THIS WEEK, THE MTA BOARD OFFICIALLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE CONGESTION PRICING PLAN IN NEW YORK CITY.

THE PLAN WAS FIRST PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO BUT HAS FACED HICCUPS AND LEGAL CHALLENGES.

NOW DRIVERS ENTERING THE CITY FROM LOWER MANHATTAN WILL NEED TO PAY TOLLS.

SUPPORTERS HOPE IT WILL PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE MTA AND SLOW TRAFFIC.

AHEAD OF THE ROLLOUT IN THE COMING MONTHS, ASSEMBLY MEMBER ZOHRAN MAMDANI, A SENATE DEMOCRAT, INTRODUCED A PROPOSAL TO MAKE BUSES MORE RELIABLE AND EXPAND THE FARE-FREE BUS PILOT PROGRAM.

WE SPOKE WITH THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING THE PROPOSAL AND THE PATH TO GETTING IT OVER THE FINISH LINE.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH US, ASSEMBLY MEMBER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

NOW I WANTED TO GET INTO YOUR PLAN FOR CONGESTION PRICING AHEAD OF CONGESTION PRICING BEING ROLLED OUT IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU ALONG WITH SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, MIKE GIANARIS, HAVE INTRODUCED A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY ALLOW THE STATE TO INVEST $90 MILLION INTO THE MTA'S BUS INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HALF OF THAT MONEY WOULD GO TOWARDS MAKING THE BUS SERVICES MORE RELIABLE AND THEN THE OTHER HALF WOULD EXPAND THE FREE BUS PILOT PROGRAM.

SO CAN YOU JUST GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW THAT PLAN HAS COME TOGETHER AND WHAT IMPACT YOU'RE HOPING IT WILL HAVE?

ABSOLUTELY.

SO THE FIRST 45 MILLION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS 45 MILLION TO MAKE OUR BUSES MORE FREQUENT AND MORE RELIABLE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IN MY DISTRICT ASTORIA, LONG ISLAND CITY, AS WELL AS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY, YOU HAVE BUS RIDERS WHO ARE WAITING FAR TOO LONG AT THE BUS STOP FOR THE NEXT BUS, AND SOMETIMES WHEN THEY LOOK AT THEIR APP TO SEE WHEN THE NEXT BUS IS COMING, THEY CAN'T EVEN TRUST THAT TIMER BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE BUS JUST DISAPPEARS FROM THEIR VIEW ENTIRELY.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT 45 MILLION IS WE ARE MIXING THESE BUSES RUN MORE FREQUENTLY AND WE'RE MAKING IT SUCH THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE THE TIME THAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE TOLD THE BUS WILL COME TO THE BUS STOP, AND THAT NUMBER OF 45 MILLION, IT COMES FROM CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE MTA AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU ABSORB IMMEDIATELY TO TRANSFORM THE BUS SYSTEM'S RELIABILITY AND FREQUENCY.

BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO FIGHT FOR AN ABSTRACT NUMBER THAT WE DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN ACTUALLY TRANSLATE INTO NEW YORKER'S LIVES AND EXPERIENCES.

WE WANT A NUMBER THAT WE'LL SEE A DIFFERENCE FROM DAY ONE, AND THAT'S THE 45 WE WERE GIVEN AND THEN ON THE FARE-FREE BUS PILOT, LAST YEAR IN THE STATE BUDGET, WE WON A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND FARE-FREE PILOT ACROSS NEW YORK CITY, ONE FREE BUS ROUTE IN EACH BOROUGH, AND THOSE FIVE ROUTES THAT HAVE BEEN RUNNING SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP BY UP TO 20% AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW, WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE CHARGING NEW YORKERS MORE TO DRIVE IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WE NEED TO PAIR IT WITH INVESTMENTS THAT MAKE OUR BUS SYSTEM MORE FREQUENT, MORE RELIABLE AND MORE AFFORDABLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TO DO IS TO GET MORE NEW YORKERS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.

IN TERMS OF THE $45 MILLION THAT WILL BE USED TO HELP WITH THE RELIABILITY OF BUS SERVICES, I UNDERSTAND THAT DERIVES FROM CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD WITH THE MTA.

WAS THERE ANY LEVEL OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE TO SEE IF THAT NUMBER IS THE MOST ACCURATE, IF POTENTIALLY MORE OR LESS COULD BE USED?

WHEN WE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THEY TOLD US THAT IS AROUND THE MAX AMOUNT THEY COULD ABSORB.

SO THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IS TECHNICALLY YOU COULD INVEST AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU'D LIKE INTO THE BUS SYSTEM.

THE PROBLEM IS ONCE YOU GET PAST A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, YOU HIT UP AGAINST BARRIERS.

BARRIERS LIKE THE FACT THAT MAYOR ADAMS IN NEW YORK CITY IS NOT FOLLOWING THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING OUT BUS LANES.

SO IF YOU INVEST TOO MUCH INTO THE BUS SYSTEM WITHOUT BUILDING OUT THOSE BUS LANES AND PREFERENTIAL BUS LIGHT TREATMENT, THEN WHAT YOU HAVE IS TOO MANY BUSES BUNCHED ONE AFTER THE OTHER AFTER THE OTHER.

IT'S TOO OFTEN THAT YOU ARE WAITING 30 MINUTES FOR A BUS AND THEN TWO COME ALL AT ONCE.

SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ACTUALLY HAVE THE IMPACT WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHICH IS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT WAITING THAT 30 MINUTES AND IF THAT IS EVER THE CASE, YOU'RE NOT SEEING ALL OF THESE BUSES COME AT ONCE.

AND I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE THREE BUSES PER BOROUGH.

SO WHAT METRICS WERE YOU USING TO DETERMINE THAT WAS THE SWEET SPOT IN TERMS OF FREE BUSES FOR EACH BOROUGH?

SO THE ULTIMATE DECISION IS TO MAKE ALL BUSES FREE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT FREE BUSES MEANS A COMMUTE THAT IS SAFER, THAT IS FASTER AND THAT IS MORE ACCESSIBLE.

WE'VE SEEN THAT IN KANSAS CITY.

WE'VE SEEN IT IN CONNECTICUT.

WE'VE SEEN IT IN MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IT'S TIME THAT NEW YORKER RECEIVE THOSE SAME BENEFITS FROM A PROGRAM SUCH AS THIS.

THE IDEA OF GOING ONE PER BOROUGH TO THREE PER BOROUGH IS OF A GRADUAL EXPANSION.

WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IN THE EARLY RESULTS THAT THIS IS BEARING OUT WHAT OUR HOPES WERE, WHICH IS MORE NEW YORKERS ON THESE BUSES.

NOW IT'S TIME TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT UP AND ENSURE THAT WE GO FROM THE 45,000 RIDERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THESE FREE BUSS TO A LARGER AMOUNT TO SEE IS THIS SCALABLE IN THE WAY THAT WE BELIEVE, AND WE THINK THREE PER BOROUGH, 15 IN TOTAL ACROSS THE CITY IS A GOOD BEGINNING STEP.

AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO EXPAND IT EVEN FURTHER TO MORE THAN THREE BUSES PER BOROUGH IN SO THE TOTAL COST OF-- MAKING ALL BUSES FREE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND $700 MILLION A YEAR, WHICH MAY SOUND LIKE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY BUT WHEN YOU PUT KNIT CONTEXT OF $327 BILLION ANNUAL STATE BUDGET, IT ACTUALLY ISN'T THAT EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT COULD DELIVER TO NEW YORKERS ACROSS THE BOARD.

BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IF THE BUS IS FREE, YOU'RE NOT STANDING IN LINE LOOKING FOR YOUR METRO CARD.

EVERY SINGLE DOOR IS OPEN FOR TO YOU GET ON AND GET OFF.

SO OFTEN, WHEN THE BUS IS FREE, YOU SEE RIDERSHIP INCREASE AND I'VE HEARD FROM SO MANY CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY FEEL MUCH SAFER WHEN THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE ON THAT BUS, WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY ON A BUS THAT IS WELL POPULATED THAT IS GETTING NEW YORKERS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

AND WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT HOW THE FREE BUS PROGRAM HAS IMPACTED NOT ONLY THEIR LIVES BUT ALSO THEIR POCKETS?

SO, YOU KNOW, MY CONSTITUENTS ARE DESPERATE TO HAVE A FREE BUS IN THEIR DISTRICT.

SO FAR, THE FREE BUSES WE'VE SEEN HAVEN'T OVERLAPPED WITH MY DISTRICT, BUT THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT BECOMING THEIR REALITY.

WHEN I HAVE RIDDEN ON THE FREE BUSES, WHETHER IT BE ON STATEN ISLAND OR IT BE IN THE BRONX, I HEAR FROM PEOPLE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS ONE LESS THING THEY NOW HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.

THEY CAN GET ON THE BUS AND THAT 2.0 THEY USED TO HAVE TO FIND, THEY CAN PUT IT TOWARD THE COST OF EGGS.

THEY CAN PUT IT TOWARD THE COST OF CON ED.

THEY CAN PUT IT TOWARDS SKYROCKETING COST OF LIVING ACROSS THEIR ENTIRE LIFE.

THIS IS ONE PLACE WHERE WE ARE FINALLY DELIVERING WORKING CLASS PEOPLE THE RELIEF THAT THEY DESERVE.

WHAT ABOUT THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MTA IN WE KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY THE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN BATTLING A LOT OF FINANCIAL ISSUES.

SO IN TERMS OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET OR BUDGETS TO COME IN FUTURE YEARS, WHAT WOULD THAT INVESTMENT LOOK LIKE TO MAKE THE MTA THE MOST SUSTAINABLE?

I THINK WE TOOK A GIANT STEP FORWARD LAST YEAR WHEN WE RESOLVED THE MTA'S FISCAL DEFICIT AND WHEN WE MADE INVESTMENTS INTO SUBWAY SERVICE AS WELL AS THE FREE BUS PILOT.

I THINK MORE AND MORE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS SHOW THE MTA THAT IT CAN DEPEND ON ALBANY TO FUND IT AS THE PUBLIC GOOD THAT IT IS.

IN YEARS PAST AND ESPECIALLY WITH GOVERNORS PAST, WE HAVE TREATED THE MTA LIKE AN ATM.

WHERE THE MTA'S FINANCES HAVE BEEN USED TO SHORE UP THINGS LIKE UPSTATE SKI RESORTS.

WHAT IS CRITICAL IS THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE MTA THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND SCHOOLS, THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND SCHOOLS, SANITATION, LIBRARIES.

PUBLIC TRANSIT IS A PUBLIC GOOD.

IT SHOULD BE THERE FOR EVERY SINGLE NEW YORKER TO GET THEM WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.

TOO OFTEN THE MTA HAS HAD TO DEPEND ON REVENUE OFF THE BACKS OF WORKING CLASS RIDERS INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ON ALBANY AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING NOW IS THIS IS A MOMENT FOR TO US START TO EXPAND HOW MANY NEW YORKERS CAN USE THIS PUBLIC GOOD AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE ASK FOR WE FUND IT THROUGH THE STATE BUDGET.

AND APART FROM BUSES, OF COURSE, TRAINS IN NEW YORK CITY ARE REALLY BIG FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, SO IS THERE ANY THINKING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF RELIABILITY AND SAFETY ON THE SUBWAY?

ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THAT IS AN ANNUAL BATTLE THAT WE HAVE.

YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, OUR CAMPAIGN WAS TITLED FIX THE MTA.

IT CONTINUES TO BE OUR RALLYING CRY BECAUSE FOR SO MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS, THEY ARE STANDING ON THE PLATFORM AND THEY ARE WAITING FOR TRAINS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COMING MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THEY ACTUALLY DO.

PART OF THIS IS THE REVENUE THAT WE WILL GET FROM CONGESTION PRICING.

IT WILL DELIVER INVESTMENTS INTO SIGNALING THAT WILL ENSURE FOR MORE FREQUENT AND RELIABLE TRAIN SERVICE.

WE DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR NEW YORKERS ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THEY GET TO WORK.

THIS IS HOW THEY SEE THEIR FRIENDS.

THIS IS HOW THEY GO TO CHURCH.

THIS IS HOW THEY LIVE THEIR LIVES AND FOR TOO LONG, WE'VE BEEN GIVING THEM A PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT IS NOT BEFITTING THE WORLD CLASS NATURE OF OUR CITY.

YOU KNOW, THE BUSS AND THE TRAINS ARE A PART OF THE MAKEUP OF NEW YORK CITY, BUT WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE THAT NEW YORKERS ACROSS THE STATE SHOULD BE CARING ABOUT AND HOPING THAT THE STATE PROVIDES FUNDING FOR IN THE BUDGET?

SO, YOU KNOW, THE MTA IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF NEW YORK CITY AND NEW YORK CITY'S ECONOMY AND NEW YORK CITY'S ECONOMY IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF THE STATE ECONOMY.

SO IF WE DO NOT FUND THE MTA IN AN ADEQUATE WAY, IF WE DO NOT MAKE THE RIGHT INVESTMENTS TO GET MORE AND MORE NEW YORKERS ON THE MTA, THEN WE WILL SEE A SET OF CONSEQUENCES THAT REACH TO EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE STATE AND THE WAY IN WHICH WE CAN FUND DAY-TO-DAY LIFE ACROSS THE STATE.

SO WE NEED TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ON THE PRECIPICE OF IMPLEMENTING A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY WITH CONGESTION PRICING.

WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH THAT WE HAVE SEEN SUCCEED IN CITIES LIKE LONDON, CITIES LIKE STOCKHOLM.

IN LONDON, FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE THEY IMPLEMENTED CONGESTION PRICING, THEY INCREASED BUS SERVICE BY 17% AND THEY SAW THE AMOUNT OF RIDERS IN THEIR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WENT UP BY 30%.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE TO BE PAIRED.

NOW WE NEED TO DO THE SAME THING.

UH-HUH.

AT THE TIME THAT WE'RE FILMING THIS, OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE IN THE THICK OF BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS.

SO WHAT ARE YOUR CONVERSATIONS LIKE WITH ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CARL HEASTIE TO GET THIS IN THE FINAL ENACTED BUDGET?

YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT IF IT WASN'T FOR THE LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT OF SPEAKER CARL HEASTIE.

HE WAS A PIVOTAL VOICE IN US WINNING THESE PILOT PROGRAMS IN LAST YEAR'S STATE BUDGET AND HE HAS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THIS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE BY THE FACT THAT THE $90 MILLION PROPOSAL THAT WE PUSHED FOR IS IN THE ASSEMBLY'S BUDGET PROPOSAL.

IT'S ALSO IN THE SENATE BUDGET PROPOSAL, AND SO NOW WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE IF THE GOVERNOR WILL INCLUDE THIS IN PART OF A FRAMEWORK FOR THE FINAL BUDGET AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THE FACT THAT OUR COALITION HAS BEEN GROWING WEEK BY WEEK, WHERE WE'RE SEEING BOROUGH PRESIDENTS IN BROOKLYN AND MANHATTAN COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSAL.

WE'RE SEEING CONGRESS PEOPLE LIKE CONGRESS MEMBER DAN GOLDMAN WRITE AN OP ED IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSAL.

WE'RE SEEING THIS BE SOMETHING THAT IS THE RALLYING CRY OF NEW YORKERS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.

WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE IF IT MAKES IT INTO THE FINAL STATE BUDGET AND WE'LL HAVE TO CHECK IN WITH YOU AND GET THOSE UPDATES.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

WE WERE SPEAKING WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER ZOHRAN MAMDANI.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THE PROPOSAL WOULD COST THE STATE $90 MILLION, WHICH THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER SAYS IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET WHEN COMPARED TO THE TOTAL STATE BUDGET.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CONGESTION PRICING PLAN AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S NYNOW.ORG.

WELL, THAT DOES IT FOR THIS