I'm just making it very clear.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: Elizabeth, with the super speeders bill, you can have this device installed. Do you have to have a traditional speeding ticket? Or will it be installed if someone has speed camera tickets?

[Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives]: So the governor's proposal is a New York City pilot currently with looking to expand to the state. And so looking at the automated enforcement tickets,

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I think J. Sorry to interrupt. So like if I share a car with my wife, right, if she's the one who's doing all the speeding, right? No, no, I'm just asking

[Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives]: you You should tell her not to speed.

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: No, no, know, will then the device be installed in the car with the license plate that's been doing the speeding? Is that how it will go?

[Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives]: Yes, it'll be installed in the car with the license plate. So if you are a super speeder and have sped and have gotten over 16 tickets or dozens of tickets in one year, which is, again, one percent of New York State drivers, and you're an egregious speeder, and you have a car, and with and someone else in your household

[Senator Leroy Comrie, Chair, Senate Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: So it

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: will be associated with the license plate.

[Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives]: It's the license

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: plate, yes.

[Unidentified participant (brief interjections)]: Not the

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: individual. Okay. That was just

[Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives]: something And about we want people to take that seriously, right? We're not talking about everyone. We're talking about really egregious speeders. And if you are an egregious speeder and lending your car to

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: someone else, you should figure that out.

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: And the bill would be introduced and have a year before it's implemented. You will have plenty of time to know you're approaching

[Assemblymember Edward C. Braunstein, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions]: I don't necessarily think that's a bad idea. Was just looking for clarification on that.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Yeah,

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: you. Is there any moment, Simon?

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: I could make a joke, but I won't. Husband tailgates. Do we have anything on And honks his horn too much. So thank you all for your testimony and, for obviously bringing disability issues. I'm curious what your thinking is about the bill that is pending with regard to approving people for accessoride without having to go to a center for approval.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: And I agree with that because the place where I live in Brooklyn. The place they want me to go to, I do not like to go to because I feel it's a firetrap because it's small. There's only one elevator, and I hated it. I actually begged them to let me go to Staten Island. Yes. It was near the Outer Bridge. There was a major difference. There was enough room to get on and off the elevator. It easy to access. The staff was so much more different. But not everybody has the patience or the physicality. But I would like to see them do what you just suggested because it would be a big help. But one thing that has to be done, not all doctors know how to write the letters correctly. I am lucky. It is not my I had a pulmonary doctor who wrote the letters so well, they used him as an example because he explained it.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: I could hire myself out helping doctors learn how to write those

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: Yes, I agree with that.

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: I second that emotion.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: So I wanted to know, because you're a user, I wanted to know your opinion with that.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: I would love that.

[Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon]: And just for the record, I'm a fan and a cosponsor of the super speeders bill. I think it absolutely makes sense. And my feeling is we lose too many people to people who speed constantly. And we don't enforce those things. And the other issue, of course, is that too many times there's a lot of alcohol involved. And that is another big issue that we're trying to address as well. So I want to thank you all for your advocacy and for being here. Keep educating us so that we know because you're where the rubber meets the road, right? What we do here, the policies, the laws that we pass have a direct impact on your lives. And we don't know what's working unless you tell us. So we really need to hear from you. And I want to thank you again for staying all day long, listening to everybody, and staying with us so that we can learn from you. Thank you so much.

[Amy Cohen, President & Founder, Families for Safe Streets]: I just wanted to add that there is data that shows there's a correlation between drinking and speeding. The difference is if you add this device that drunk driver's harm is much more likely not to kill somebody.

[Assemblymember Claire Valdez]: Yeah.

[Alexandra Makowski, Executive Director, Access to Independence of Cortland County]: And that the complete street legislation also benefits people with disabilities because it's about the whole street. And so it's actually not two separate issues. It's one issue.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Oswald Woman Shimsky.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Thank you. And thank you so much for being here. Okay, there we go. I am sorry that I missed your oral testimony. So if I bring up something that's been asked and answered, let me know and I'll go watch the video at home. One issue that came up before were the installation of new elevators in commuter rail stations. Does anyone care to address whether we're hitting the right stations or please?

[Christopher D. Greif, President, ADA Transportation Group]: And I think both of us can answer, but I will say this. When I spoke last year, and you didn't miss it because I didn't bring it up, so as I said last year, and I'll say this again, have gone the MTA accessibility has done a survey and they did the support letters. And I have to thank The Bronx because there is a borough it's at the Mashua Parkway. That town right there, the what's the housing? The housing is right next door to Mushuwa Parkway. They did support letters. They fought to get that station accessible. This past September, with the all the Bronx electoral officials who were here, we're at the press conference. And I have to say, that station got accessible. As Deborah mentioned earlier, Sheepshead Bay will be, Burroughs Hall,

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: and She others also asked about the commuter rails. I would like to tell you that I went out on this rainy day out to Long Island.

[Senator Julia Salazar]: I think

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: it was Deer Park. And they were the Long Island Railroad Commuter Council president was nervous because the ramp for me to go down had major cracks, it was hard for me to see the cracks because of the water. So they were praying that and, thankfully, my walker has big wheels. So they fixed it. So I want you know but the other thing is that they have been putting Long Island definitely has gotten more elevators. Metro North is catching up. But I'm not backing down. I do tell them that I want the ramps. I want both. Ramps as well as elevators because ramps don't break as fast as an elevator. And also, what's rough is when non disabled people push me or demand that I get out of their way. So I appreciate what you're and I want to make sure that we are advocating not just for New York City elevators. I want, if I had my way, the whole transportation system for would have all New York City would be totally accessible so that I wouldn't have to keep showing I don't mind coming, but I don't want to to always show up for hearings because it's already accessible.

[Senator Jeremy Cooney, Chair, Senate Transportation Committee]: Do you want to ask?

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Okay. Do you think things oh, are you have twelve seconds.

[Alexandra Makowski, Executive Director, Access to Independence of Cortland County]: Oh, I just wanted to say that by making things accessible for people with disabilities, you're making it accessible for everyone, for someone with their luggage, for someone putting a It helps all of us.

[Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky]: Thank you. Thank you.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: Thank you. And I want to thank all four of you for your testimony today. And Ms. Grief, your mother was right. Use whatever you can to get what you need. It just makes a lot of sense. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed to use anything. Whatever it is to get what you have to get, you Yes, do

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: I will.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: And Mr. Greiff, don't give your mom grief, Okay?

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: Thank you. By the way, if you all know the lady that apprenticed, she and my mother were born on the same day, twenty years apart. And they both were very strong mentors to both of us.

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: To both of you? Okay. And And actually I'm showing my sympathy is on your loss. Know it's painful to none of us should have to bury a child. I mean, I did and you did and few others of us have, And it's not how the master plan is supposed to be. So it's a club we don't want to be in, but there are a lot of them. I'm glad to hear that the powers, be it the MTA and whatever, are being more responsive to the people with disabilities community and doing the things that they should be doing and not hiding behind cost. You know, it's easy for you to say, we need an elevator. If she said they have to spend $2,000,000 to put it there. So that's what the elevators cost. The MTA pays twice what everybody else pays. That's why it's I know.

[Rebuild New York Now Coalition Representative (unidentified)]: Would be

[Unidentified Chair, Assembly Ways and Means (presiding)]: a million dollars someplace else. So, but I'm glad to see that they are doing it. I hope that the elevator does come in by the deadline that you had just said earlier. So again, thank you all for your participation. And with that, I'm closing this hearing until tomorrow when Senator Krueger will lead the mental hygiene public hearing at 09:30AM. And today's went nine hours, and maybe tomorrow's will go longer or Who knows? But thank you all very much. Thank you.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: Thank you. Thank

[Senator Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee]: Thank you.

[Deborah Greif, Accessibility Advocate]: Thank you.