Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Announces City Will Restart Construction of Four Halted Bus and Bike Lane Projects in the Bronx and Brooklyn
Zohran Mamdani on NYC Mayor's Office transcripts.
Passages
I firmly believe in the importance of making our buses free. I've also always talked about the importance alongside that of making them fast. We talk about buses that for far too long have been trapped at speeds that, as MTA Chair said, "Have sometimes been slower than people can walk." And while so much of what— [Crosstalk.] While so much of what the MTA does is governed by Albany, the city runs its own streets. And for far too long, the city has not just not utilized its tools at its disposal to ensure that buses run fast, it has intentionally blocked the implementation of policies that would unlock these buses to put time back into the lives of working-class New Yorkers. And so, we will continue to advance the full vision that we have spoken about. Today, what is so exciting is this is the announcement of projects that will quite literally have an impact on the amount of time New Yorkers have to spend getting to where they're going [and] giving them a little more time in the place that they're actually looking to get to.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, I think the first thing I'll just say is we are restarting a project that went through many different iterations in the prior administration. And in our restarting of it, there will also be time for community engagement to refresh this vision with all of those whose lives it will transform by putting time back in the lives of working-class New Yorkers and safety back in the lives of those who are biking across our city as well. We did have conversations with business improvement districts. We will continue to have conversations. And the other point that I'll just say before passing it over to my DOT commissioner is that our goal here is outcomes. The outcome that we are intending with this decision when it comes to our buses is a 20 percent increase in the bus speeds. We are going to utilize every single tool at our disposal to deliver that because what New Yorkers want is something they can live and breathe and feel. And for far too long, when you take the bus, speed is not something you can live, breathe, or feel.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Before we go to StreetsBlog, I'll ask for a little bit of help from the press corps on this one. Wasn't there a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie, New York Minute? Does anyone remember this? So just to quantify this for everyone, a 20 percent increase in bus speeds would mean a minute faster per mile for a New Yorker riding these buses. There's an entire movie of what you can do with a minute. [Crosstalk.]
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I wanna go through a few things on your question. The first is the reason that we're focusing on the 20 percent increase is frankly [because] New Yorkers don't care what you call it or what you are actually implementing. What they care about is if you're actually delivering. And so, this 20 percent, it's going to be our north star through these next few months of planning, through the process of installation, through the process of implementation. We are always going to be coming back to what is the best way to actually get to that 20 percent, we don't even have to wait until we see failure. What we need to ensure is that we're using every tool to get there.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, I can answer this for us, which is that, as the chair said, our focus is not just on places of agreement, but also on places of disagreement. And when we're talking about making buses free, the place of agreement that both MTA chair and myself have is that this is something that the MTA can only do when we ensure that we provide replacement revenue for what the MTA would make from the fare box. We do not want to continue with the kind of policies we saw years ago, where the MTA is asked to make something out of nothing. We want to ensure we're actually continuing to fund the critical operations of the lifeblood of this city. And so that continues to be a budget conversation that is one with Albany around how we can deliver this. And what we want to make clear, is that all of this stems from the belief that buses should be the way that you get around the city, not just when you have no other way. They should be the way that you get around the city when you want to get somewhere fast. And today, we are unlocking the speed of [buses] and we'll continue to look to unlock the affordability of [buses].
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, I can— I think I caught the bulk of your question. I have not directly spoken with the district attorney. I will say, however, that no family should have to endure this kind of pain. What they need right now is care, dignity, and support. Jabez should not be prosecuted by the Queen's district attorney. His handcuffs should be removed, and he should be receiving the care that he needs. And moments like this, they lay bare what so many New Yorkers already know, which is that our city must build a mental health response that is rooted in prevention, in compassion, and in crisis care. And that is the focus of our administration. And these are my thoughts about what Jabez needs in this moment. ###
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source
Every passage above is taken from this recording: NYC Mayor's Office transcripts, Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Announces City Will Restart Construction of Four Halted Bus and Bike Lane Projects in the Bronx and Brooklyn.