![Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and fellow senators finalize budget bills at the state Capitol, Sunday, March, 31, 2019, in Albany, N.Y.](https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/0/c/85/2019/04/stewart.jpg)
New York lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached a budget deal that includes congestion pricing in Manhattan, the first program of its kind in the U.S.
The plan includes electronic tolls for traffic entering below 60th Street. They would be variable and include exemptions, as determined by a a six-member Traffic Mobility Review Board. The tolls are expected to raise $15 billion dollars — one of three new sources of revenue to be dedicated to the MTA.
In a statement, Tom Wright, President and CEO of the Regional Plan Association, applauded the agreement and the reforms it included for the MTA, such as an independent audit and improved transparency.
"These reforms should help the MTA leadership make improvements in the system and provide the public and elected officials more faith that the MTA is spending money wisely, efficiently and with the public’s best interest in mind.”
The two other revenue raisers for the transit system would be an internet sales tax and a so-called "mansion tax," which would levy a one-time fee on luxury real estate transactions.
The budget also includes a 2 percent property tax cap, a ban on plastic bags, and the elimination of cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. It does not include a plan to legalize marijuana.
Immigrant advocates criticized the level of funding allocated for census outreach — $20 million instead of the $40 million they were hoping for.
"It is shameful that our leaders would shortchange New York by allocating five times less than California, raising the specter of an undercount and the real possibility that New York will lose billions in Federal funding and another two vital Congressional seats," said Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, in a statement.
The $175.5 billion plan holds spending growth at 2% for the ninth consecutive year.
Lawmakers will be back in Albany on Sunday to pass the spending plan ahead of the fiscal year that starts tomorrow.
With the Associated Press