Rail boss: I’ll get city to fund fix

NYC Transit chief Andy Byford said Wednesday he’ll succeed in getting the city to help fund his massive transit overhaul plan, even though Mayor de Blasio believes it’s all up to Albany.

Byford, at a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board meeting, said that he’ll have an “intensifying advocacy campaign" for de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo and lawmakers to fund his Fast Forward transit overhaul plan, which will cost more than $30 billion.

Byford is also developing an economic analysis to make a “compelling case” for why New York needs a well-functioning transit system.

Part of the Fast Forward plan is an ambitious installation of modern signal technology in 10 years.

This advocacy campaign, Byford said, will “progressively build up to the seminal vote” on the state Legislature’s budget this spring and the City Council’s budget in June.

“We have a plan and we are intending to prevail in those votes,” Byford said. “We’ll make that compelling case.”

“God bless him,” de Blasio said in response to his remarks Wednesday. “He’s a good man from everything I’ve seen and I think his vision, the Fast Forward vision, is a good one, but I’m not sure he understands that the City of New York, given all of our other obligations, is not in the position to provide that financing.”

De Blasio added that it’s solely up to Albany and state lawmakers to give the MTA permanent streams of funding.

The mayor has backed a tax on highearning New Yorkers, and has largely opposed congestion pricing fees on cars entering Manhattan.

De Blasio on Wednesday said there may be a “hybrid” approach between the two proposals.

“One thing that all New Yorkers should feel equally is that a vote in Albany around the budget and April first should be the decisive moment for our subways and for the MTA,” he said.

“If that is done properly it will be a very bright future. If that opportunity is missed, in what is a non-election year — everyone understands what better time to deal with something as tough as this — then I’m really worried about our future."