Most people know that businesses can adopt highways throughout the country, donating money to maintain the road while also featuring whatever name chosen as that road’s new title. Well, now Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to bring a similar idea to New York’s MTA system.
At the Association for a Better New York’s breakfast at the end of July, Governor Cuomo announced a “public-private partnership” with corporations where they’d sponsor subway stations around the city by contributing $250,000 to “improve and enhance the stations.” If a corporation spends $600,000 or more they can then take part in the Adopt a Station program, which would likely allow the corporation to attach their name to the station they’re funding.
This comes after much debate between the Governor, Mayor, and new MTA chairman as to who is responsible for paying the $800 million emergency plan cost (since Mayor Bill de Blasio refuses to split the cost with the state). Bringing private companies into the fold is a way to quickly reach these funding goals.
For a full transcript of the speech Governor Cuomo gave at the association’s breakfast about the subway system and his efforts to prevent future service failures, head to his government website pressroom.
Featured image source [ Yelp / Tina C.].