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Dear New Yorkers,

The Second Avenue Subway. Signal overhauls. Legally mandated accessibility upgrades.

Those are just a few of the improvements that the MTA was banking on paying for with funds promised from congestion pricing.

When Gov. Kathy Hochul backed away from the plan on Wednesday, the MTA was left facing a $15 billion hole in its capital program — and no clear answers on how to fill it.

“There is no Plan B,” said Midori Valdivia, an MTA board member.

Hochul’s hasty retreat from congestion pricing — after years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars in MTA spending — has thrown the future of those long-promised improvements into question.

Angry agency board members, staffers and advocates wonder what’s next.

Read more about the fallout from Hochul’s decision here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Friday's Weather Rating: 9/10. Now we're talking! The rain and humidity clear out, with high temperatures in the lower 80s and partly cloudy skies. A few widely isolated showers might sneak through later today, but they're not a big deal. The vibes are very good out there!

Our Other Top Stories

Mayor Eric Adams promised 3-K seats to every family who wants one. But parents, who gathered outside of City Hall for a protest “playdate” yesterday morning, have said that available seats are too far from home, and don’t meet the needs of working parents. The City Council has voted in favor of a ballot measure to increase their power over the Mayor Eric Adams’ commissioner picks — with the hopes of putting it up for a city-wide vote in November. Stepping into the political minefield created by Mayor Eric Adams’ launch of a Charter Revision Commission, Comptroller Brad Lander will propose budget reforms today through the commission that he says are a test of the mayor’s panel. Lander, one of many people who may challenge Adams in the 2025 mayoral election, is seizing on the need for the mayor to prove the commission is more than a political stunt — in order to push changes to budget and fiscal policies long sought by budget watchdogs.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Friday, June 7: A ‘90s Skate Party with music and dancing. Free from 4 to 7 p.m. at Pulaski Park in The Bronx. Friday, June 7: A show by Circus Amok, a queer and justice-oriented troupe that has been performing since 1989. Free from 6 to 7 p.m. at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens. Friday, June 7: Films on the Green: “Final Set”, an outdoor screening of a French tennis drama (with English subtitles). Free from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Washington Square Park.

THE KICKER: The New York DMV now offers custom license plates featuring astrological signs.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.

Love,

THE CITY

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