Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC), said:
“The Twenty-Year Needs Assessment takes a critical look at essential capital investments for our regional transit network, projects that will benefit riders on subways, buses, the LIRR and Metro-North. It helps lay out what the money from congestion pricing in this capital plan will support in the future: critical resiliency projects that will protect riders from increasingly frequent extreme weather like we saw on Friday; new elevators, escalators and ramps across the system to improve accessibility for many more people; and State-of-Good-Repair work so subways, buses and commuter rail keep moving – the literal nuts and bolts of keeping the lights on and the trains running on time. These State-of-Good-Repair projects may sound boring, but when they fail we see just how important they are to our daily lives. In a system so old and vast, it makes sense to focus on the basics, but also to look to future needs for riders across the region.
“Expansion projects like IBX, Second Avenue Subway phase 2, and Penn Access are key to ensuring we’re able to grow and thrive equitably, while keeping us economically competitive and attracting new riders out of their cars and onto transit. Riders and all stakeholders will have an opportunity to offer their input to the next capital plan before it’s released next year and then watch as the vision becomes the reality of the 21st century transit system our 21st century region deserves.”