StreetsPAC joined Transportation Alternatives, the Straphangers Campaign and the Riders Alliance in issuing the following statement regarding the budget passed by the New York State Legislature early this morning:

"Our transit system is on life support. Fixing our transit system should have been Albany's first priority this year; unfortunately, the final budget does not offer a credible plan to modernize the MTA, nor provide a sufficient revenue stream to make it possible. The crisis in our subways and on our streets will continue, and New Yorkers will continue to demand action from Governor Cuomo and state lawmakers.

"If the governor is serious about alleviating the crisis, he must ensure that the initial steps laid out in this budget -- for-hire vehicle surcharges, bus lane expansion and enforcement -- be the catalyst for meaningful reform.

"First, Governor Cuomo must use a portion of the new revenue to help implement comprehensive congestion pricing, by constructing cordon infrastructure and addressing needs in transit deserts around the city. Then, the governor must establish, and commit to, a timeline to make congestion pricing a reality in New York.

"New York's transit and traffic problems may seem intractable, but with bold leadership, reform is possible. New Yorkers deserve better than broken subways, unsafe streets, and crippling gridlock, and it's time for our representatives to deliver."