State announces plans for $128M from Volkswagen settlement

The Cuomo administration says New York will use its share of the settlement in the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal to boost the state's clean transportation initiatives.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the state's plans Wednesday at the Albany headquarters of the Capital District Transportation Authority.

He says the nearly $128 million the state has received from the 2016 settlement will allow New York to speed up the transition to a clean transportation system.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the funds will increase the number of electric vehicles across the state, leading to a reduction in air pollution in urban areas.

Volkswagen has acknowledged that more than 550,000 vehicles in the U.S. were programmed to turn on emissions controls during government lab tests and turn them off while on the road.