MTA Chairman Pat Foye’s threats to include a 40 percent reduction in bus and subway service, along with a 50 percent cut in LIRR and Metro North Rail Road service, have risks. The second is fare increases above and beyond the previously scheduled 4 percent in 2021. This was part of the $51 billion 2020-2024 Five Year Capital Plan funding assumptions, Unless he receives $12 billion more in CARE COVID-19 funding from Washington, they could become reality.
Significant service cuts or fare hikes require a public hearing process which the MTA will initiate in December. As a recipient of Federal Transit Administration funding, the MTA has to be in compliance with federal Title IV and other civil rights requirements. Service cuts can’t have an adverse impact on minority, low-income and physically challenged communities. The process will take the MTA several months from start to finish before any fare increases are initiated. It would be subject to FTA, City Hall and Albany review.
These service reductions would require the MTA to update itis FTA bus, subway and commuter rail fleet management plans. FTA would want to insure that the MTA still has the financial resources to maintain all its assets, so they reach the intended useful life requirement. If these service cuts were to take place, hundreds to several thousand of local and federally funded bus, subway and commuter rail cars might no longer be needed for passenger service.
Reducing service by 40 percent in bus and subway, along with 50 percent in commuter rail implies an equivalent reduction in equipment needed for rush hour service. Keeping 100 percent of the current fleets in service would result in excessive spare equipment. The various fleets have a spare ratio of 10 percent subway and commuter rail to 15 percent bus. This defeats the goal of cost savings.
NYC Transit has a fleet of 6,400 subway cars. NYC Transit, Manhattan and Bronx Surface Operating Authority and MTA Bus have a combined fleet of 5,800 buses. LIRR has a fleet of 1,151. Metro North has a fleet of 1,268 and Staten Island Railway has a fleet of 61 vehicles. Most of the NYC Transit subway and a significant number of bus and commuter rail fleets are federally funded.
Federally funded equipment that is no longer needed for passenger service, as a result of major service reductions, would require the FTA’s permission to be temporarily mothballed in a safe and secure location. The useful life clock for equipment would be frozen. The equipment still has to be maintained. The useful life clock starts once the equipment resumes transit service.
Another option is the transfer of equipment no longer needed to another transit agency to remain in transit service. This transaction would requires FTA grant amendments between the MTA and the new transit agency recipient for transfer of the federally funded equipment. Both transit agencies have to update their required Biannual Certification for Assurance of Federally Funded Equipment worth over $5,000, which means it has been accounted for and is being maintained in transit service. This process takes several months. A third alternative based upon straight line depreciation determines current value of the equipment in question. The MTA would have to buy out the FTA for the federal share of the remaining value. The MTA would own 100 percent of the remaining value and would be free to sell this surplus equipment and keep the proceeds. The fourth option would be retiring any local or federally funded equipment that has already reached useful life by mileage or age.
A 50 percent reduction in LIRR service conflicts with promised increases. New service for the Islanders Belmont Arena in October 2022, a 40 percent increase in rush hour service upon completion of the $2.6 billion Main Line Third Track and 24 trains hourly during a.m. and p.m. peak supporting the $11.2 billion East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal, both in December 2022. There is also reverse peak service increases on all branches in December 2022. They are all 11 to 13 months away from start dates.
A 50 percent reduction in Metro North service conflicts with promised increases in new service via the $1.5 billion Bronx East Access to Penn Station. This is supposed to start within one year after the LIRR begins service into Grand Central Terminal.
Why would Rockland County continue contributing a dime to the MTA if the MTA actually eliminated all Metro North West of Hudson service?
Actions speak louder than words. It is time for City Hall and Albany to pay their respective fair shares just like Uncle Sam and riders do as well.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
(Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.
