When Gov. Andrew Cuomo allocated $418 million to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for emergency repairs in the state’s budget, Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed — at first begrudgingly — to match the financing. But the mayor is now saying that Cuomo is ultimately on the hook for making repairs to the system, as well as to that of the New York City Housing Authority.
“It’s abundantly clear he is 100 percent responsible for the MTA. He’s got everything he wanted. He kept saying he wanted this money for the subway action plan; he’s got it now,” de Blasio said during NY1’s “Inside City Hall. “Time to put up. Time to fix the MTA. Time to take responsibility. No more excuses.”
The mayor initially wasn’t too hot on the idea of providing city funding for the MTA, but called the allocation a victory because the money can’t be diverted from the agency, Politico reported. He’s not as thrilled with the state’s dedication of $250 million for repairs to NYCHA, which will be overseen by an independent monitor.
He said he hasn’t received most of the $300 million that the state pledged for NYCHA between 2015 and 2017.
“He says he wants to do it through a monitor? OK show us the money, because we’ve been waiting for money as far back as 2015. I think in both cases this clarifies the governor’s responsibility. You want it this way? OK, he’s got it this way,” de Blasio said.
The governor and mayor have repeatedly clashed over the issue of who is responsible for the MTA. Last month, the mayor also criticized the governor over his visit to a rundown NYCHA building. [Politico] — Kathryn Brenzel