Christie, Cuomo Veto Port Authority Reform; Politicians Howl

Lawmakers and advocates vented widespread frustration on Sunday, just hours after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed legislation intended to clean up the troubled Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The veto comes after a year of scandal within the Port, including the ongoing investigation into the 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge and several high-profile resignations.

The governors announced the veto in a joint press release Saturday evening. Instead, they endorsed a report compiled by a panel they appointed earlier this year. "While neither governor is approving the legislation as passed," the press release read, "they are urging their respective legislators and the Port Authority to work with them to implement the broad reforms package recommended by the Special Panel, recommendations which will mark a new beginning and form a basis for meaningful reform for decades to follow.”

But it's unclear how eager legislators will be to work with the governors, whose efforts to craft the reform legislation predate Bridgegate. The vetoed bills would have created an office of inspector general and required annual audits of the agency. They also would have restricted lobbying and created whistleblower protection.

“All of these provisions in one way shape or form are elements of existing laws in New York and or New Jersey,” said Assemblyman Jim Brennan (D-NY), one of the legislation’s sponsors. “There is no justification or rational basis for rejecting them.”

Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the New Jersey Assembly's transportation committee, echoed that frustration, calling the decision "terribly disappointing."

But even though the measures passed both legislatures unanimously, Wisniewski predicted that a veto override in Trenton was unlikely given how reluctant the state’s Republicans have been to challenge Christie. In Albany, lawmakers start a new term on Thursday.

The governors did agree to support a bill that will give the public better access to some Port Authority records through the Freedom of Information Act. (FOIA). But Nadine Lemmon, a policy coordinator at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, called bill flawed because it lets the Port Authority decide how long to retain records.

“The Port Authority could come back and say, 'Okay, we'll keep our email records and our other records for seven days and then we'll destroy them,’" she said. "And this FOIA bill does nothing to protect from that."

The report also floats the idea of eliminating overnight service on the PATH train, and "potentially partnering with a third-party operator."

Despite growing ridership, the PATH train loses over $300 million a year for the Port Authority, and receives no federal funding.

Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer called any potential service reduction "short-sighted."

“I think it's going to hurt the small businesses of the state of New Jersey, I think it's going to have an impact on the future development opportunities in New Jersey, it's really going to hurt the people who take public transportation,” Zimmer told WNYC.

Zimmer said she plans to work with local mayors and community members to block this proposal. "It's unbelievable,” she said.

Hear an interview with WNYC's Matt Katz about the proposal by clicking on the player.