Latest news with #MTACapitalPlan
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New York $254 billion state budget to include school cellphone ban
NEW YORK (PIX11) — After being at odds over a proposed cell phone ban in New York schools, it appears Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers have reached an agreement moving forward. On Monday, Hochul announced a $254 billion state budget for the next fiscal year, which includes a historic $37 billion investment in education, the highest amount in state history. More Local News Along with the record investment, Hochul addressed the need to remove cell phones from the classroom and said that a new 'bell to bell' plan will be implemented beginning in September. 'All public schools will implement policies to free students from smartphones and other devices,' said Hochul. 'We need classrooms where young minds can flourish, and that means eliminating once and for all the digital distraction that steals our kids' attention.' Hochul added that removing cell phones will improve the mental health of children. 'We are protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention. Cell phones have dragged too many of our kids into dark places. Together with this change in policy, we are helping them climb back into the light.' MTA Capital Plan included in record $254B NY budget While a general agreement was reached, the legislature still needs to vote on budget bills. Hochul has not ruled out the potential for future changes. 'The reality is, we can only devise a budget based on the information we have at this time,' she said. 'There is a possibility that we'll have to come back later this year and update our budget in response to federal actions.' Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MTA Capital Plan included in record $254B NY budget
NEW YORK (PIX11) — On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that a general agreement was reached on the $254B Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. Transit in the New York City metropolitan area was a major focus of the budget, as Governor Hochul announced that the State of New York will fully fund the proposed $68 billion MTA Capital Plan. More Local News This plan includes the construction of the Interborough Express, which aims to connect underserved areas of Brooklyn and Queens. 'We are fully funding the MTA Capital Plan to advance critical projects, including the Interborough Express, new Metro-North stations in the Bronx, faster service in the Hudson Valley, and critical repairs to avoid another summer of hell,' said Hochul. Hochul added that the State will also take $1.2 billion previously allocated for Penn Station and use it to fund safety improvements and stop fare evasion. This announcement comes just hours after the MTA announced that fare gates will replace turnstiles at 20 subway stations across the city this year. The agency expects to install fare gates at 20 more stations in 2026 and 150 subway stations in total by 2029 as part of an ongoing effort to curb fare evasion. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The New York Building Congress has been pushing for a fully funded plan for improvements, calling it 'an investment in a future-proof, modernized, safer, faster, and more accessible transit system for the region.' Carlo A. Scissura, President & CEO of the New York Building Congress released a statement following Hochul's announcement that reads in part: 'We sent thousands of letters to our elected officials, who clearly heard what we needed to build our way forward, and we thank them for stepping up when New Yorkers needed them most.' The legislature still needs to vote on budget bills. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
