New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed a $145.3 billion budget for the 2017 fiscal year and reiterated his call for transformative infrastructure initiatives in his State of the State speech Wednesday afternoon.
Cuomo's address to state lawmakers in Albany came a week after he rolled out 14 "signature" proposals including plans for a new Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, a third set of tracks on the Long Island Rail Road main line and $1 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan's West Side. He also called for a $22 billion program to upgrade the state's transportation infrastructure and redesign 30 New York City subway stations.
"We must implement a new interconnected system of mass transportation, roads, bridges and airports for the next 100 years," said Cuomo in his remarks. "Mass transportation is the key if our region is to grow in size and strength."
Cuomo pitched spending $250 million to rebuild Upstate New York water and sewer infrastructure. The Democratic governor also proposed devoting $10 billion for 100,000 units of affordable housing.
Cuomo's budget proposal marks a 1.7% increase over the state's current $141.6 billion fiscal plan. The 2016 fiscal year ends on March 31.
