Transit Funding
Streetsblog Basics
Cuomo Wants to Pay Less for Transit While Riders Pay More
Andrew Cuomo is balancing the state's books on the backs of New York City straphangers. Under his draft budget, the MTA would receive $65 million less from the state’s general fund than it did in 2016, at the same time as riders chip in about $300 million more via the upcoming fare hike.
February 16, 2017
Cuomo Breaks Another Promise to Transit Riders
Five years ago, Cuomo promised to allocate $320 million annually to the MTA to make up for cutting one of the agency's dedicated revenue streams. At the time, advocates warned that Cuomo wouldn't keep his promise for long. They were right: This year the governor's draft budget calls for a $65 million cut to MTA funding.
February 14, 2017
How Could Transit Agencies Cope With a Sudden Loss of Federal Funds?
Under Trump and the Republican Congress, transit agencies can't be certain the funding they're expecting will materialize. Via TransitCenter, here's a look at how cities have coped with the sudden and dramatic loss of resources.
January 24, 2017
Why Is the MTA OK With High-Speed Car Tolls But Not High-Speed Bus Fares?
MTA officials revealed today that the MetroCard will linger until 2022, though the agency still intends to phase in a new fare payment system starting in 2018. What remains unknown is whether the new system will enable electronic proof of payment, a fare collection method that promises to speed up NYC's snail-paced buses.
October 26, 2016
How the MTA Can Improve Access-a-Ride Service While Cutting Costs
For customers, the price of a trip on Access-A-Ride, the MTA's service for New Yorkers with disabilities, is the same as a subway fare. But for the MTA, the cost of providing the service is much higher. At $72.65 per trip (the cost has risen since 2014, when the figures for the above table were compiled), Access-A-Ride is the most expensive paratransit system to operate in the nation. The high costs of the program eat into the MTA's ability to provide subway and bus service.
September 20, 2016
Cuomo’s $27 Billion Transportation Plan Needs Some Sunlight
Governor Andrew Cuomo's Department of Transportation has billions of dollars at its disposal to spend on capital projects but doesn't tell the public what it plans to do with the money. A bipartisan bill in both houses of the state legislature aims to change that.
June 14, 2016
Move NY Toll Reform Picks Up Eight Sponsors in Assembly
Eight more Assembly members are supporting the Move NY toll reform plan, which would cut traffic and raise revenue for transit by increasing the price of driving into the Manhattan core while lowering tolls on outlying bridges. The Move NY bill (A09633) now has 23 sponsors in the 150-member Assembly and four (all Democrats) in the Republican-controlled, 62-member State Senate.
May 12, 2016
Robert Rodriguez Introduces Toll Reform Bill in State Assembly
For the first time, a state legislator is sponsoring legislation in Albany to enact the Move NY toll reform plan. By creating a more rational toll system in New York City, the plan would significantly reduce traffic and raise revenue to invest in improving transit.
March 24, 2016
Transit Riders: The MTA Can’t Run on Cuomo’s IOUs
Straphangers can’t pay the MTA with an IOU, so why should Governor Andrew Cuomo get away with it?
March 23, 2016