NYC MTA Approves $ 51.5 Billion Capital Expenditure Plan

The MTA approved its historic $ 51.5 billion capital spending proposal for 2020-2024. Council members present on Wednesday voted unanimously.

This plan represents a 70% increase over the previous four-year plan of the transit agency, by far the largest ever, as part of a strong effort to repair its aging infrastructure and accelerate the growth of its infrastructure. improved services for the millions of New Yorkers who use its services. public transportation system every day.

The MTA said its plan provided more than $ 40 billion for NYC Transit, of which $ 15 billion would come from congestion pricing. Of this amount, $ 7 billion was spent on 11 departing metro lines, starting with the Lexington Avenue line, which is often disrupted by delays, and $ 6.1 billion on 1,900 new subway cars. the aim being to reduce the time by 10%.

Other key components include:

• Full funding for Phase II of the Second Avenue subway project, which will add three new subway stations to East Harlem, which will be connected to the three open Q train stations in 2017 in the Upper East Side. Phase II, once completed, is expected to serve 300,000 people per day. It will also include a new connection with Metro-North Railroad.
• A total of $ 11.9 billion will go toward upgrading the subway stations, upgrading the lines and making the stations accessible (an additional 70 stations would be made available in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act). means more stairs, ramps and elevators).
• About $ 7 billion will go to new city buses, deposit enhancements and customer experience, while $ 2.5 billion would allow the MTA to replace its older buses and add nearly 200 others to his fleet. The hope is that the MTA will only buy electric buses starting in 2029.
• Always in the interest of serving its customers, the MTA said the investment plan was intended to create east-side access, which will extend the Long Island Rail Road service to the east side of Manhattan via the Grand Central Terminal, opened in 2022. LIRR's expansion efforts include the creation of 9.8 miles of a new third lane between Floral Park and Hicksville, which will reduce congestion along the mainline corridor. railway. The third lane project also includes the modernization of the stations and the formwork of dangerous grade crossings; its opening is planned for 2022 also. Together, both projects are expected to increase LIRR's capacity by 50%.
• Metro-North Railroad will receive an additional $ 4.7 billion, which will increase access to the New Haven line at Penn Station through four new stations in the Bronx. The bridges will also benefit from major improvements and the Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey tunnels will receive $ 58 million to improve ventilation and safety.

The largest source of funding for this plan – $ 25 billion – comes from bonds backed by new revenue streams allowed in the state's budget this year, including $ 15 billion from tolls. at the central business district level, which was passed by the legislature in April by the Cuomo government as part of the state budget for the 2020 fiscal year. The MTA is waiting to receive 10 $ 68 billion in federal funding programs. Another $ 10 billion will come from bonds backed by newly established public transit revenue sources: a progressive tax on high-end real estate sales and the removal of the tax advantage d & # 39; Internet. The state pledged $ 3 billion, subject to the approval of the legislature. The mayor of Blasio said Wednesday, just before the vote, that he would inject $ 3 billion into municipal funds if the MTA promised not to use that money until he had spent revenue from congestion pricing. He also wants the agency to give priority to unspecified priorities of cities.

The remaining $ 9.8 billion will come from the MTA in the form of pay-as-you-go capital contributions and obligations backed by existing, long-standing tolls, tariffs and toll revenues.

"This proposed 2020-2024 capital program – the most ambitious capital plan in the history of the agency – builds on the success of the Plan d'Orsay. action for the metro and on new tools such as DesignBuild and the ongoing reorganization, we are certain we can deliver for our customers, "said Patrick Foye, chairman of the MTA, in a statement. "This plan expands services, increases reliability, accelerates the system, and provides the largest ever accessibility investment for both NYC Transit and MTA's suburban railways." five-year period, New Yorkers will see a revitalized and modern system for the 21st century and beyond. "

A spokesman for the city pointed out that the new patches and modifications were welcome, as the expenses are responsible and actively help New Yorkers commute in a timely manner.

"It's imperative that the subways work in time," spokesman Seth Stein said. "We are reviewing this plan to ensure that it helps move New Yorkers and that public money is used responsibly."