March 11, 2025
The following statement can be attributed to Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC):
“Increasing equitable access to affordable transit is a cornerstone of the Rider-First Fare Agenda, and riders celebrate its inclusion in the New York State One-House Budgets that were released today. With the recent implementation of congestion pricing and prior to the MTA’s planned fare increases later this year, the Senate’s detailed support for the hundreds of thousands of riders who stand to benefit from these modestly priced investments could not be more timely. The Assembly also makes clear their commitment to exploring opportunities for improving discount programs to make riding more affordable.
“Both understand that transit is the gateway to economic opportunity, and delivering more affordable fares and transforming commutes for riders will pay dividends to the prosperity and equity of the region.
“Thank you to Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Senator Comrie for addressing key issues of affordability for transit riders in the budget process. We look forward to working with the Legislature and Governor Hochul to ensure they advance in the enacted budget in the coming weeks.
“While we are pleased that there are provisions for increasing transparency for the MTA’s capital program, the lack of funding identified for the 2025-29 Capital Plan has potentially devastating consequences for riders and the entire region. The plan is almost fully comprised of essential state-of-good-repair projects necessary to keep the system running safely and reliably and it deserves a long-term dedicated funding stream that will help the agency smartly plan for the future. We urge the Legislature and Governor to examine the dozens of options available for funding the plan to help keep MTA riders and the New York City region moving forward.”