Council questions DOT budget as resurfacing targets fall and vacancies persist

Council members pressed Department of Transportation officials at a joint Finance and Transportation executive budget hearing over whether the agency has enough staff and funding to keep the city's streets and safety programs on track.

The hearing opened with Council Member Justin Brannan, chair of the Finance Committee, flagging two headline figures in the administration's FY26 executive financial plan: a $115.1 billion citywide total and a $1.5 billion operating budget for DOT. "As of March, DOT still had about 630 vacancies," Brannan said. "That's hundreds of jobs unfilled, projects delayed, streets that go unrepaired, and New Yorkers that have to deal with unsafe conditions." He and other council members urged stronger action so resurfacing and safety work do not fall further behind.

Why this matters: DOT told the council the administration's executive plan keeps resurfacing at 1,100 lane miles annually, below a previously stated target of 1,300 lane miles. Council members said the lower number will mean more potholes and longer waits for repairs in neighborhoods that already report chronic pavement problems.

DOT Commissioner Annie Danis Rodriguez and senior staff said the executive plan increases DOT's operating budget slightly from the…