I had the pleasure of riding Metro-North to and from the city twice over the Thanksgiving holiday and I’m looking forward to taking it again over Christmas. With record on-time performance and travel times faster than Amtrak, it’s no mystery why more and more New Yorkers are opting for the New Haven Line over I-95 traffic – and the same goes for the Long Island Rail Road. 

I was surprised that, after logging well over four hours on the New Haven Line, I didn’t encounter any information on screens or at Grand Central Terminal about the fare policy changes set to take effect January 4th. We also voiced those concerns in a letter to the board and leadership last month and were pleased to see that you’ve since launched tabling events across the MTA service territory. That said, more forthright communication is needed on digital screens, around stations, and to the press. Some of the changes will require riders to change their ticket-buying habits, so it’s important to communicate these changes more clearly. 

Victories for riders like expanded Family Fare to 12-17-year-olds and half-fares in the A.M. peak for senior, disabled, and Medicare eligible riders deserve their moment in the sun. So too do day-passes and the much narrower ticket validity window that together fundamentally change the ticketing model of the railroads. 

With so much going for the railroads, every effort made to familiarize riders with the upcoming changes now is a down payment on more satisfied customers in 2026.  

‘Tis the Season to Communicate Upcoming Fare Changes! Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you all. Thank you. 

The post ‘Tis the Season to Communicate Upcoming Fare Changes – Joint Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

There are major changes coming to the railroads in the New Year. From PCAC priorities like expanded Family Fare and half-fares to the A.M. peak for senior, disabled, and Medicare eligible riders to the loss of the ten-trip ticket and 30-day unlimited, there’s a lot to celebrate and some things to mourn.  

Either way, riders on all the MTA’s services need to be made aware well ahead of time.  

We appreciate the renewed effort to educate riders about OMNY and the free cards being handed out all across the city as you also work to fix the initial issues that many riders faced, but more promotion and customer communication is needed. In addition to using the more than 10,000 screens across the MTA, we encourage you to deploy ambassadors and distribute pamphlets at high-traffic stations as was done at a much larger scale during the Queens Bus Network Redesign. Ambitious, early outreach will make sure champagne is the only source of headaches on January 1^st.  

Thank you. 

The post New Year, New Fares – Super Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

Last week was UN General Assembly and Climate Week in NYC, with traffic congestion at its peak and vital conversations about reducing car dependence, our carbon footprint, and building resilient transit systems top of mind. Nearly all MTA expansion projects—including the Second Avenue Subway and IBX, along with state-of-good-repair and resiliency projects, will help us reach critically important climate goals to make our system more resilient to extreme weather – whether it be heat or water. 

However, these goals are threatened by a federal government that appears to value space for cars on the road above all else. We’ve watched with alarm as USDOT cancels RAISE Grants, originally awarded in 2022, for projects in Boston, Connecticut, and elsewhere across the country. These projects support transit, reduce our collective reliance on cars, and promote public health. We know how much safer and greener transit is compared to driving. Yet even though these projects are projected to reduce traffic violence and increase safety—a clearly stated goal of this administration and one we agree with—they seem to be at serious risk of cancellation. We know the administration’s hostility to New York over congestion pricing remains unresolved (even if the outlook is positive and the program is a major success), and stand ready to challenge their clear hypocrisy and cynicism.  

There are always challenges with capital funding. Last year at this time we were still anticipating implementation of congestion pricing and concerned about securing funding for the 2025-29 plan. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. PCAC looks forward to continuing to help the MTA and riders overcome whatever hurdles lie ahead so we can continue to build a more resilient and reliable system for generations to come. Thank you! 

The post A New Threat to the MTA’s Climate and Resilience Goals- Capital Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

Good morning, I’m Jack Connors, Research & Communications Associate at the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.

For the last two years, PCAC has pushed for our “Rider-First Fare Agenda,” five proposals aimed at embracing the promise of OMNY to make the entire MTA network more affordable, equitable, and accessible.

Along the way, we’ve been grateful for the support of dozens of members of the State Legislature, in particular Senator Leroy Comrie, and advocates ranging from Riders Alliance to the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Business Council.

We’re thrilled to see several of these policies in the proposed fare changes: ending the practice of charging senior, disabled, and Medicare-eligible LIRR and Metro-North riders the full-fare during the AM Peak and automatically charging city railroad riders the best fare available to them.

Still, more action is needed.

First, with city commuter rail stations topping pre-COVID ridership, the time is now to double down on this success and broaden ticket options with a weekly CityTicket that includes a free transfer to subways and buses. It’s the equitable and best business-like thing to do.

Next, the proposed fare structure does little to make the railroads more affordable for families with older kids. A good start would be creating a discounted ticket option for 12-17-year-olds, just like the one that already exists for 5-11-year-olds.

Finally, clarity is needed on how day passes will work for riders traveling on both railroads in a single trip. Let’s seize the opportunity to encourage more people to travel around our region on the LIRR and Metro-North, not force them into their cars. A unified City Zone would be a good place to start— right now a rider traveling from Far Rock to Yankee Stadium has to pay double the fare simply because they’re switching railroads at Grand Central Madison. We spent billions putting the railroads under one roof, let’s put them under one fare structure too.

Quirks like this keep riders off transit and money out of your pockets. Please deliver a fare structure that makes sense and saves cents, thank you.

The post Fare Hearing Testimony- Riders Need a Fare Structure that Makes Sense and Saves Cents appeared first on PCAC.

Riders have a lot to celebrate this summer: twelve subway stations across the five boroughs selected to become accessible. They will join the new elevators at the 95^th St. R Station in Bay Ridge. The best part is that riders had a say in choosing the next slate of accessible stations. We’re looking forward to the release of the list of the remaining stations as well.

New R211s on the G and B trains means new rolling stock is rolling through all five boroughs, not to mention 300 new M-9As on order for LIRR and Metro-North riders. The CBTC installation and capital commitments updates show how far we’ve come and also what’s next. They also show what happens when there is a delay of any kind, along with the burgeoning effects of tariffs, so we’re glad to see there are still plans to complete $9.1 billion in projects this year.  

It’s great to see the fruits of two fully funded MTA capital plans paying off, thanks to Governor Hochul and the Legislature.

That wouldn’t be possible without congestion relief, which is benefiting tri-state area commuters whether they drive or take transit, like 90% of Central Business District-bound commuters. This nation-leading program is speeding up commutes, cutting down on truck traffic, upgrading our transit, improving street safety, and clearing the air – which has never been more important given all the hot air coming from Washington.

The IBX is moving ahead too, and that’s particularly exciting for New Yorkers in Brooklyn and Queens who don’t want to have to travel into Manhattan to go between boroughs. The IBX can also be a catalyst for TOD. A recent Building Congress report found that rezoning land along the Interborough Express corridor could create more than 100,000 new homes. It’s a win-win for addressing our housing crisis and making it legal for riders to live near the transit they depend on .

Thank you.

The post No Summer Break for MTA Capital Planning- Capital Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

As we approach this summer’s fare increase, we’re hoping that the ‘business-like’ mindset that embodies The New MTA will be reflected in fare policies that do right by riders and allow the MTA to expand its customer base, particularly in subway deserts.  

PCAC’s ideas include: 

• A.M. peak discounts for senior, disabled, and Medicare-eligible riders on the LIRR and Metro-North. 

• A discounted fare for 12-17-year-olds on the railroads. 

• A weekly CityTicket that includes free transfers to subways and buses. 

• Pushing the City to expand Fair Fares to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and the railroads. 

These policies are about fairness for riders, making the system cheaper for families and those on fixed incomes, but it’s also about your bottom line. CityTicket is a proven fiscal success, it’s boosted ridership at Bronx Metro-North stations as much as 166% above pre-COVID levels and within the LIRR’s city terminal zone by 24%.  

Thanks to investments from Governor Hochul and the Legislature, there are 316 new M-9As coming to the LIRR and Metro-North and record on-time performance. Let’s capitalize by offering more fare options for riders in subway deserts instead of forcing them into three-leg transfers, dollar vans, and worst of all: single occupancy vehicles.  

We should look towards authorities like SEPTA, far less resourced than the MTA, that added most regional rail stations to its weekly bus and subway pass at no additional cost two years ago. Such joint railroad-NYC Transit trips cost as must as $20 on the MTA. 

These ideas aren’t farfetched; they were informed by conversations with many of you at the Board table to ensure their practicality. They’re supported by dozens of elected officials from Scarsdale to South Jamaica and organizations from the Business Council to Reinvent Albany, strange bedfellows. 

We’ve been pushing these simple changes for years because you make the best case for transit by reducing silos between operating agencies to make it easier to ride – that’s the fundamental promise of OMNY, one we believe is still within reach. Preliminary results of our recent OMNY survey found riders agree with us: they overwhelmingly want more integrations with and transfers between our region’s transportation modes. Thank you. 

The post MTA Board Testimony- It’s Time for the New MTA to Take on Fare Policy appeared first on PCAC.

The post New Train Cars and Buses Will Make for a Smoother Ride; The Nitty-Gritty Work is Still Critical- Capital Program Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

Despite Secretary Duffy’s dramatics, we’re thrilled to see that crime across the MTA system is down. Crime on subways and buses was down 9% month over month in February and 16% compared to February 2024. The LIRR and Metro-North also saw continued reductions in crime. Violence against employees is down too, 14%, although one assault is one too many.

The data tells a clear story: the Governor’s investment in cameras on every train car is paying dividends; as is her commitment to a cop on every overnight train, with train patrols up 22.3%.

If Secretary Duffy wants transparency, he need only look at today’s committee book. Though perhaps another picture book from Governor Hochul would be more appropriate.

One area of concern is fare evasion arrests and summonses, which are up 100% and 43%, respectively. We’re seeing similar upticks on the railroads. While enforcement is an integral part of the equation when it comes to tackling fare evasion, and it’s good to see it moving in the right direction, we cannot be assured it’s not a crime of poverty until Fair Fares is expanded to 200% of the federal poverty level. Let’s also expand it to the LIRR and Metro-North to ensure riders can access the most affordable and convenient transit option.

Thank you.

The post Reduced Crime and Cameras Pay Dividends for Riders- Safety Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

The post 2025 New York State Legislative Agenda appeared first on PCAC.

It’s state budget season, and with a more than $35 billion gap in the next MTA Capital Plan, there’s a lot on the line for riders this year. Whether it’s  new signals that allow for more frequent and reliable service, preparing our commuter railroads for the threat of climate change, new 40-minute trips between Bay Ridge and Jackson Heights on the IBX, or simply keeping the roof from caving in at Grand Central, riders are counting on Albany to get it right.

Unfortunately, unlike other public services, MTA funding does not have the luxury of having a dedicated line item in the state budget—this is myopic and wrong, but it’s reality. Instead, every five years riders become a political football as the Legislature and governor wrangle over funding sources.

We can live with the dramatics is the vital importance of the essential State of Good Repair work that must get funded. Too often, the costs of paying for the vital work  are not distributed equitably around the region., although history has shown this is far from guaranteed. That’s why we put together more than two dozen funding options that total well-above three quarters of a trillion dollars once bonded out.

Last Wednesday, before the Council’s Transportation Budget Hearing, we stood outside City Hall to remind elected officials of the importance of fully funding the MTA Capital Plan. We’re looking forward to heading to Albany to do so tomorrow.

Despite what certain members of Congress would have you believe, the reality is the vast majority of commuters into New York City rely on some combination of Metro-North, the LIRR, and New York City Transit — and even NJ Transit and PATH! With the MTA Capital Plan projected to generate 72,000 jobs and $106 billion in economic activity, every dollar invested in the MTA benefits not only riders, but all of New York State.

Thank you.

The post A Lot on the Line for Riders in Albany this Year-Capital Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.