Good afternoon. I’m Jack Connors, Research and Communications Associate at the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.
On Valentine’s Day, contractors and riders got news worse than cheap chocolate. The MTA is having commitment issues – putting new capital contracts on hold thanks to lawsuits from pro-traffic fanatics. This drastic but fiscally prudent move is an arrow to the heart for MTA riders who will have to wait longer for accessibility projects, station improvements and state of good repair work that’s the literal nuts and bolts of our system.
A super-minority of second homeowners and politicians looking to score cheap political points should not be able to unilaterally delay projects that stand to benefit millions of New Yorkers – and New Jerseyans, ironically. Already, phase two of the Second Avenue Subway, ADA upgrades at 20+ stations, and signal modernization on the A, C, B, D, F, and M are on hold.
Opponents of congestion pricing are eager to point out the deficits that decades of disinvestment have wrought on our region’s transit system yet offer no alternative. Not only is this disingenuous, it’s downright deceptive to their constituents who are right to call for transit improvements in their communities. Riders should hear it like it is: according to the NY State Comptroller, $43 billion is needed to bring us to a state of good repair; a cost that only climbs with each delay of this essential program.
We encourage riders to turn out in support of congestion relief at this week’s hearings. For those who can’t make it, we’ve made it easy to submit public comment in support of better transit and cleaner air by going to https://pcac.org/bettertransit . Thank you.