On Tuesday Feb 3, the state legislature held a public hearing on the transportation portion of the state budget. There was a surprising lack of testimony advocating increased funding for mass transit, though the NYS association for Public Transportation submitted written comments, mainly focused on the underfunding of mass transit update. The State provided $245.5 million in capital aid to non-MTA systems in FY 2025-26. The Executive Budget proposes a reduction to $223.5 million. With aging assets and rising costs, investment must grow to avoid worsening infrastructure conditions.

The American Public Transportation Association estimates that you can save over $13,000 annually by using public transit instead of driving.

Overall, Unmet transportation needs in New York State center on gaps in rural transit, limited "last-mile" service, and inadequate access for seniors and people with disabilities, particularly for medical and work-related travel.

The MTA seemed relatively pleased with its funding, noting that 2025 was the biggest year ever for capital commitments -- $15.8 billion. More than $5 billion of that came from congestion pricing. Other speakers noted that state funding for the passenger rail program is currently smaller than it was during the Pataki Administration.

In this segment we hear mainly about safe streets and accessibility issues for individuals with disability. First is Amy Cohen of Families for Safe Streets. Followed by Elizabeth Adams of Transportation Alternatives, Christopher Grief of the ADA Accessibility Transportation Group and Alexandra Mikowski of Access to Independence of Cortland County