Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to indefinitely postpone congestion pricing means a loss of revenue that could doom New Yorkers to subpar subway and commuter rail service for years. The new $1 billion annual revenue stream, plus funds borrowed against it, would help pay to replace aging and obsolete equipment so trains can run more often. Here’s a list of big-ticket projects whose future is now in limbo.
Second Avenue subway
The MTA has poured resources into major service expansions, such as phase two of the Second Avenue subway, which the MTA expects to cost some $7.7 billion, according to MTA cost estimates submitted to the Federal Transportation Administration in 2022. Billions of dollars in federal funds to support the project are in jeopardy without congestion pricing revenue for the MTA to guarantee local matching funds will be in place.
The MTA has also spent $3 billion on station improvements, such as elevators and ramps, to make them more accessible.
Long Island Rail Road
The MTA has spent $700 million in recent years improving commuter stations and another $1.1 billion has been committed. At Penn Station, all LIRR platforms are in “poor or marginal condition,” according to the comptroller’s office.
Subway car upgrades
The MTA estimates it will need to replace 3,900 worn-out subway cars over the next 20 years. Estimated cost: $15 billion, according to a report from the New York State Comptroller’s Office. The oldest cars in the subway system break down every 42,000 miles — the system average is 124,000 — so replacing these cars, known as R46s, would improve reliability.
In February, the MTA rolled out the first of its sleek, new high-tech subway car, the open-gangway R211T, on the C line in Inwood. Hochul joined MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber for the launch.
The new-train moment is rare. Under federal law, the MTA must turn to companies that produce railcars in the U.S. The problem is there are just two that meet the authority’s requirements: Japan-based Kawasaki and France-headquartered Alstom. Ongoing supply-chain challenges from the pandemic have caused at least 17-month backups in putting new trains on the tracks. The result is an aging fleet: The MTA’s 6,500 train cars are an average of 26 years old, with the oldest having entered service in 1976 — 48 years ago — when Gerald Ford was president.
Modern subway signals
Malfunctioning communication systems caused 25% of major delays on subways in 2022, which isn’t all that surprising considering on some lines the signals that prevent trains from running into each other are more than 100 years old. When systems are improved, the result is noticeable: On the 7 line, signal delays fell by 60% between 2019 and 2023, and by 56% on the L. Upgraded lines run trains more frequently. Only 7% of communications systems have been modernized, but the MTA plans to spend $10 billion in the coming years on improvements, according to the state Comptroller’s Office. Signal upgrades on the A and C line have already been stalled due to previous congestion pricing delays.
Better bus service
The MTA has estimated $4 billion would be needed for new buses. In April, state lawmakers approved $12.3 in the new budget for improved bus service, including increased peak service on express buses into Manhattan’s core in anticipation of congestion pricing’s launch.
The MTA also plans to buy more than 7,800 zero-emission buses over the next 20 years.
In May, the city gave a sneak peek of the $10-billion proposal to reimagine the Port Authority Bus Terminal into a bright, modern space with a park.
Caroline Spivack contributed reporting.
Aaron Elstein , 2024-06-07 06:07:58
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