NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is meeting with several politicians during a trip to New York City on Tuesday.
Hochul will have a sit-down behind closed doors with Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has had a combative relationship with outgoing-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
During a briefing Tuesday morning, de Blasio said he plans to discuss COVID-19, schools and congestion pricing during his meeting with the next governor of New York.
"We have a lot to do," de Blasio said. "This meeting is going to be about how we fight COVID, how we fight the delta variant, how we move this recovery forward and the ways we can coordinate together in a positive manner. I think we're going to be able to do a lot of good work, so I'm really looking forward to setting the groundwork today and then very much looking forward to when she takes over so we can roll up our sleeves and do good work together."
The mayor said his interactions with Hochul up to this point have been warm, but limited.
"A lot of folks like me have had a little bit of a relationship with her, but we don't know her well and it's good to start, obviously, to get to know her," de Blasio said.
The mayor insists he will bring up congestion pricing, the controversial plan to toll drivers in Manhattan south of Central Park.
Hochul's office told the New York Times this week that the plan may need to be reevaluated.
"Congestion pricing, crucial on so many levels and definitely want to talk that through with her," de Blasio said.
The MTA this week estimated the environmental review process will take another 16 months — a timeline the mayor calls crazy.
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"I'd like to meet the person who thinks 16 months is expedited, that's ridiculous," de Blasio said.
MTA leadership calls the timeline very aggressive given the outreach that's required, WCBS 880's Steve Burns reported.
"We're mystified by the Mayor's statement. The planned 16-month schedule was the result of months and months of negotiations between the USDOT and MTA, the state Department of Transportation and the Mayor's own city DOT," Ken Lovett, Senior Advisor to the Chair and CEO, said in a statement. "Furthermore, the 16-month time-frame for such an expansive project that covers 28 counties and 22 million people is actually shorter than for many projects with relatively small geographic and environmental footprints. By throwing his own DOT professionals under the bus and refusing to provide the sign off that is required by the federal government, City Hall has already delayed the start of this project by two weeks and threatens to impose even further delays."
Hochul will also meet with New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who is believed to be in the mix to become lieutenant governor. The two were rivals in the 2018 Democratic primary for the position.
Williams also has not ruled out running for governor himself in 2022. Hochul has already said she fully expects to run for a full term next year.
Hochul will also host a roundtable talk with city parents and teachers about children returning to school safely as COVID numbers rise.
Hochul will become the first woman to be New York's governor when Cuomo's resignation becomes official on Aug. 24.
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