The vice chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has resigned from his position amid ongoing disagreements about the future of The Bus Terminal On Eighth Avenue in Midtown.
Steven Cohen — who was appointed to the board in July 2015 and began serving as vice chair in May — sent his letter of resignation to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office on Thursday night, Crain’s reported. Hours earlier, the former Cuomo aide boycotted a board meeting of commissioners.
Cohen has been frustrated with the organization’s inability to institute governance reforms or approve its 10-year $28 billion capital plan, according to the publication. At the center of the disagreement is the ongoing dispute about the future of the $10 billion bus terminal project.
Cohen resignation comes just days after New York Congressman Jerry Nadler, along with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, State Senator Brad Hoylman, state Assembly member Linda Rosenthal and Council member Corey Johnson published a letter asking that authority chair John Degnan be removed from the decision making over the project.
Sources told Crain’s that Cohen is unhappy that the authority will not adopt new ways of doing business. Funding for projects is not allocated on the needs of the region but because of each state’s political leaders, according to the publication.
“I think everyone who has worked with Steve knows he feels strongly about governance and the proper operation of the Port Authority, and is a strong proponent of Port Authority reform,” said Patrick Foye, the executive director of the authority, after the Thursday board meeting. [Crain’s] — Miriam Hall