The MTA unveiled a $68.4B capital plan today — telling New Yorkers the nation’s largest mass transit system needs the funds to upgrade crumbling structures — but also, to modernize by purchasing new trains and buses.
“How do you fund all of this?,” posed MTA Chairman Janno Lieber. “How do you not!” he answered rhetorically.
If various government entities — including the state, federal department of transportation and the city — provide the money — it would pay for 1,500 new subway cars, 500 new buses, and 60 accessible stations. It would also create a brand new train line — known as the Interborough Express from Brooklyn to Queens.
Perhaps surprisingly, the MTA chairman said this new plan would look “exactly the same” even if congestion pricing hadn’t been paused. While transit officials had banked on that Manhattan toll plan to generate $15 billion, Lieber said that money would have covered what’s already in the current capital plan. Like the extension of the Second Avenue Subway.
“I believe the players in Albany get that this is the lifeblood of the region’s economy,” said Lieber.
Many riders embraced the plann.
“Yeah, I think it’s very essential,” said Jamari, a subway rider.
Pressure now shifts to the governor and state lawmakers, who won’t start meeting to decide details of new transit funding until January.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul said: “From the moment I took office, I’ve fought for public transit — advancing major projects like the Second Avenue Subway and rescuing the MTA from the ‘fiscal cliff’ last year. We will review the MTA’s proposal for the upcoming 5-year capital plan and fight to secure as much funding as possible. That includes pressuring Washington to deliver additional infrastructure dollars and working with our partners in the Legislature and City Hall to determine priorities and capacity during the upcoming budget negotiations.
