The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is asking for $7.1 billion in funding for accessibility in its recent $68 billion 5-year capital plan. They want to build 60 accessible subway stations to reach a goal of having more than 50% of stations that are wheelchair accessible, but only specify 20 stations, with the rest to be determined. Six new accessible railroad station projects would also bring the LIRR and MetroNorth to over 90% accessibility.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades include elevators or ramps, staircase replacements, tactile platform edges, and other accessibility features. Elevator replacements also factor into the accessibility budget, as do two-way elevator communication systems in 200 elevators, which provide both voice and visual communication options. Modern fare gates are listed as a separate budget line of $1.1 billion and will include wheelchair-accessible entrances as part of the main fare gate for the first time. The MTA hopes to install them in 150 stations.
These plans sound great, but the reality of seeing them through is another story altogether. We can’t discuss the capital plan without talking about congestion pricing, which was part of the budget deal signed by lawmakers in 2019 when they approved the 2020-2024 plan. Congestion pricing was meant to fund $15 billion out of $54.8 billion (27.4%). Governor Hochul’s “pause” left a $16 billion hole in the current 5-year capital plan (an extra billion once you add in the costs of lost toll revenue, delayed contracts, and additional borrowing costs). The pause also put 23 accessible station projects—more than a third of those promised in the current plan—on hold. Now, she has “unpaused” the plan with a watered-down version that lowers all tolls by 40%, though the tolls will eventually increase. It’s unclear how that will impact the timeline for those 23 stations, but less revenue surely won’t speed anything up.
When the MTA releases a new capital plan every 5 years, the board usually rubber-stamps an idealized first version before sending it to state lawmakers, who must figure out how to fund it. Then, it is whittled down by the Capital Program Review Board (CPRB), which has 90 days to suggest changes before it makes its way through legislative committees, votes in both chambersand finally, sign-off by the Governor. The review board comprises the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, Assembly Speaker, and Mayor (or a representative of any member).
The accessibility goals in the capital plan are ambitious: “With these investments, approximately 70% of all subway rides will take place to or from accessible stations – and we’ll stay on track to make 95% of subway stations accessible by 2055.” That’s the deadline agreed to after a long fought legal battle settled just two years ago. Meeting the deadline means awarding all contracts by the end of 2055, even if the construction occurs in later years. With the MTA still working on projects from the 2010-2014 and 2015-2020 plans, it’s hard to imagine how they will recover from a 23-station deficit in the next five years. They only managed to award 43 out of 66 projects during the current plan’s timeline, so how can they possibly take on 83 in the next five years? Committing to 43 new accessible stations (in addition to the current 23 station projects) would keep the MTA on track for 2055, reach the milestone of having more than 50% accessible stations, and allow the MTA to make up lost time due to congestion pricing delays. Importantly, it’s a realistic goal that is less likely to fall dramatically short by 2030.
While MTA Chair Janno Lieber is projecting confidence that the MTA will receive federal support, the Trump administration delayed approvals of congestion pricing, and he has repeatedly threatened to kill the plan. President Trump’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gave the MTA just $80 million vs. $4 billion from the Biden administration. The current plan assumes $14 billion in federal funding over five years. To fully fund the plan, the state must also find at least $33 billion in new revenues beyond congestion pricing. We’ll know the actual size of the capital plan once the state budget is approved. It’s due April 1, but it is rarely on time. In the meantime, let’s all hope congestion pricing is truly difficult to “turn off” once started and that Hochul and Lieber hone their flattery skills to secure the ever-elusive state and federal public transit funding sources we need.
Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Able News at The Viscardi Center and/or The Viscardi Center.