This week, Mayor Bill de Blasio held multiple events to address New York City's transit woes. And he hasn't held back when it came to criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman, Joe Lhota.

"I'm not gonna send them tax dollars when the state of New York has withheld so much money that was literally owed to the MTA," the mayor said on Friday's Brian Lehrer Show.

Ben Max, executive editor of Gotham Gazette joins us on This Week in Politics to talk about de Blasio's conundrum and how transit might factor into this fall's mayor's race.

Speaking with host David Furst, Max says the mayor may be right about the facts, but that it's difficult to convince voters with complicated budgetary arguments.

"New Yorkers really just want to see the subway system get improved and fixed as quickly as possible," Max says.

WNYC is partnering with Gotham Gazette and City Limits on election 2017 coverage.