Zohran Mamdani has reportedly announced a major initiative offering $50 FIFA World Cup tickets for New York residents, sparking massive attention among football fans ahead of the tournament. The move is being seen as an effort to make the FIFA World Cup more affordable and accessible for local supporters in NYC. With excitement building for the global football event, this announcement has quickly gone viral across social media. Watch the full update on how this could impact fans, ticket demand, and the World Cup experience in New York.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome, everybody. Welcome. My name is Maya Honda, the New York City World Cup Czar, and we are so grateful
00:06to welcome everyone here today, including our fantastic mayor, our CEO of our host committee, Alex Lasry, Tim Weah, Mark
00:15McKenzie, CM Yusuf Salaam, CM Salvina Powers, and so many others.
00:20From the first conversations that we had after I came on board, the mayor has been pushing for ways to
00:25make the World Cup more affordable to all New Yorkers, understanding deeply as a soccer fan himself how important it
00:32is to be able to experience the joy of the crowd, the group celebrations, and the historic nature of the
00:37greatest sporting event in the world.
00:38This is a really exciting day, and I'm thrilled to introduce the mayor who has been fighting for a more
00:43affordable city, both for our rents and groceries, but also so we can afford the things we love.
00:47Please welcome Mayor Zoran Kwame Mamdani.
00:56Good morning, everyone.
00:58Good morning.
00:59What a delight it is to be here together in Harlem, surrounded by so many soccer, football fans of the
01:08world's game, as we make an enormously exciting announcement.
01:11And I want to echo our World Cup Czar Maya Honda's acknowledgements of the CEO of FIFA World Cup 2026
01:19NYNJ host committee, Alex Lasry, who's here with us.
01:22We have our World Cup Czar, who has been intrepid in her fight for the fulfilling of a vision of
01:29this tournament that would match the magic that we know it can create.
01:32And I want to acknowledge also New York's very own Tim Weah, who's here with us.
01:36It is such a pleasure to have you, truly, truly a star, not just in this city, not just in
01:43this country, but in the world.
01:44And to be here with you, it is just such an example of what we want this tournament to be
01:48for New Yorkers.
01:49I'm proud to also be here with our city councilman of this district, city council member Yusuf Salaam.
01:58Our city council member all the way from southeast Queens, Silvina Brooks Powers.
02:04And I want to also acknowledge the leaders who are standing alongside us, who are here with us, who are
02:10both leaders in our own administration, but also leaders across the city,
02:13who have been organizing for the city we deserve, building the city we deserve, and also many of whom represent
02:19the African excellence in this city that we deserve.
02:24And with that, we also want to acknowledge Harlem Tavern for hosting us here today.
02:28It's truly a pleasure.
02:29And I have to say, as someone who grew up not too far from here, it's lovely to be back
02:34at Harlem Tavern.
02:35I used to come here to watch soccer sometimes.
02:37Now it's great to actually be here to talk about it with all of you.
02:42And, you know, as I've gone through everyone that we're acknowledging, I just want to take an extra moment about
02:47Tim Weah, who's here with us,
02:49who is someone who cares deeply about making the World Cup more affordable,
02:54and someone who has given a platform to what so many have been talking and thinking about across the city
03:01and across this country.
03:02And I want you to know that everybody here in this city is going to be cheering for you in
03:06this tournament.
03:07We are so excited.
03:08Truly.
03:12Now, when talking about a World Cup that's only 21 days away, it feels only right that we stand here
03:18today in little Senegal.
03:21And we know that if any of the teams are coming to this World Cup with a point to prove
03:26from the African continent,
03:28we know that the Lions of Taranga are right there up there.
03:33And I've been told this many times, I have no idea what it means, but Senegal rec.
03:39I pray that is appropriate to have said in this setting.
03:43Now, I want to recognize all the fans of the West African nations who have qualified.
03:48I want to give it up for Cote d'Ivoire, who have qualified for this, for Ghana, for Senegal.
03:53Last but not least, for Cape Verde, this will be the first World Cup that the Blue Sharks compete in,
04:02one of the smallest and least populated nations to qualify for the tournament.
04:07And as I think about the journey ahead for Cape Verde, the magic that every New Yorker with Cape Verdean
04:13roots will feel,
04:14I cannot help but think back to memories of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, where Senegal were participating
04:21in their first tournament.
04:22And I was 10 years old at the time, and I remember it as the first time that my father
04:28let me be late to school.
04:30Because we know that on-time attendance did not stand a chance against Pan-Africanism.
04:35And when I remember that tournament, what comes to mind to me is not Brazil lifting the trophy or Ronaldo's
04:41incredible haircut as he did so.
04:42It was the goal that Papabouva Diop scored against France in that opening game.
04:47It was Fabien Barthez scrambling to try and keep the ball out but not being able to.
04:52And above all, it was the deafening roar that came from the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
04:57That stadium was full of fans.
04:59Fans who had saved up to travel from Senegal and from France to support their teams.
05:04Working-class fans from Seoul who could afford to buy a ticket to the match.
05:08The cost of a Category 3 ticket to that match was $150,000 won, or about $120.
05:16Not cheap, but within reach for a special occasion.
05:19And yet as we prepare to host the World Cup right outside of New York City, we know that ticket
05:24prices for this tournament have soared into the thousands of dollars.
05:27There are countless New Yorkers desperate to attend a World Cup match, but who simply cannot afford to go.
05:34Many of them have somehow found my number and asked me if I can help them with Morocco-Brazil.
05:40There's nothing individually I can do for you, brother, but we are here to talk about something that we're proud
05:44to do together.
05:47Because last year, I said that we would change that.
05:50I said we had to make it cheaper for New Yorkers to attend these matches.
05:54And today, I'm so proud to stand here alongside so many leaders in our city and in our region to
06:01make it clear that we are doing exactly that.
06:04We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create.
06:09And that is why we stand together today to say that we have partnered with the New York-New Jersey
06:15Host Committee to secure 1,000 affordable tickets for New Yorkers to the World Cup.
06:27These 1,000 tickets are going to be split into batches of 150 tickets for each of the five group
06:32stage matches and two knockout round matches in New York-New Jersey.
06:36And tickets will cost only 50 bucks.
06:44To put that into perspective, that is five lattes in New York City.
06:48And since it is not just ticket costs that make this tournament unaffordable, but the cost of travel as well,
06:54we will be providing free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife for those who get a ticket.
07:03I want everyone to understand, your chance on getting these tickets is not impacted at all by who you know.
07:11We will be distributing these tickets through a lottery that opens this coming Monday, May 25th, at 10 a.m.
07:19New Yorkers may enter once a day and will cap it at 50,000 entries per day.
07:24This will be over the course of a few days.
07:26Now, I know that Philly fans may try to crash this lottery and get revenge for the home games that
07:32the Knicks won,
07:32but New York is actually a sports town, and we are giving our tickets to sports fans.
07:41So, we will verify eligibility using a variety of methods to make sure that only New Yorkers are purchasing these
07:48tickets.
07:49We want to open the tournament to working people who couldn't otherwise afford it, not to scalpers.
07:55That's why we're making tickets non-transferable, and we'll dispense them directly to winners at the bus boarding location.
08:02Brazilian New Yorkers are going to sit next to Moroccan New Yorkers.
08:05Ecuadorian fans are going to try and convince their German counterparts that Piero Hincapi can defend Sergei Gnabry.
08:12Our city will watch together, celebrate together, shout at referees together, respectfully, and share this tournament together.
08:19We are the first host city to organize an initiative like this.
08:23City Hall's commitment to tackling the cost-of-living crisis isn't limited to making it easier to afford home or
08:30child care.
08:31It extends to making it possible for every New Yorker to take part in the things that make us human.
08:37Rest, joy, celebrating the French conceding from crosses in the box.
08:41On June 16th, we will see Senegal play France yet again, this time just across the Hudson River.
08:48This will be the first time two teams have competed since that match in 2002.
08:53Somewhere in the world, a 10-year-old will be watching.
08:56It will be the first football match they remember when they are older.
09:00And when they remember that match, they won't only remember the goals that are scored, the tackles that are made,
09:05the saves that felt impossible.
09:06They'll also remember how loud the stadium sounded, how people cheered together, jumped up and down together, shared the beautiful
09:13game together.
09:13They'll remember a sport that felt like it belonged to everyone and felt like it could also belong to them.
09:20That is what we are delivering today, my friends.
09:23Thank you so much.
09:30Now, I know that our World Cup Czar is emceeing this, and I will allow her to emcee the rest
09:35of this, but I do want to just take the privilege for this next individual,
09:38because truly this is a day that is only possible thanks to the partnership of the Host Commit.
09:45And we are so appreciative of the meetings, the conversations, the phone calls, all of the time and effort that
09:52went into this,
09:53because without you, we would not be able to announce this.
09:55So please join me in welcoming the New York, New Jersey host, CEO, Alex Lassery.
10:06Well, thank you, Mayor.
10:08This is a truly exciting day for the host committee, for the World Cup, and I think for the region.
10:17I really want to start by thanking the Mayor for his continued commitment to making this World Cup as accessible
10:23across our communities as possible.
10:25From the beginning, even before he took office, him and I spoke about the need to make sure that this
10:33World Cup was affordable and accessible to all New Yorkers,
10:36and today the Mayor is delivering on that promise, and we are excited to be a part of this and
10:41stand with him as he makes sure that all New Yorkers are able to experience the game that we love.
10:49I also really want to thank Maya Handa, the Tsarina of the World Cup, for all that she's done.
11:03This and everything that we're doing wouldn't be possible without her, so I want to thank her and her entire
11:08team for everything that they've been able to do.
11:12I feel like I'm on enemy territory here in Little Senegal as a Moroccan.
11:20I do want to officially claim the AFCON championship is in its rightful home.
11:28See?
11:29Thank you, thank you.
11:31And this is the fun of the World Cup.
11:34This is what it's supposed to be about.
11:36It's why we are so excited to make sure that New Yorkers are able to participate in what is going
11:43to be an exciting time.
11:44In just under three weeks, we will be welcoming the world to our shores.
11:49We're expecting over a million people to come, over $3 billion of economic impact,
11:54and we have always strived to make sure that the experience all across the region, whether it's inside the stadium
12:01or outside,
12:03was going to be fun, affordable, and accessible.
12:07And today, being able to announce the fact that we'll be able to provide 1,000 New Yorkers the chance
12:14to go to these games in an affordable and accessible way
12:17is very exciting and something that we cannot wait to see the winners of this and to be able to
12:24participate in this.
12:26This has been something that we have been working on for a while, and we are very excited to be
12:31able to announce and bring this to life.
12:34So, again, I want to thank the mayor, I want to thank his team,
12:37and I want to thank everyone who is looking forward to an incredible World Cup
12:40and who is going to make this the greatest World Cup that we've had.
12:45So, thank you guys, and looking forward to seeing you all in a few short weeks.
12:51Thank you, Alex.
12:52And we'll echo, thank you so much to the host committee, and now I want to welcome U.S. soccer
12:56star, Tim Weah.
12:57Thank you so much.
13:03I just want to thank God first.
13:06I think this opportunity is really healthy for the community and for New York in its whole.
13:11I think as athletes, it's important to have a voice because we are the pillars of this community.
13:16We're the leaders of the next generation.
13:19And, you know, I think, you know, as a kid, it was always a dream to be up here and
13:23to be in stadiums playing.
13:25And if I can, you know, help the next kid get to that stage, I think it's a wonderful feeling.
13:29And the mayor has done an amazing job with making these tickets accessible to New Yorkers.
13:34And, you know, my job is to bring joy and to put smiles on faces,
13:38so I'm going to do exactly that while standing by his side and making sure that, you know, we can
13:42make it easier on anyone.
13:43So I'm really happy to be here, and thank you to you all for coming out.
13:55Now we want to welcome CM Yusuf Salaam.
14:04You know, may the peace, mercy, and blessings from the owner of all peace, mercy, and blessings be upon each
14:09and every one of you and your families.
14:12I was standing here, and it really was a moment for me because as a child, of course, everybody wanted
14:18to be Pele.
14:21And back then, I used to write hip-hop songs about kicking my soccer ball all around the USA.
14:26And, of course, having that joy interrupted by going to prison and being laid dormant for years, decades, in fact,
14:36I couldn't help but realize that my son, Yusuf Jr., who does not want to learn how to play soccer
14:43officially,
14:45but let me tell you, he has a kick that is bananas.
14:50He loves soccer. He doesn't want to learn it. It's like in his DNA.
14:54And the beautiful thing about welcoming this moment while I'm in office this term,
15:03wow, it's a moment.
15:06It's a moment that brings cultures together.
15:08It's a moment that brings issues together.
15:10We know that this is the greatest sport in the world,
15:15and therefore, this is the greatest stage to be on.
15:18And so, as a councilman for this very district,
15:22representing little Senegal, but not just Senegal,
15:26we are really the melting pot of a lot of Africans in our community
15:30that have oftentimes gone unseen.
15:35And let me tell you, they are excited.
15:38They've been calling our office.
15:40They want to participate in watch parties, all of that good stuff.
15:43And I believe that this is the moment to make sure that everybody is included,
15:49that everybody is lifted up.
15:50And I'm just honored to really be here to say a few words.
15:53So thank you, and may the peace, mercy, and blessings from the owner of all peace,
15:56mercy, and blessings be upon you and your families.
16:04Thank you so much.
16:05And now, representing the Rosedale Rockets, we want to welcome Councilmember Brooks Powers.
16:12And good morning, everyone.
16:13It is such a pleasure to be here, standing alongside Mayor Mamdani,
16:18as well as our Zarina, I think we've coined her now, Maya.
16:23I love to turn it.
16:24As the young kids say, clock it.
16:26That's what they do these days.
16:28But it is truly a full circle moment here to be a part of this announcement,
16:36where in New York City, where we see the rise in cost of living,
16:41has continued to push out many families from the city of New York.
16:45We now have a mayor that has centered that conversation unapologetically.
16:49And from every corner and every conversation, it is front and center,
16:54including ensuring that New Yorkers can enjoy sports, right?
16:58We want to make sure that when we host these major sports events,
17:03that New Yorkers can be able to take full participation as well.
17:08And we know that soccer and what some people may call football,
17:13like in my parents' native land of Jamaica, as Cindy's,
17:16we know how passionate people are about sports,
17:20and as it was said before, how people come together.
17:22And it's such a joy to have one of our own out of Rosedale,
17:27representing the Rosedale Rockets in Timothy Way.
17:30I know his family is here on this side.
17:33His proud uncle, Michael Duncan, his mom is here.
17:36This is a family celebration for the 31st Council District,
17:40and we are going to be rooting for our team all the way through
17:43and for all of the players that are bringing center stage and amazing sports.
17:48So, Mr. Mayor, thank you for continuing to center affordability
17:53and for making it attainable for 1,000 people in the city of New York.
17:59Thank you, everyone.
18:25Thank you, everyone.
18:31Brother, what do we got right here?
18:33Eritrea National Team over here.
18:37We got Bangladesh over here.
18:40Camonasso.
18:41We got Cameroon.
18:44We got...
18:45I mean, we got...
18:46We got...
18:49We got to take this.
18:5022 years I waited to put this on.
18:54So, it's been a long, long time, and I just think, you know, what you can see and feel in
19:01so many New Yorkers
19:02are the memories that we have of World Cups from our youth.
19:06You know, I remember being a young kid in Kampala, Uganda, picking up a copy of the New Vision newspaper,
19:12the Daily Monitor newspaper, looking for the coupons that if I collected eight of them,
19:17I would get a limited edition World Cup ball from the nearby gas station.
19:21These are the kinds of things, when you're thinking about the Panini stickers,
19:26when you're thinking about all of the ways in which this tournament has been remembered by so many,
19:32that is what this summer offers for a new generation.
19:35And we heard it from one of the stars of our national team that this is an opportunity to bring
19:42the next generation into the game.
19:44And as someone who grew up playing soccer in this city, we know that too often there are too many
19:48cost barriers,
19:49not just to watching soccer, but even playing soccer.
19:52And we want to make it as easy as possible for the world's game to be enjoyed by everyone across
19:56the five boroughs.
19:57So, I just can't thank all of you enough for being here.
19:59I know now we will open it up to some questions.
20:05All right.
20:06We're going to take some on-topic questions first about the announcement.
20:09We'll start with Catherine.
20:09And if you could speak up a little.
20:11Hi, everybody.
20:12Hi.
20:12How's it going?
20:14Wondering if you can talk about the application process, what it's going to look like,
20:18if there are questions, why people want to attend, where they live, that sort of thing.
20:22And then also how the thousand tickets are going to be, how the winners are going to be picked out
20:27of the thousand.
20:29So, I'll just go through kind of the overall of it.
20:32So, these are a thousand tickets.
20:33They'll be split into batches of 150.
20:35Those 150 will be for the five group games and then the two knockout round games in New York, New
20:41Jersey.
20:42Now, this will be open starting Monday at 10 a.m. until midnight for six days.
20:48You can sign up once a day for the lottery.
20:50We are capping each day's sign-ups at 50,000.
20:54The only people that can sign up are New Yorkers.
20:57And we will verify that they are New Yorkers through a process that we have full confidence in.
21:02Each of these tickets will be $50.
21:05If you win the right to purchase this ticket, you will also win the right to purchase an additional ticket.
21:11So, it will be two tickets for you and a family member or a friend, whomever you want to go
21:15with.
21:15And that is all going to be determined by anyone who enters this lottery.
21:21We are going to ensure that there is representation from each borough across the five boroughs.
21:27Otherwise, this is just simply a question of chance.
21:31And we want it to be something where every New Yorker knows that they don't need to have the number
21:36of an elected official or someone else that they, you know, view as closer to the World Cup.
21:40So, this is just a question of if you sign up, and then it's just a question of crossing your
21:45fingers.
21:46And it's going to be something that we're also coupling with free round-trip bus transportation.
21:52Because we know that the issues of cost when it comes to this World Cup have not been exclusive just
21:56to the question of the cost of the ticket, but also the cost of transit.
21:59And we're so excited, frankly, because we know that there are so many New Yorkers who thought that there was
22:05no way they could afford to go to this tournament.
22:07And now there is that glimpse of an opportunity, and we cannot wait to see who will win and who
22:14will be purchasing these tickets, because they will also show the magic of this tournament across the five boroughs.
22:20Haley?
22:21So, how much did the host committee pay for these tickets?
22:25Sorry, can you?
22:26How much does the host committee pay for these tickets?
22:28These are part of the conversations that we've been having with the host committee and the partnership that we've built
22:33with the host committee over this time.
22:35I can tell you that there's no taxpayer funding going towards the allocation of these tickets.
22:39These are something that I really do want to attribute the work of so many for actually bringing to a
22:44realization.
22:46This is something that is part of those conversations, not any taxpayer funding.
23:08This is going to be a full process that we will be running through.
23:13The link of this process, just for New Yorkers, and don't worry, we will distribute this widely for everyone to
23:19know, is reg, R-E-G-N-Y-C-T-I-X, regnyctix.com.
23:26And what we are going to see there is just a verification process using standard verification procedures to ensure that
23:33someone is, in fact, a New Yorker.
23:35Part of the way in which we can also fight back against ticket scalping is that you can only receive
23:40your ticket in person before you board the bus.
23:44So, these are non-transferable tickets.
23:47These are not tickets that can then be bought and then flipped for a different price.
23:51I haven't spoken to anyone at Arsenal in the last few days.
23:55I can tell you, however, that as an Arsenal fan, I am still struggling to process that this has actually
24:01happened.
24:02I spent a lot of hours at the end of the workday looking at every video I could find of
24:08everyone celebrating outside of Emirates Stadium,
24:10seeing Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberiche Eze, Jurian Timber, outside of Emirates Stadium at 5 a.m. celebrating with fans.
24:18So many people across the city were just overjoyed.
24:21And we might be all the way here in New York City, but I saw so many Arsenal fans with
24:24their jerseys.
24:25We didn't exchange any words.
24:27We just embraced.
24:28And that's the feeling.
24:29And I know that's the beauty also of sports.
24:31We're also chatting here about the World Cup.
24:33Tonight's game two.
24:34And we're all saying, let's go Knicks.
24:37And I see, I think we got a Knicks jersey in the crowd.
24:41Mayor Mangani, Luis Miguel Eche at ICBS News New York.
24:44I mean, I feel like you rigged this Knicks, Arsenal, like this is just your moment right now.
24:49I had an additional question about the other component is also, this is such an amazing opportunity for New Yorkers
24:56everywhere,
24:56not just Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, everywhere.
25:00How are you preparing as well for the influx of tourists coming?
25:04How can we do better to support small businesses as they get ready for that as well?
25:08Absolutely.
25:09You know, I think you've said it best, which is that we want this to be a tournament for the
25:14entirety of New York City.
25:15And so we are doing everything to ensure that when tourists come to this city,
25:20we are providing them with a map of the entirety of the way that they can experience the breath and
25:24the beauty of this city.
25:25We put together a cultural passport that is going to be shared with tourists who come here
25:29to give them a sense of all of the different places they can go.
25:33It's not just little Senegal. It's also little Egypt. It's all of the littles, little IT.
25:37It's everywhere across the five boroughs.
25:40And we also want them to understand that the magic of this tournament is one that we're going to be
25:44investing in elsewhere.
25:45So you can see our fan fests. They're going to be one in each borough.
25:49And I'll tell you, I think it was the 2010 World Cup.
25:53I had the privilege of going to South Africa to watch a number of games.
25:56But before I went, I was here in New York City.
25:58And there was a map that the New York Times put out of different places to go and watch the
26:04game
26:04if you wanted to watch it at a cafe affiliated with one of the teams playing.
26:08The experience, it's just fundamentally different.
26:11That's what we want to unlock for so many here.
26:13We want this to be, as we heard from Alex, not only an economic opportunity for the region as a
26:18whole,
26:19but also for those small businesses.
26:20So that cultural passport we're incredibly excited about.
26:23We're going to be rolling out additional things in the days and weeks to come to keep people going everywhere.
26:29Inshallah, brother.
26:31Any other questions from the press about today's announcement?
26:34Yes, right here.
26:35Could you tell us a little bit about the meeting with Johnny Infantino?
26:39Did you make this, I know you're trying to make this World Cup accessible for working class New Yorkers.
26:43Is this something that came up in the meeting?
26:45And did you express the frustrations about the ticket prices, the price to the public transport in New Jersey?
26:51Is that something, can you give us any insight on how the conversation might be?
26:54You know, I've shared both publicly and privately my belief that the World Cup needs to be something that is
27:00affordable
27:01for working class New Yorkers and working class people in general.
27:04And I appreciate the work of FIFA and the host committee in ensuring that we are able to realize that,
27:12not simply in these thousand tickets, but frankly also in the fact that we've been able to make these fan
27:17fests free.
27:18Initially, these were going to be events that would be charged for attendance.
27:22We want these to be moments where New Yorkers can experience the thrill of the game.
27:27You know, I was just speaking about going to the World Cup in 2010.
27:29Some of my favorite memories are not crying when Luis Suarez stopped the goal-bound shot of the Ghanaian national
27:35team.
27:35Rather, it was when I was playing beach soccer with my friends at the Fan Fest in Durban.
27:40It was Winter Stays On.
27:41It was listening to Canaan's waving flag mixed with Shakira's Waka Waka.
27:45These are all the Fan Fest experiences.
27:47So we want to continue to unlock this tournament, and we appreciate any and all partnership to that end.
27:54Thank you so much.
27:55We're going to say thanks to our speakers before we do some off-topic questions.
27:58Thank you so much.
28:00Thank you so much.
28:03Thank you so much.
28:11Mr. Mayor, may I speak to you?
28:17I'm sorry, we'll do a few more questions from the press, and then we'll make sure we have at the
28:20end.
28:20We're just going to do the press first, right?
28:22Thank you very much.
28:23We're going to start with Kelly over here.
28:24If you could speak up.
28:26Hi, how's it going?
28:27Doing well.
28:32Sorry, related to the?
28:33Okay.
28:49So I'll start on your first question, then I'm going to go into your second one.
28:53On the first, we're talking about a summer here that is generational in many ways, not only in our city's
29:03hosting of the World Cup, but also the 250th anniversary of our nation that will be celebrated across a number
29:10of different events at its highest point on July 4th.
29:13And I believe that any and all preparations the police are taking to that end are important, they are necessary,
29:19because what we want is not just that this be a fun summer, but also that this be a safe
29:24summer, and this be a summer that we are fully prepared for, and I am confident in the preparations thus
29:28far.
29:29And to your second question about...
29:38Okay.
29:44So when it comes to the Charter Revision Commission, my administration and law department are continuing to consider all options,
29:53and we know that in Albany we are reaching the finalization of this budget, and that will be part of
29:59the consideration as well.
30:01Joe?
30:02Mr. Mayor, how are you?
30:03How's it going, Joe?
30:04Good.
30:05Just to quickly follow up, so this specific option seems like it's on the table for you.
30:09Which specific?
30:10About the zombie.
30:11Sorry, yes.
30:13If that passes, you know, just give us a sense, would that be something you take advantage of if the
30:18state...
30:18You know, I think it'll really just be something that we'll consider as part of a lot of the additional
30:23options the law department has been looking through when it relates to this revision commission.
30:29Can you hear your reaction to the council yesterday?
30:33Speaker Bennett said she's going to advance this school buffer bill.
30:36Just, again, can you walk us through your objectives to the initial one?
30:40And is there a version if she removes some of those that you can report?
30:44Well, my objections to 175B were grounded in constitutional concerns around the legislative language of that bill,
30:53as well as concerns that were raised by organized labor and a number of community groups across the city around
30:59the impact that it would have to their work,
31:01whether it be their organizing or their mobilizing, and a desire to both ensure that students are safe to access
31:09in and out of educational institutions and also that protest is sacrosanct and a worry that the definition in some
31:16of the language was so sweeping that while we were ostensibly discussing educational institutions,
31:21it could also incorporate libraries, museums, teaching hospitals, things of that nature.
31:26When it comes to any new legislation, I haven't seen any specific language, and I would have to review that
31:32before coming to an assessment of it.
31:35I look forward to doing so.
31:36And I would also share that my commitment is to ensuring that this remains a city where students are safe
31:43as they go to learn and that protest is something that continues to be protected in this city.
31:48Thank you, Josh.
31:49One more.
31:49Yeah, we'll go right here.
31:51Hey, how's it going?
31:52I have a question to you about the new design of our care on the west of the central street.
31:56Are you going to say that a great wedding day and first of all, it's a street to take and
32:00then it's a service on the board.
32:02There's some opportunity to do anything to do with your plan.
32:05How do you have a sense to run to do that?
32:08Do you have a promise to do something to do with your plan?
32:10Are you going to let it stop you?
32:12You know, I've made very clear to our DOT that I want our street to do it.
32:18It's to be the envy of the world.
32:19I want this to be a city where New Yorkers live and where others come and visit and they appreciate
32:25the ways in which we've made it easier to get around this city.
32:29And so that is a directive I've given.
32:31I think the proposals that our DOT continues to put forward across the five boroughs are ones that help to
32:36realize that.
32:36And I'll also say that that isn't actually an entirely separate topic from that of the World Cup because we're
32:42also looking to make a number of investments in our street infrastructure that will be ready in time for the
32:48tournament, but will also last for weeks and months and years to come.
32:53I support my DOT proposals across the five boroughs.
32:58That's all the time we have.
32:59Thank you all so much.
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