Good afternoon! I’m Kara Gurl, Planning and Advocacy Manager at the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.
I’ll start with another thanks to Governor Hochul for reinstating congestion pricing, and to you, Board members, for voting to approve the new tolling structure last month. Generations of riders will be thankful for the upgrades brought in by the critical funding.
We’re especially thrilled about the new package of ADA improvements announced last week, and additional elevators that will be paid for with money from congestion pricing. These are exactly the kind of tangible transit upgrades that riders want to see. The MTA should also put signage at upgrades around the system stating, “this improvement was made possible by the funds from congestion pricing.”
It’s also essential that the next plan be funded so state of good repair projects are undertaken with a sense of urgency. Ensuring that new train car and bus orders materialize for riders is also key to improving service and the rider experience.
The State Street Substation explosion last week highlighted how absolutely crucial the capital program is to the day-to-day operations of the MTA system.
As the legislative and budget seasons approach, PCAC will monitor the funding streams proposed for the 2025-29 Capital Plan. Above all, we want to see a fully funded plan—and we’re glad that Governor Hochul has pledged to make that dream happen. But we also want to make sure that funding sources proposed don’t disproportionately impact riders in New York City or have other negative equity impacts.
We’d be remiss to not continue to urge you to be transparent about the projects in the pipeline and the various funding streams supporting them. The Capital Program Dashboard is a critical tool for advocates, elected officials, and others to track the MTA’s progress and needs, and we’re looking forward to seeing the ways it will be used for the next plan. Thank you to the MTA Open Data team for continuing to publicize so many critical datasets that impact riders daily.
Thank you!