Governor and Mayor Announce 10-Point MTA Plan
March 4th, 2019
This week Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio announced a proposal to reorganize the MTA and provide dedicated funding streams for the beleaguered authority. The major tenets of the plan are as follows:
- Reorganize the MTA by consolidating the common functions of the six entities that make up the MTA. Currently, the New York City Transportation Authority (NYCTA), Long Island Railroad (LIRR), Metro-North, MTA Capital Construction, MTA Bus, and SI Railway operate as separate entities. Among the services that will be consolidated are construction management, legal, engineering, procurement, human resources, and advertising.
- Dedicated funding through the implementation of congestion pricing along with a fixed amount of new internet sales tax derived from New York City, and a percentage of the revenue generated by the cannabis excise tax.
- Mass transit fare increases limited to an inflationary increase of 2% per year.
- MTA Board appointments will be modified so that all terms end with the appointing elected official’s tenure.
- Partnership between the City and State to stop fare evasion.
- MTA will undergo an independent audit to determine actual assets and liabilities.
- Creation of a Regional Transit Committee (RTC) appointed by the governor, mayor, assembly, senate and organizations representing riders. RTC will review the Capital Plan as well as toll and fare increases.
- MTA will have design-build authority for all projects.
- Governor and Mayor will work closely with the legislature to effectuate provisions of this plan