Mayor Demands New York State Return $450M Taken From MTA

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Mayor Bill de Blasio's squabble with the state over who's to blame for the beleaguered MTA continued Monday when he released a list of recommendations for Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The mayor forwarded “a few of the items that New Yorkers deserve to see in a credible subway turnaround plan" ahead of a plan the MTA is expected to release later this week.

He called on the state to return $450 million he said it has taken from the MTA since 2011 and spent on other causes. He didn't outline what the money was used for. He also urged Cuomo to provide details for $1 billion in emergency funds he had promised to allocated to the MTA earlier this year.

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The mayor’s list came as the MTA is set to publish recommendations based on recently completed 30-day review of the subway and rail service.

On Monday, de Blasio also repeated criticism of Cuomo’s proposal to hold light shows on the MTA’s bridge and tunnels.

“If additional funds are needed, the MTA should re-allocate resources from less-critical investments, including funds being made available to it for lights on bridges, any primarily aesthetic portions of station enhancements, or bureaucratic staffing that does not impact customer service,” he said in a statement.

The four other points in de Blasio's statement were somewhat vague.

One called for "immediate relief for riders," noting that "long-term promises will mean little if the MTA cannot demonstrate to riders it can manage its own affairs."Another point demanded "clear accountability for continual improvement."

You can read the mayor's statement in its entirety here.

As subway problems including derailments and massive delays have dominated the headlines this summer, de Blasio and Cuomo have been fighting over who deserves the blame.

In the latest exchange, the mayor on Sunday gave a press conference aboard an F train to call on the governor to take responsibility for the MTA.

On Thursday, Cuomo argued that the city is actually legally obligated to fund the MTA, and that the state provides money for “moral” reasons.

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Lead image via Eric Phillips, NYC Mayor's Office