Another month, another major storm – maybe you should hold these meetings during the summer? But seriously…we come not to throw snowballs, Janno, but to praise the amazing dedication and hard work of the entire team – work force, leadership, comms team, and everyone in between – for getting millions of riders where they needed to go through two significant snow events in two months. Kudos! And while not perfect, we’re glad that DOT and Sanitation focused more on bus stops this time around.

Transit and DOT are already proving the power of their partnership under Mayor Mamdani with the revived Fordham Road bus lanes. We’re also hopeful that riders who depend on Fair Fares will get a fair shake in the city budget. We share your disappointment that an increase wasn’t included in the Exec, but we know it’s just the start of the conversation. Increasing eligibility to 300% FPL, making fares free to New Yorkers at 150% FPL, automatic enrollment and bringing Fair Fares to the railroads within the city are within the city’s fiscal grasp, and we will continue to strongly advocate with you – along with CSS, Riders Alliance, and others – to make this a reality. At the state level, we’d like to see an accommodation reached on the insurance proposal so the MTA doesn’t pay the lion’s share following accidents it didn’t cause.

It’s almost too much to ask for the feds to play nicely, but it’s past time to release the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 funds. While fiscal support is available from other channels, it’s unjust and likely illegal for the feds to withhold these critical transit funds. Riders are counting on the leaders at all levels of government to invest in the MTA. Congestion pricing is working, as evidenced by the new elevators and fare gates that are being installed.

Riders are still adapting to the new fare arrays, to some of the new fare policies on the railroads, and to Universal Train Spotting on Metro-North. We look forward to continuing to discuss ways to improve these with you. Thank you.

The post MTA Board & Committee meeting Testimony- Weathering the Storm for Riders appeared first on PCAC.

I was excited to be at Grand Central yesterday to see the changes being unveiled. As a daily 7 line user, it’s great to see that behemoth station more open and rider friendly. And as Grand Central Partnership head Fred Cerullo said, ‘access to everything is access to everything’ and that’s what we’re getting.

The Capital Plan Amendment you’ll be voting on today will add to that accessibility by bringing two additional subways stations into ADA compliance – for a total of 69. We’re looking forward to the day we see Mets-Willets Point on the list…  maybe sooner than later?

The amendments also include Sandy Resiliency Work. It’s hard to believe today is the 13^th anniversary of that fateful day. The ensuing years have shown us that we must not only continue to invest but also change the way we look at where the danger comes from and better harden against extreme weather threats from above and below.

The list of projects in the blue pages is very impressive, but even more so is the $600 million in savings you’re achieving. Congratulations on hard work well done. We’re looking forward to the launch of the upgraded Capital Program Dashboard that will allow us wonks to sort through it.

I’d like to also offer PCAC’s congratulations to our own Jack Connors who was recognized by NYPTA with their Joseph Boardman Award yesterday. He’ll be using that Metro-North to Albany to continue to advocate on behalf of the region’s riders, all of whom will benefit from the 20-24 amendments and the 2025-29 plan. Now how can we get Amtrak to move the needle on Penn Access and reduce the now three years of delays?

October, as we’ve heard, is National Disability Employment Awareness Month – and we’re thrilled that soon disabled riders will be able to use their discounts in the AM Peak on the railroads. It’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month and my personal PSA is to get tested. It could save your life.

The post MTA Board Meeting Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

In about three months, the fare changes you vote on today will go into effect. In addition to the biennial increase, which PCAC supports, the new year will bring new discounts and opportunities for riders.

I’m here with thanks and a mea culpa. It’s clear you listened to the many people, including our members, who provided comments. Having one way railroad tickets expire at 4 a.m. addresses significant issues riders had. Bringing down the increase of a weekly cap on transit to less than 3% is a good deal. So is making the rolling fare cap permanent, and holding West-of-Hudson fares flat.

We’re thrilled that seniors, disabled and Medicare-eligible riders will be able to use their discounts on the railroads at all times, including the morning peak. The new ‘mid-kid’ Family Fare will afford 12–17-year-olds the ability to ride with an adult for $1, encouraging riding over driving to games, shows and days of fun. That makes it a no brainer to get onboard rather than into a car.

These are common sense affordability policies that we have long advocated for, and we appreciate that you are about to make them reality. The mea culpa is that you had already moved in this direction when we publicly called for you to do so last week.  In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I atone for that.

Of course, we’ll continue to advocate for a CityTicket Weekly, with transfers to subways and buses, and for increasing Fair Fares to at least 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and expanding it to the railroads within the city.

And we do lament the demise of the ten-trip on the railroads. The loss of the off-peak discount is significant. We have similar concerns about the loss of the 30-day option for transit, which some of transit’s most dedicated riders depend on.

Overall, these are wins for riders and for the region. As many New Yorkers just started the new year 5786, we also look forward to 2026, when some great changes will get underway.

The post MTA Board Meeting Testimony- Fare Shake for Riders appeared first on PCAC.

We support incremental, predictable fare increases to keep our trains and buses operating frequently and reliably. Without them, we’d be in the same desperate position as Philly and Chicago: facing severe service cuts and drastic price increases.  

We also support the switch to OMNY and look forward to its integration with TrainTime. We’re grateful you’ve included our longstanding recommendation to allow seniors, disabled and Medicare-eligible riders to use their discounts in the A.M. Peak on the railroads. It will be life changing. The fare cap on express buses is another good addition.  

You’ve heard or will hear from our members and other riders across the system about additional opportunities to make the proposed fare increases more palatable: 

• A CityTicket Weekly with transfers to subways and buses; 

• Combine the current five city zones into one, so the cost of a weekly or monthly doesn’t vary on a railroad within the city; 

• A unified city zone to allow riders to travel between railroads within the city; 

• Keeping the 10-trip on the railroads. Without it, 10 off-peak rides could go up as much as 23%; 

• A 30- and single-day fare cap to keep prices lower for the most regular riders; 

• A mid-kid, family friendly fare for 12-17-year-olds that makes it less expensive to ride the railroads than drive; 

• Urging the city to increase Fair Fares to 200% FPL, combined with expanding it to the railroads in the city; 

• A dialogue about the four-hour auto-activation that satisfies riders and workers and addresses the fare evasion issue it purports to address; 

• More hearings across the region with more time to comment – and more Board members present. Don’t rush a vote, please discuss, deliberate, and reconsider some of these important policies. 

Transit is the lifeblood of our region, supporting the economy that reaches far beyond the MTA borders.  Keeping it on track is critical: the fare increase will help. Please help support riders as well by listening to these common and commonsense pleas. 

Thank you.  

The post Fare Hearing Testimony- Supporting Fare Increases and Riders with Smart Discounts and More Discourse appeared first on PCAC.

We’re in historic Harlem, in the historic Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Office Building, where you’ll take action on a project a century in the making that will not only make history, but improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. It’s an excellent reason to extend Harlem Week a little longer.

The Second Avenue Subway has been an unkept promise for too long, especially for East Harlemites. Originally proposed over a hundred years ago, we finally saw light at the end of the tunnel in 2017 – but only to 96^th Street. This contract will allow the next phase to move forward, keeping promises made when the Second Avenue el was demolished. And it won’t be the Second Avenue Subway construction we might have seen when shovels first went into the ground in the 1970s. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s persistence (and money!) utility relocation and other essential preliminary work is already underway. The new contract that you will approve today is for tunneling and structural shells, but that’s a dry synopsis.  Improved technology and equipment will allow for more advanced tunnel boring and construction. Labor agreements will mean a hundred million dollars in savings. Using and adapting existing platforms and previously created spaces means savings in both time and money. Using station spaces wisely will also help keep costs down – ensuring that there is parity among all the stations along the line, of course.  

The contract includes 20% local hire, which will benefit hundreds of Harlem residents – much as the construction of this building did.

I recall coming to an MTA Board meeting in the late 1990’s with then-Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields to deliver thousands of postcards from New Yorkers who wanted the Second Avenue Subway Now – then. A Second Avenue Subway sandwich was even crafted to support the effort. It’s thrilling to see this next phase come to life. I can’t wait to get onboard!

The post MTA Special Board Meeting- Second Avenue Subway Phase II appeared first on PCAC.

Today you’ll discuss biennial fare changes. PCAC has long supported these predictable and incremental increases, critical to funding operations of our essential transit network.

We’ve seen what happens when funding the system becomes an afterthought.  Look at SEPTA, bracing for a more than 20% fare increase and huge service cuts; NJT, hit last year with a 15% increase; and the proposed 10% increase for Connecticut riders. Wouldn’t it make sense for it to be consistent with the Metro-North increase?

No one likes a fare hike, but the late Richard Ravitch showed us that smaller, planned increases are critical to keeping the system in good financial health and maintaining good service.

There are also ways to lessen the blow. You’ve heard us talk about them regularly, some might say ad nauseum.  

• Let’s celebrate ADA 35 by finally allowing disabled and senior riders to use their discounts during the A.M. peak on the railroads. It’s only fair.
• Make the successful CityTicket even better by bringing back the CityTicket Weekly, with free transfers to subways and buses, and having it be the first option that comes up for intra-city travel.
• Create a “mid-kid” fare so 12–17-year-olds don’t pay the full adult fare on the railroads, to make traveling by train as a family more affordable than driving.
• Raise eligibility for Fair Fares to 200% of the federal poverty level. It’s something Mayor Adams can — and should — do immediately, including funding it on the railroads within the city.

There are plenty of opportunities to enhance affordability, even in the midst of a fare increase. Expanding fare capping is a prime example, and we look forward to more opportunities across the system, and more clarity for riders on how it works.

Thanks to the Governor and Legislature, and your stewardship, we’ve come a long way from the fiscal cliff. We’ll comment on the proposals you raise today and look forward to a “fare” shake for riders.

Thank you.

The post A “Fare” Shake for Riders- Testimony to the MTA Board appeared first on PCAC.

Today I have several cheers and a big Bronx jeer. First, the cheers:

To the crews that worked tirelessly to restore service after the incredible rains on July 14^th so that riders could have a normal morning rush the next day: thank you!

To everyone instrumental in the resiliency project on the Hudson line to reduce the threat of rising waters: thank you!

M9As, a huge cheer for you, can’t wait to meet you! And M3s, you’ve served us well…we’ll raise a glass and cheer you as you trundle off into the distance.

Riders! The record numbers of us on board trains are a testament to resiliency and faith in the LIRR and Metro-North, their safety and reliability, in the people who run them, and the importance they play in living our lives. Let’s not forget 4.8-star TrainTime App rating either.

Happiness also comes in the form of favorable farebox revenue due to higher ridership on both railroads. Congrats to Metro-North on reducing the percentage of fares not collected. We hope it’s a similar decline on the LIRR, but don’t see that in the Performance Update. We would give a double cheer if the information was mirrored for both railroads so we could make that comparison. Cheer on some healthy competition, perhaps?

I would like to personally cheer Paul Dietlin for helping thousands of LIRR-riding fans, well, cheer on David Wright at his number retirement on July 19^th. That Saturday, Woodside was scheduled for an outage, but Paul and team responded quickly to open a window for service. It literally allowed Mets fans to take the train to the game on a day packed with meaning and platitudes. Thank you!

The Bronx Jeer goes to whatever entity is slowing down Penn Access work (ahem: Amtrak). Unacceptable! This month, you’ll be looking at New Rochelle yard improvements, but it will be a train to nowhere unless said entity bucks up and gets back on track. East Bronxites have been waiting patiently. A stuck cog should not derail the project.

Thank you.

The post Reasons to Be Cheerful- Joint LIRR/Metro-North Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

Money may make the world go ‘round, but our region wouldn’t move without the MTA. That’s clear with the continuing increase in ridership across transit and the railroads. The good news is it’s also being reflected in Year-to-Date operating revenue and is above the Financial Plan Forecast. Yes, toll revenue is up too, but that’s also good news, since some of that money helps pay for critical improvements to our vital transit infrastructure.

We remain concerned about the vacancy rates and the positions they represent, including too many maintenance and operating openings in Transit. I’m sure we were all hoping to be past the “we’re running as much service as we can…” notifications. Hopefully the work being done in the system and the new rolling stock will help bring more people in, along with the ads you’re running.

The change in the alcohol advertising policy will surely garner comments. Clearly, this is/was/and could be a significant source of revenue. Ensuring that timing of when ads are up is adhered to could be challenging, especially as it relates to typical student commutation hours. We hope someone is on top of holidays, half-days, and the like.  I’m curious as to whether this will also eventually apply to cannabis, currently excluded along with tobacco products.  

The Procurements have gone or will go through their appropriate committees, but one stood out: ratification of the Gatekeeper System contract for LIRR A/V Recording Monitoring upgrades. This is critical to continue the safety enhancements of PTC on the M3s, M7s and dual mode locomotives. An unfunded mandate, but critical to the safety of riders. Another key procurement is finally getting rid of those “rust bucket” M3s.

Overall, things seem to be in a stable place, finance-wise. Until we see what hell the feds unleash upon us. We are extremely fortunate to have Governor Hochul and our elected leadership in Albany, all committed to the region’s millions of riders and the economic engine of the state. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail in Washington as well.

Hey, we can dream.

The post Finance Committee Testimony- The MTA Makes the Region Go ‘Round; Funding Remains Critical appeared first on PCAC.

The post MTA Board Testimony- Celebrating a Clean Sweep for the Capital Plan, Congestion Pricing, and Fare Incentives appeared first on PCAC.

The following statement can be attributed to Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC):

“Today Judge Liman again showed how solidly congestion pricing and the VPPP stand on legal footing. He decried the possible ‘eternal fog of confusion’ and ‘recipe for chaos’ that could be created if the federal government is allowed to change its rules and its agreements between Administrations. Simply, the Federal Government can’t change their minds like they change their clothes.
“The Temporary Restraining Order Judge Liman issued is a victory for New Yorkers. It is a clear message that our state sovereignty is not open to federal interference. Transit riders, drivers, businesses and all New Yorkers are the clear winners here.
“Traffic is down, business is up and congestion pricing works. The cameras are staying on, and we thank Judge Liman for his ruling.”

Contact:
Lisa Daglian, 917-612-2292 LDaglian@mtahq.org
Brian Fritsch, 319-432-8503 Brian.Fritsch@mtahq.org

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