For only the second time since 1978, New York faces a state-wide election without a Cuomo running for office. It’s an opportunity for the state to move past the tedium of the Andrew Cuomo years and the imperial governance of one man who would broker no dissent and often failed to encourage or allow hand-picked experts who may have known better to lead. While the current race between Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin may not represent the best the Empire State can offer, when it comes to transit, there is only choice in this race, and that choice is Kathy Hochul.
Hochul is an unlikely transit-focused candidate. She’s a Buffalo native, chosen to be Cuomo’s Lieutenant Governor as a sop to upstate voters, and she found herself thrust into the position when Cuomo resigned in 2021. On the transit front, she had to untangle an unstable mess left to her by her predecessor, and she’s succeeded in ways that make me believe she’ll be a stabilizing force for transit in the NYC region and a driver of growth as well.
As governor, Hochul has done what Cuomo failed to do: First, she brought stability to the upper echelons of MTA leadership. While Cuomo presided over a revolving door of agency CEOs and presidents, Hochul chose Janno Lieber, a dedicated, smart and competent official to lead the MTA without her interference. She has given him her support to lead the agency, make decisions regarding transit personnel and growth, and empowered him to change the conversation regarding transit funding, treating the system as a public service rather than a political piñata constantly facing budget cuts and fare hikes. On safety, upon the rest of Mayor Eric Adams, Hochul helped deploy extra MTA police officers to areas where the NYPD could not staff the transit division quickly enough, and the move paid dividends with the MTA itself touting recent declines in crime. In the past, New York Governors were loathe to work with city officials and often used the MTA as a political chit, holding transit riders hostage.
Outside of the day-to-day operations of the MTA, Hochul has shown a willingness to plan carefully and listen to people who know more than she does. She ditched Cuomo’s useless Backwards AirTrain, and instead of demanding experts bend to her whims, in championing the Interborough Express, she listened to planners who have meticulously crafted a case for a circumferential subway line, a true game-changer for disconnected parts of Brooklyn and Queens. On congestion pricing – a program that will unclog Manhattan streets while generating the revenue needed to launch the MTA’s $50 billion capital plan – she has taken political heat while continuing to support the traffic fee. Thanks to stonewalling at the federal level, congestion pricing may not be moving as fast as many New Yorkers had hoped, but Hochul has stood firm in the face of political calls to cut the fee.
Opposing Hochul is Lee Zeldin, a Long Island State Senator-turned-Congressional representative, who has no transit plan and has a documented history of hostility toward transit. While in the State Senate, he opposed the Payroll Mobility Tax, a measure that staved off the MTA’s fiscal collapse in 2010, and as a candidate, he has offered no vision for transit. He has spoken about stopping congestion pricing and claims, without basis in fact, that more fare enforcement can generate enough revenue for the MTA to plug all of its budget holes. Anyone with a passing familiarity with the issue can explain why fare enforcement alone, which itself costs significant money, cannot solve the MTA’s financial woes, and with the MTA facing a multi-billion-dollar fiscal cliff over the next few years, a governor with no plan to support transit is a governor inviting a crushing crisis for New York State and New York City. (Jose Martinez of The City further explored how a Zeldin administration could spell doom for the MTA.)
Even on crime, the issue on which Zeldin is trying to stake his campaign, he hasn’t offered a vision for improved safety. He talks about deposing a duly elected District Attorney and declaring a “state of emergency,” which is symbolic at best. But he has not provided concrete details how he will handle the mental health crisis driving much of the crime or how he will improve the shelter system so fewer New Yorkers are sleeping in the subways (itself not a crime, but a clear driver of the way many New Yorkers perceive public order). Hochul has ushered in new homelessness response teams and the rapid deployment of cops throughout the subways over the past few weeks has shown early success. The MTA recently announced a day with over 3.7 million riders and just four major felonies throughout the system, all robberies and all resulting in arrests.
With early voting behind us, this endorsement is arriving late in the game. I have a newborn at home and have been focusing on my daughter lately. But for many, the day to vote is Tuesday, and if you are thinking about the future of transit investment, transit expansion and transit’s economic health in New York State, the only candidate worth your vote is Kathy Hochul.
54 comments
Thoughtful endorsement based on facts not emotion. Thanks and I already early voted for Hochul.
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I appreciate your insights, and I will be voting for Hochul tomorrow. It’s a crystal clear choice for anyone who ever rides mass transit.
Agree that the choice is obvious. Thanks for your thoughts; I hadn’t realized how she had worked constructively with the city on policing. I hope it’s more than throwing cops at our structural social problems.
Didn’t Hochul sideline the LaGuardia AirTran, leaving us to start all over again with the various hearings and permitting processes, that potentially take many years and dollars to accomplish. Also her plan for Penn Station South, a multi billion dollar plan, would demolish a whole city block, to create numerous office buildings, which in this work at home environment we have now, would do nothing more than add to the oversupply of such buildings. Also if I’m not mistaken, Penn Station South, would also result in a dead end terminal for trains traveling in the new Gateway tunnels. Through running east- west running of train traffic would be a better outcome. Imagine the funds that would be required to acquire all that real estate, demolish it and then construct new buildings, being allocated to improving transit. Perhaps something like linking Penn Station to Grand Central, again with through running of trains
Given that tail tracks for East Side Access (oops, Grand Central Madison) terminate under Park Avenue and 38th Street, creating a new link between Grand Central and Penn Station via an extension of those tunnels may not be entirely unfeasible from an engineering standpoint. Politically, it might be a much harder sell.
How so?
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Congestion price cancelled at the last minute leaving transit expansion funding in limbo. Still think Hochul’s the one?
Great take on the election! I appreciate how you highlighted Hochul’s solid work stabilizing the MTA and pushing for projects like the Interborough Express. Zeldin’s lack of a transit plan is concerning. Thanks for breaking it down!
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We can’t afford to go backward on transit, and it’s clear Hochul is the only one who understands that.
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The point about stabilizing MTA leadership is crucial—consistent leadership reduces chaos on the ground. On days when delays still happen, I find free asmr sessions help me unwind once I’m off the train.
Stability in transit leadership really does matter, especially after the Cuomo-era chaos. It’s a relief when someone actually vets and untangles things—a bit like using free ai list to skip the junk and find AI tools that actually work.
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The article contrasts Hochul with the Cuomo era’s “imperial governance,” but doesn’t address how her actual transit record stacks up against Zeldin’s proposals. Moving past Cuomo’s centralization is a good start, but voters still need concrete details on how she plans to fund and execute modernization.
Hochul’s record on transit investment is the clearest contrast to Zeldin’s vague promises, and that matters for New Yorkers who rely on a functioning subway system every day.
Really well-reasoned take on the transit situation in New York. The MTA needs strong leadership and accountability – the second avenue subway alone took decades. Hochul has her work cut out for her, but as you point out, the alternatives are far worse for transit riders. The congestion pricing mess was particularly frustrating for those of us who rely on the subway every day.
Great analysis of Hochul’s position on transit. The Interborough Express and Second Avenue Subway projects really do need strong executive backing. As someone who works with AI image tools at pictro.ai, I can tell you that reliable public transit makes a huge difference for productivity in NYC. commuters need these investments badly.
This is a really thoughtful analysis of the transit landscape in New York. The comparison between Hochul and Zeldin on infrastructure policy is spot on – one has a clear vision for transit investment while the other offers nothing concrete. As someone who follows urban development trends, I appreciate how you broke down the Interborough Express and congestion pricing arguments. The MTA really does need stable leadership that actually understands the system. Great piece that cuts through the political noise.
Hochul’s record on transit is far from perfect, and calling her the “only choice” ignores the real infrastructure gaps that still plague NYC’s subway system. If this election is truly about moving past the Cuomo era, shouldn’t it also mean moving past empty promises and toward tangible solutions?
Great analysis. The congestion pricing revenue will be crucial for the MTA capital plan. Hope it gets implemented soon.
Really well-researched piece. The transit situation in NYC is frustrating for everyone who relies on the subway daily. It is interesting how transit policy gets caught up in broader political dynamics. I have been using some AI tools to visualize transit data and it really helps make these infrastructure issues more tangible for people. Keep up the great reporting.
Great analysis of the transit situation. It’s refreshing to see such detailed policy breakdowns rather than surface-level political coverage. The congestion pricing point is especially crucial — that revenue stream could transform the MTA’s capital program. I recently used AI image tools from pictro.ai to create some transit infographics showing ridership trends, and the data really underscores how much investment NYC transit needs. Keep up the excellent reporting on these issues.
It’s refreshing to see a state-wide race that isn’t defined by Cuomo-era dynamics, but I’m skeptical that Hochul truly represents a break from the “imperial governance” described. If transit reform is the litmus test for moving past that old guard, voters should hold her accountable for delivering on actual infrastructure progress, not just campaign rhetoric.
Finally, an election without a Cuomo looming over it—hopefully this means Hochul’s transit agenda isn’t derailed by the kind of imperial governance that stifled expert input for years.
Really thoughtful analysis of the transit landscape. Your point about Hochul stabilizing MTA leadership is crucial because that revolving door under Cuomo was genuinely damaging to long-term planning. The Interborough Express comparison to the failed AirTrain is spot on, and it shows how much better outcomes are when politicians listen to actual planners instead of pushing vanity projects. I hope New Yorkers consider these transit implications when they vote.
With the shadow of the Cuomo era finally lifting, Hochul’s transit platform offers the concrete, long-term infrastructure vision New York actually needs rather than the political stalemate we’ve grown accustomed to.
The shift away from the Cuomo era’s centralized governance is a pivotal moment for New York, especially given the critical need for decisive transit leadership. Hochul’s record on infrastructure development makes her the most viable option for advancing the transit projects that New York’s growing population desperately needs.
With Andrew Cuomo’s era finally behind us, it’s crucial we don’t just swap one imperial governor for another; Hochul’s transit record needs serious scrutiny rather than blind acceptance as the default option.
Great analysis on the transit politics. Hochul definitely brought needed stability after the Cuomo era. It is interesting how transit funding decisions ripple through every aspect of city life. I have been exploring how AI tools are being used in urban planning and infrastructure optimization — it is a fascinating frontier. The Interborough Express planning you mentioned shows how data-driven approaches can reshape transit planning for millions of New Yorkers.
Great piece on the importance of transit investment. As someone who commutes daily, I couldn’t agree more about needing stable leadership at the MTA. I actually use musicgpt.pro to generate ambient music for my long subway rides — makes the commute so much more bearable. Anything that improves the daily transit experience, even in small ways, matters. Let’s hope the state keeps investing in the system.
Great analysis of the transit stakes in this election. The contrast between the two candidates on MTA funding and congestion pricing really highlights how much transit policy affects daily life for millions of New Yorkers. Hochul support for the Interborough Express and congestion pricing could be transformative for Brooklyn and Queens connectivity. It is refreshing to see stability in MTA leadership under Lieber after years of turnover. Transit investment is not just about trains and buses, it is about economic opportunity for the entire region.
Finally, a chance to move past the Cuomo-era tedium and let experts actually lead. Hochul’s focus on transit is exactly the kind of hands-on, competent governance New York needs right now.
Finally, a chance to move past the Cuomo-era governance style. Hochul’s willingness to let transit experts lead is exactly what the MTA needs after years of top-down mismanagement.
Finally, a chance to move past the Cuomo-era “imperial governance” and let transit experts actually lead. Hochul’s willingness to empower professionals over political ego is exactly what the MTA needs.
Finally, a chance to move past the Cuomo-era tedium. Hochul’s willingness to let transit experts lead is a refreshing change from the old imperial style.
Finally, a chance to move past the Cuomo-era strongman style. Hochul’s willingness to let transit experts lead is exactly what the MTA needs after years of top-down dysfunction.
Finally, a chance to move past the Cuomo-era tedium and let transit experts actually lead. Hochul’s willingness to empower professionals rather than broker all decisions herself is exactly what the MTA needs.