MTA Needs $29.5 Billion For Capital Projects

Graphic explaining trend of train delays from the MTA's capital plan presentation

The MTA unveiled its 2008-2013 Capital Plan, which explained almost $30 billion will be needed to improve mass transit and complete projects like the Second Avenue Subway, the East Side Access plan and more by 2030 (many of those projects will also be delayed). Though the current MTA capital plan doesn't expire until next year, the MTA presented this plan because the state congestion pricing legislation required them to present a plan by the end of the first quarter of 2008.

Therefore, the plan included $4.5 billion in funding that would come from congestion pricing. According to the NY Times, the MTA "tentatively identified $20 billion" in potential sources for money (including the congestion pricing funds) but MTA officials "were unable to say where the remaining $9.5 billion would come from." Supposedly the MTA will ask Governor Spitzer and the Legislature for funding help, but let's say it now: Good luck with that!

The MTA Capital Plan has three options, laying out how the MTA could function on just $20 billion or really complete long-gestating projects with almost $30 billion:

The first is a $20 billion "core program" focusing on "core needs," like maintaining a state of good repair across the system, replacing subway cars and upgrading signals.
The second plan is a $26 billion program, core program plus "completion of current expansion projects," meaning that completing the East Side Access, the first phase of Second Avenue Subway (phase one), Fulton Street Transit Center and the South Ferry subway station costs an additional $5+ billion.
The final plan is the $29.5 billion core plus current expansion projects plus new expansion - new expansion being things like Second Avenue Subway (phase two), Penn Station Access, the #7 line expansion, Communications-based Train Control (Robotrain) to the Flushing line, and other projects.

Also, the openings of phase one of the Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access were pushed back to 2015 (originally to 2014) and there's no end in sight for the Fulton Street Transit Center. Second Avenue Sagas has some more details about the plan, noting that of the stations to be rehabbed, "the flagship is probably the Bleecker St./Broadway & Lafayette renovation," plus the lack of discussion about the Metrocard.

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By Jen Chung in News on February 28, 2008 9:23 AM

Comments [rss]

Toby von Meistersinger

The MTA needs to streamline and get rid of things it doesn't need.

Some suggestions off the top of our head:

Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority Police?

Who needs them, get the NYPD to do it for less money and duplicated overhead. Ditto for the MTA Police, but merge them into the New York State Police.

Get rid of the LIRR.

Well just the management. Metro-North seems to know how to run a railroad properly, so let Metro-North run both railroads since you don't need the same management positions in two railroads now do you?

Get rid of unneeded management.

Standardize vehicle fleets.

Merchandising, merchandising, merchandising!

nivek

#10 Not to mention crawling at 2mph between Union Sq and 59th...

zodak

huh, i wasn't trying to be mean. matty asked a valid question for anyone who has never lived on the east side & had to watch 3 trains go by because they were packed solid with people.

nivek

These delays are also bullshit delays...how about they count trains that aren't on time (within the minute)? That would be like every train before 9 AM and after 4 PM...

JMH

matty, you live in chicago right? that means you haven't had the misfortune of trying to take the east side irt during rush hours.
Hey now, be fair. He did say right up front that he's ignorant.

This kind of information is very important, because if the government is going to ask people to get behind congestion pricing, people need to know how, specifically, that money is going to benefit them.

eyekantspel

These numbers are mind-boggling. $30 billion.

If the population of NYC is 8 million, that's $3,750 per person. And, of course, based on past MTA history, you can be sure that by the time they're done milking us, it will cost three times as much and the work will take twice as long as expected.

freddyhere

The 2nd Ave expansion is almost 80 years in the making, so what's another 7 years....

zodak

matty, you live in chicago right? that means you haven't had the misfortune of trying to take the east side irt during rush hours.

Matt Joyce

2nd avenue line is kind of like the second coming of Christ. A lot of people believe its going to happen. But odds are... it won't.

The MTA is worse than NY State budget theft. And that chart cuts off at 2003, because the last 4+ years of MTA activity have been a travesty. There needs to be some serious blood letting in the upper echelons of that organization or they will continue to fall apart.

JoeSchumacher

Matty: yes, the 4/5/6 serving the Upper East Side is at or over capacity.

matty

Color me ignorant. But does NYC really need a nother subway line?

Tgirl

uh-oh, more never-ending construction projects.

Colombus Circle update: no discernable progress to report. After one year+, the station is still an unholy mess with no end in sight. There is no sense of urgency here, and clearly no regard for the human beings who must use this facility day after day after day.