Transportation (Transportation Funding)

This bill creates a dedicated "Long Island transportation account" within New York City's transportation assistance fund. It allocates 50% of certain tax revenues (from Section 1299-H of the tax law) specifically to fund MTA operations, infrastructure, and toll reductions in Nassau and Suffolk counties, including projects connecting these counties to Manhattan. Funds must cover transportation costs like maintenance, construction, and services without replacing existing federal or state funding. The account requires unanimous approval from three MTA board members for fund usage, ensuring oversight by state legislative leadership and the governor. This directly affects Long Island residents and MTA services in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

This bill redirects 4% of online sales tax revenue - including taxes collected from marketplace providers like Amazon - to fund local street and highway projects through the CHIPS program. It requires the comptroller to deposit these funds into a dedicated infrastructure account before distributing other tax funds. The program directly supports local governments undertaking road and highway improvements, using revenue generated from online retail transactions. The funding mechanism is effective January 1, 2026, and expires three years later. (Note: CHIPS = Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program.)