Statement of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)
to the MTA Board on the Capital Program
May 20, 2015
Good morning. Today this Board is considering modifications to the scope of a contract for consulting services for design of the new R211 subway cars. This equipment is critical to maintain the reliability of the system and to enhance the riders’ experience. But there’s something missing here, and it’s certainly no secret to all of you – the Capital Program that will provide funding for building these cars remains but an unapproved proposal.
On behalf of the riders, I want to thank those Board Members and the operating agency leadership who have sought to sustain a public focus on the need to approve the MTA’s Capital Program. The MTA system is straining under record ridership and evolving service demands, and this week at the NYC Transit Committee in a presentation on subway performance we heard Transit’s plan to cope in the short term with issues that have degraded performance on three lines. However, for the long-term health of the MTA and its agencies and the ability of this system to support the economy and quality of life of this region there is no substitute for the approval of a five year, fully funded Capital Program that is sufficient to renew, enhance, and expand this system and in so doing to sustain the quality, economic health, and livability of this region.
I encourage you to continue raising the issue of the need for an approved Capital Program and the resources to fund it with our local, state, and national officials, as we will continue to do from the standpoint of riders. It’s now time to identify the real and substantial resources that must go beyond a program of dedicating a series of long term revenue streams to meet immediate investment needs through bonding and to create a sustainable package of funding that can maintain the current system in good repair and provide for its improvement and expansion to meet future challenges. We ask for your help in making the case for this vision of the future. Thank you.
Download here: 052015 Capital Program