State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s recent audit report “MTA Subway Station Repair List Is Growing” told us nothing anyone in the transit industry did not already know. Not only DiNapoli, but other previous state comptrollers, the New York City comptroller and several city agencies have issued reports going back decades on NYC Transit station shortfalls. The MTA and NYC Transit have internally tracked the state of good repair for stations and individual station components for years.
In 2016, the NYC Citizens Budget Commission issued a report, which said it would take 52 years, or until 2067, until all 468 NYC Transit subway stations reached a state of good repair. (Not including three new Second Avenue subway stations opened on Jan. 1, 2017). Gov. Cuomo in 2016 said, “New, modern subway stations across the system are an essential part of our efforts to rebuild and reimagine the MTA for the 21st century.” He talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk when it comes to providing the additional billions necessary to reach these goals.
The MTA’s own 20-year Needs Assessment Report is being updated. It will tell you the same information provided by this audit.
DiNapoli bears part of the blame for “years of underfunding” for the MTA Capital Program, which has resulted in a longer list of needed repairs in NYC subway stations and fewer stations in good condition. DiNapoli served as a state Assembly member from 1987 to 2007 and state comptroller from 2008 to the present. When did he introduce legislation, cast a vote or lobby any governor to significantly increase funding during the past 32 years to finance MTA NYC Transit shortcomings as identified in his MTA audits past to present?
Most of the original IRT (NYC private franchised Independent Rapid Transit system operated 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Franklin Avenue and Times Square shuttle lines stations) and the old BMT (NYC private franchised Brooklyn Manhattan Transit system B, D, J, L, M, N, Q, R, W and Z lines stations) were built between 1900 and 1920. The IND system (Independent municipal NYC built, financed and operated A, C, E, F and G lines) was built in the 1930s.
It is a question of available and sufficient funding to keep the 471 subway stations in a state of good repair. There is also the added task of bringing more stations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act by adding elevators.
One challenge facing the MTA as it develops the next $40 billion, 2020 to 2024 Five Year Capital Plan is finding funding. It is dependent upon a number of taxes and fees, including Real Estate Transfer Tax and Congestion Price Tolling, which combined equal $25 billion plus $7 billion in anticipated Federal Transit Administration funding. This totals $32 billion. This leaves a shortfall of $8 billion. Neither the MTA nor any elected official has yet to identify the source of funding to close this $8 billion gap. Congestion pricing does not kick in until January 2021, or the second year of a five-year capital program. The final details of who will pay what have yet to be worked out. In the meantime, many elected officials are lobbying for exemptions for police, fire or teachers, low income, outerborough residents, seniors, small commercial-based delivery businesses or other special niches. Some of these exemptions will be adopted to placate different constituents. The MTA may not be able to count on all $15 billion in congestion pricing funding. A downturn in the economy could result in less revenue from the Real Estate Transfer and other tax income sources. The $8 billion shortfall could easily grow by billions more.
The MTA first has to find the $4.3 billion balance needed to fully fund the $6 billion Second Avenue Subway Phase 2, $1 billion to complete the $11.2 billion LIRR East Side Access and $600 million to complete the $2.6 billion Main Line Third Track along with NYC Transit President’s Andy Byford’s proposed $38 billion accelerated NYC capital improvements program. He calls it Fast Forward: The Plan to Modernize NYC Transit subway and bus system. This is looking for $19 billion under the next Five Year Capital Program. Some want billions to accelerate bringing more of the 471 subway stations into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Others want billions more to increase the numbers of new and rehabilitated subway cars and buses.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
Great Neck
