October 28, 2003

The MTA says that it is facing large budget gaps over the next four years, according to its just released 2004-2007 Financial Plan.

The good news in the grim numbers is that the MTA wants to hold the $2 subway and bus fare through 2007, while maintaining service levels and continuing to repair and rebuild the system.

The bad news is there's no similar pledge to hold down the cost of 7-day and 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCards or other fare discounts. These might rise as soon as 2005.

The MTA deserves credit for following through on its commitment to issue a detailed four-year plan. The Straphangers Campaign sees the four-year MTA plan as the start of a dialogue on how to best fund city transit. As a first step, we now look to the City and State Comptrollers and the state legislature to take a hard look at the MTA's numbers.Ý

The MTA says that to hold fares and maintain service it will need more help from Albany and City Hall. The Straphangers Campaign agrees.

The MTA's plan illustrates what its critics have long been saying: Since 1995, Governor Pataki has failed to provide any new state aid to rebuild the transit system. As a result, the single largest pressure on the MTA's budget is the soaring cost of paying back billions in bonds to rebuild the transit system.

In the coming months, we will press Governor Pataki for a fairer share of state aid for the subway and bus system.

Right now, the city's subway and bus system receiving only 63% of state transit funding despite the fact that our transit system moves more than 84% of all of the state's riders. In contrast, the LIRR and MetroNorth move 6% of state riders but receive 22% of transit aid coming from Albany.