This letter was sent to MTA Board members this week from transit expert and rider advocate Gene Russianoff:
December 10, 2009
Dear MTA Commissioner:
As you know, the MTA is considering service cuts among its options to respond to recent unfavorable financial events.
It’s not clear what the size of the MTA budget hole will be in 2010. Or what service cuts, if any, are now under consideration by the agency.
However, I am deeply worried about:
1) the harm to riders of service cuts in an already overcrowded system;
2) the new blow to the MTA’s credibility if the agency institutes cuts that the riding public (paying a higher fare since June) were told would not happen; and 3) cuts undermining MTA Chairman Jay Walder’s sensible plans to improve bus service.
If there is a sizable gap, I have two suggestions for revenue that could avert major service cuts and maintain last May’s vows of no major service cuts as part of the MTA’s bailout:
- use $91 million in federal stimulus funds for service in 2010. The money is there. “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) received $915 million in stimulus funds. Contracts have been signed for work covering 89 percent of the total,” according to a December 2009 report issued by Gov. Paterson. http://www.recovery.ny.gov/assets/documents/StimCabReport120409.pdf) Federal law permits 10% of the stimulus funds to be spent on operations. Transit systems like the one in St. Louis pressed for this option to maintain service and jobs.
- reprogram for service $50 million in 2010 in “pay-as-you-go” funds. The MTA is planning to spend $50 million in 2010 in operating funds on capital projects. Pay-as-you-go for capital needs is a good goal, but it should not come at the expense of service cuts.
These two sources total $141 million and would be enough to cover all the subway, bus and commuter cuts originally proposed by the MTA earlier this year.
So how does this option weigh against other choices?
Gene Russianoff,
Straphangers Campaign
