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Photograph of MTA CEO and Executive Director Lee Sander during the inaugural State of the MTA Address, courtesy of the MTA
This morning, the first-ever State of the MTA Address was given, with MTA CEO and Executive Director Elliot Sander Sander emphasizing the MTA was born 40 years ago out of crisis and needed federal, state, and municipal cooperation to get things done (in other words, nothing changes!).
Sander said he's committed to creating a new environment and structure that will bring out the best in its employees (no transit strike on his watch?) and laid out a vision for the MTA in the next 25-40 years as well. Per CityRoom:
“Today, we stand at a crossroads,” Mr. Sander said. “We can take a business-as-usual approach to how we run the M.T.A. completing the projects that are currently under way and continuing the State of Good Repair program. Or we can set our sights higher. We can complete the projects underway, continue the State of Good Repair program and press on to give the region the network of mobility it needs to be competitive with its global peers. That is the road, or should I say track, we must take. As the M.T.A. goes, so goes the region.”The major themes of the address were the need for continued funding from federal, state, and municipal governments, increased use of underutilized but existing assets, continuation of major capital programs (like East Side Access and the 2nd Ave. Subway), longer-term efforts to implement new technologies (email alerts for service disruptions), and more regional level cooperation between transit agencies.
He also added there would be $30 million more in new service, which means more subway services on lines, more bus routes, and additional commuter trains for LIRR and Metro-North. One interesting point: The MTA is looking to replace Metrocards with technology that will serve as a contactless, pass-over device that will function nationwide.
The full address can be viewed at the MTA's site here; we've included the MTA's press release on the plan's highlights after the jump:
Highlights of the speech include:MTA to Implement Service Enhancements for 2008
Sander said that 2008 revenues to date are in line with budget projections, and he will recommend to the MTA Board moving ahead with the service enhancements included in the financial plan.That means $30 million in new service this year. MTA customers will benefit from increased service on 11 subway lines, extended and new bus routes, additional commuter rail trains and cars on LIRR and Metro-North, and improved customer communications. More information on specific initiatives is available from each operating agency.
MTA to Host Quarterly Webinars
After receiving enormous interest in its December webinar, or online forum, on its budget, the MTA committed to holding quarterly public webinars. The first session will be held later this month and will address the MTA’s recently released 2008-2013 capital program. MTA leadership will provide a presentation on the plan and then take questions submitted on the MTA’s website. Further details will be released shortly.MTA to Streamline Bus Operations
This year MTA will be taking significant steps to fully integrate the operations of New York City Transit, MTA Bus and LI Bus to create a consolidated regional bus operation. This will enable the MTA to eliminate redundant functions and better leverage the institutional capabilities of all three existing bus entities.MTA Releases 40-Year Transportation Vision
Last year, the MTA began an ongoing process of identifying a 25 to 40-year vision for the region’s transportation network. Today Sander revealed an outline of the vision for the first time. The vision provides a more streamlined regional transportation experience building on the expected completion of projects currently underway, especially Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access. $50 million is included in the 2008-2013 capital program for needed further study of many of these ideas. Highlights include:Extension of the full-length Second Avenue Subway to West Harlem, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn
* Spur to West Harlem under 125th Street
* Extension to Queens via the 63rd Street tunnel to relieve crowding on the Queens Boulevard line
* Extension to Brooklyn, consistent with plans for the Lower Manhattan rail link, through Downtown Brooklyn and along the Atlantic Avenue branch of the LIRR to connect with the AirTrain in Jamaica
* Extension north into the Bronx hub/Dyre Avenue corridorUtilize East Side Access and Congestion Pricing Funds to Improve Service for Metro-North
* Introduce Metro-North service to Penn Station, with new stations:
o Co-Op City
o Parkchester
o Hunts PointUse Underutilized Rights-of-Way and Middle Tracks to Provide New Service
* Explore the Regional Plan Association’s circumferential subway line proposal, which would convert the lightly used Bay Ridge freight line into a subway service arcing from southern Brooklyn to Queens to the Bronx.
* Use middle tracks on elevated subway lines, primarily in Brooklyn and the Bronx, to provide new express service.
* Alleviate crowding on the Queens Boulevard line by using space on Main Line right-of-way for new tracks; utilize Rockaway Beach right-of-way to extend service from Main Line corridor to southern Queens and the Rockaway Peninsula.Implement New Service Throughout the Region
* Staten Island: Implement rapid transit options for the North Shore and the West Shore, ideal for BRT or light rail.
* Long Island: Shorter shuttle trains on the North Fork, South Fork and Oyster Bay branch to provide suburb-to-suburb service, similar to successful LIRR East End shuttle service.
* Tappan Zee project: Opportunity to bring Metro-North trains from West of the Hudson to connect with the Hudson line.
* Airport access: Explore with Port Authority a second AirTrain service to LaGuardia from the LIRR Main Line at Woodside, in addition to previously announced study on Stewart Airport.
* Bridges and Tunnels: MTA Bridges & Tunnels will commission a study later this year on the feasibility of adopting “video tolling” technology as a replacement for cash-toll collection, similar to the system in use on Route 407 around Toronto.
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Great plan.
I'll believe it when I see it.
Sounds a little ambitious for the MTA. Why not stick to keeping the trains running and finishing the capital projects they have in progress before they save the world.
I love the SAS extension plans when it's still a long shot that the original stub will be completed in the next 40 years.
25 - 40 year plan and all we get is one new subway line and some re-used some old tracks? This is pathetic; this is the capitol of an empire in decline! Sell your glass walled condos now before this whole place tanks!!!
Please no Airtrain to LGA. Just extend the subway to the terminals!! Switching from train or subway to Airtrain is a nuisance and the elevated Airtrain at JFK gets nowhere near the terminals except for Terminal 4.
Also, anyone else think it's time to integrate PATH in the subway system i.e. one fare? And more PATH lines in general to get cars off the road?
The MTA's "five year plan"makes us think of the Soviets and their five year plans. We all know what happened to them.
A lot of the stuff is a bit too pie in the sky, but the one thing that was touched on - regional integration is something that is really needed. Merging the various MTA bus agencies makes loads of sense, will hopefully be able to trim a lot of the management fat and will hopefully provide for better economies of scale for even better purchasing power.
The commuter rail lines would all be better under some sort of tri-state umbrella agency (definitely not the money pit known as the Port Authority) that can allow seamless regional train travel. (Not quite MTA related, but New York and New Jersey needs to eminent domain the Northeast Corridor from Amtrak so it can be properly run and maintained. Metro-North does a better job than Amtrak keeping their bit of the Northeast Corridor in NY and CT in good working order.)
PATH needs to be given over to NYC Transit and fully integrated into the subway system, although physically it would have to be tied into the IRT.
Light rail on Staten Island is a good idea, an even better idea would be to tie it into NJ Transit's Hudson-Bergen light rail line.
Expanding subway service in Queens is a really good idea since there are a lot of places where there is demand but no service. It would help get some cars off the road.
Bus Rapid Transit is an oxymoron and only works with dedicated bus roadways which are more of a blight than an elevated subway. Just go to Ottawa and see how good "busways" look.
As for the Second Avenue Subway, we'll only believe in it once we are riding on it, since we know its history.
Having the N train go to LGA makes better sense than a transfer. The only reason the Airtrain is there is so the stupid Port Authority gets their thumb in the money pie.
Maybe they can begin with something small. Like keeping entrances, stairwells and platforms clean.
This is kind of like people predicting we'd all be living in a flying metropolis by, oh, 2000 or so. Give it 50 years and we'll see just how little of this stuff actually happens! I guess we can always dare to dream, but jeez...can we get the stuff you've promised for the past several decades first?
By the way, I love how this "plan of the future" is unveiled the day after a major fare hike takes effect...
or how about fixing the stations that lie in the ghetto first. So amazing how MTA only fixes stations that are mostly full of whites asians or buisness people.
These are definitely nice things to happen in the future. The reality is most of these ideas are never going to happen.