Three years ago, voters across New York State approved the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which allowed the state to borrow $4.2 billion to pay for projects that would benefit the environment and protect against climate change.
Since then, about $1.07 billion — or just over a quarter of the Bond Act’s value — has been awarded to projects around the state.
As of about a year ago, New York City had received a paltry 2% of the $313 million New York State had deployed, even though the boroughs are home to 40% of the state’s population. In response, elected officials decried the funding formulas that in part led to the disparities…