It will require more prudent use of existing dollars and a change in priorities for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to find $38 billion to fully funding New York City Transit Authority President Andy Byford’s proposed 10-year Fast Forward action plan.
He is looking for $19 billion from the upcoming MTA 2020-2024 and $18 billion from the following 2025-2029 Five Year Capital Plan.
A majority of 160,000 daily LIRR riders also use the NYC Transit subway system.
They have a vested interest in seeing that the subway signal system is upgraded, new subway cars are purchased, stations reach a state of good repair and more are brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
One potential source of funding is a suspension of any new system expansion projects that are not already well into construction.
This is a good starting point to begin fully funding the backlog of NYC Transit subway and bus critical state of good repair projects. Why not first have the MTA reprogram $695 million Metro North East Bronx Penn Station Access?
Then utilize funds amassed for the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2, LIRR Main Line Third Track, Cubic Transportation Systems for a new fare collection system to replace the Metro Card and Customer Service Ambassador program.
The funds for these respectively are $1.7 billion $2.6 billion, $573 million and $23 million. This would provide almost $5 billion as a down payment against the $38 billion needed.
All five canceled projects can be funded out of the next MTA 2020-2024 or following 2025 – 2029 Five Year Capital Plans.
This still provides ample time for both Metro North East Bronx Penn Station Access and LIRR Main Line Third Track project completions to coincide with LIRR East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal by December 2023 or 2024.
It is time for the MTA to stop wasting millions of dollars on transportation feasibility studies for future system expansion projects costing billions that will never happen in our lifetime. Do not initiate any new system expansion projects until the MTA and each operating agency, including New York City Transit subway, bus and Long Island Rail Road have reached a state of good repair.
Make the difficult decisions today that the following future capital expansion projects will have to be postponed twelve years for funding consideration until the MTA 2030-3034 Capital Program.
This includes Phase 2 of the Woodhaven Blvd. Select Bus Service ($231 million); Light Rail between Glendale and Long Island City on the old Montauk LIRR branch ($2.2 billion); restoration of service on the old Rockaway LIRR branch ($1 billion); Triboro X Subway Express new subway line connecting the Bronx, Queens & Brooklyn ($2 billion); Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront Street Car Connector connecting various neighborhoods along the waterfront from Sunset Park, Brooklyn to Astoria, Queens ($2.8 billion); Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 ($6 billion); new #7 subway station at 10th Avenue & 41st ($1 billion); Staten Island North Shore Bus Rapid Transit ($600 million) & West Shore Bus Rapid Transit ($1.5 billion); Brooklyn Utica Avenue subway extension from Eastern Parkway to Avenue U ($5 billion) and Downtown Manhattan to Red Hook Brooklyn subway extension ($5 billion). All of these need to be put on hold until NYC Transit, LIRR & Metro North fleets, stations, tracks, signals, interlockings, power, yards and shops reach a state of good repair.
And they should ensure that maintenance programs for all operating agencies assets are fully funded and completed on time for reliable service.
Starting in 1981, under past MTA Five Year Capital Plans, both the City and State have collectively cut billions of their own respective financial contributions.
They repeatedly had the MTA refinance or borrow funds to acquire scarce capital funding formerly made up by hard cash from both City Hall and Albany.
On a bipartisan basis, this included past governors Mario Cuomo (Dem), George Pataki (GOP), Elliot Spitzer (Dem) and David Patterson (Dem).
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Dem) continues to honor this practice.
Last year’s amendment to increase the MTA $29 billion Five Year 2015-2019 Capital Program Plan by $3 billion to $32 billion they increased long term MTA debt $1.6 billion. This disinvestment has contributed to today’s crises facing the MTA, especially NYC Transit.
All Cuomo has done is restore the $3 billion cut from the original proposed $32 billion MTA Five Year Capital Plan from 2015. Most dollars include $1.5 billion for LIRR Main Line Third Track and $700 million for Second Avenue Subway Phase Two are going toward system expansion projects rather than solving more critical state of good repair projects and programs such as those proposed by NYC Transit President Byford.
For over 37 years, too many career politicians have insisted that the MTA continue financing more and more of the Capital Program by borrowing. This has not changed.
As a result, 17 percent of the annual MTA budget goes for covering the costs of debt service payments.
By the next MTA Five Year 2020-2024 Capital Program Plan, it will grow closer to 20 percent.
This means less money is available for operations to provide more frequent and safe service to riders. It also means there is less money to maintain the state of good repair, safety and basic day to day service that riders desire.
The MTA can’t continue to wait for both City Hall and Albany to step up and help provide billions in additional funding.
Neither can transit riders and taxpayers. We are looking for accountability, efficient and timely completion for both capital projects and routine maintenance to assure more reliable and safe on-time service.
Larry Penner
Larry Penner is a transportation historian and advocate who previously worked 31 for U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office.
