MTA CEO Janno Lieber to consider ideas by lawmakers to get Gov. Kathy Hochul's bailout plan approved
NEW YORK -- Gov. Kathy Hochul's MTA bailout plan still has some bumps to overcome, but the head of the agency says he's willing to test the idea of free bus service to get the Legislature on board.
CBS2 spoke to CEO Janno Lieber on Tuesday after he lobbied lawmakers.
The train carrying Hochul's plan to bail out the MTA has entered the station but the doors haven't opened on a done deal, which is due by the end of the week. That's why Lieber was in Albany, signaling his willingness to consider some of the ideas advanced by lawmakers and transit advocates.
READ MORE: Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan for New York City to help rescue the MTA faces pushback
When asked if he will experiment with free bus service, Lieber said, "If in the end that's what everybody wants to do in a controlled experiment, absolutely."
Free bus service wasn't in the governor's original bailout plan, but both the Assembly and the Senate called for it, suggesting two lines in each borough be free -- with a price tag of $50 million. Lieber told CBS2 he's also willing to consider other upgrades to get a deal.
"Other ideas that are on the table that some of the rider advocates have advanced are how about more frequent service on the weekends, how about more frequent service on nights and evenings after the rush hour," Lieber said.
Hochul's plan centers on an increase in the payroll tax, a bigger contribution from the city -- which Mayor Eric Adams opposes -- and a cut of the revenue from three new downstate casinos.
The Legislature offered its own ideas, including selling residential parking permits and charging a $3 per-package fee for online deliveries. Some 1.5 million packages are delivered in New York City every day.
Lieber says he's worried about hanging the MTA's fiscal stability on untested new ideas where the revenue could be iffy.
"I gotta protect the riders. If the riders are counting on service, frequency, safety, I gotta be very deadly serious about the ability of these ideas to produce revenue," Lieber said.
Also unresolved is whether there will a fare hike. Lawmakers and transit advocates would like to avoid one. The governor and the MTA board seem to favor a small increase.
All Lieber would say is that if there is one it would not be the 80 cents per ride suggested by the state comptroller.