The mayor and governor may have been able to reach a deal to fund the MTA, but that does not mean they are turning over a new leaf in their relationship. As NY1’s Grace Rauh reported, the two Italian-American politicians kept their distance at the Columbus Day Parade, even as both touted the transit agreement.
On a day of pride for Italian-Americans, the most powerful Democrats in the state were celebrating, but separately. Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio steered clear of one another on Fifth Avenue at the Columbus Day parade. The Governor walked with parade organizers near the front.
“With all due respect to the mayor, I want to march with the president. That's what I want to do,” Cuomo said.
On Saturday, the pair reached a deal to pay for maintaining and improving the subways and buses. The state is contributing $8.3 billion over five years and the city will give $2.5 billion - four times more than it committed to pay earlier this year.
The agreement calls for the city to have more say over how its money is spent on transit projects in the five boroughs. The MTA is a state-run agency.
“I have been calling on the state, obviously, to keep working, to make the MTA work better for all New Yorkers,” de Blasio said. “We thought this was a fair and balanced plan and I think this will strengthen the MTA for the long haul.
Cuomo says the state's investment in the MTA is part of a larger effort to improve New York's outdated infrastructure - an effort that includes rebuilding La Guardia Airport and the replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge.
“You put that together with the new airport, new bridges, new roads, New York is going to have a whole different feel,” Cuomo said.
What doesn't yet have a different feel though is the relationship between Cuomo and de Blasio, which has been especially frosty. At the parade, though, both seemed eager to demonstrate that friction between them is not preventing them from doing their jobs.
“We talk all the time,” Cuomo said.
“I look forward to working with the governor whenever it can serve the people of New York City, and in this case, we were able to serve the people of New York City,” de Blasio said.
They just did not want to march together in the parade.