COUNCIL MEMBER YDANIS RODRIGUEZ STATEMENT ON NYC COUNCIL BUDGET RESPONSE
Budget Response Includes Funding for Fair Fares Initiative and an Expansion to Citi Bike Using Public Funding
New York, NY - Following the release of the NYC Council's response to Mayor de Blasio's FY18 preliminary budget this evening, Council Transliteration Chair Ydanis Rodriguez issued the following statement:
"This is a strong response to the mayor's preliminary budget from my colleagues in the Council, addressing the needs of New Yorkers across the city. I'm particularly pleased that my colleagues joined me in prioritizing the call to fund Metrocards for residents deep in poverty, as well as to expand Citi Bike to more diverse communities, often disconnected from transit.
When it comes to Fair Fares, i
t's so important for New Yorkers struggling to get around our city that this make it into the Mayor's executive budget. My colleagues and I are ready find a way to get it done creatively after hearing concerns about cost. We're hoping to find a willing partner in our mayor, who has shown he cares deeply about getting city residents out of poverty and the criminal justice system.
We also have a real opportunity to achieve many of the city's goals by using public dollars to expand the popular Citi Bike program beyond its current boundaries. Without funding in this budget, expansion will halt in its tracks, leaving lower-income communities of color off the map once again.
I'm eager to keep making the strong case for these important initiatives that can have transformative impacts for our residents. Translation is what connects New Yorkers, both literally and figuratively; but when we keep these options inaccessible, we allow cycles of poverty to persist. We must do more for our most disadvantaged New Yorkers in this area and now is the time."
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