The Straphangers Campaign annual report on the state of the NYC subways indicates that subways are in better condition than ever—data from 2003 suggests that, overall, the cars break down less often, and are less crowded, cleaner, and had better announcements than in 2002. Generally, service frequency remained the same. The 6-train ranked best of all major lines, while the N is the system’s caboose.

The Straphangers Campaign attributed the improvement to investments in new trains, tracks, and other infrastructure improvements purchased during past MTA capital programs. 

Straphangers Campaign attorney Gene Russianoff noted that the report comes at a critical time. This week, the MTA will issue a draft of its 2005-2009 capital program. Transit advocates are concerned that it may be barely enough to continue work to bring the system to a state of good repair, let alone pay for large scale expansion projects. The Regional Plan Association argued in a recent report that the MTA needs to spend nearly $19 billion for state of good repair and normal replacement of parts, structures, rolling stock and other infrastructure across its huge mass transit system, and $26.5 billion overall to achieve real progress on its major system expansion projects – connecting Grand Central and the LIRR and beginning the Second Avenue Subway.

News sources have said the MTA’s proposed capital program would be at least $20 billion. But if it is not above that level, it could represent a failure by the MTA and Pataki administration. Accounting for inflation, a $20 billion level in 2004 dollars would represent a less than 4% increase over the prior program, which did not have to pay major system expansion costs. The 2000-2004 MTA capital program was $17.5 billion. Pursuing the system expansion projects within a $20 billion program would necessarily mean a lesser state of good repair and infrastructure replacement effort.

If state and city lawmakers do not come up with additional sources of transit funding, riders could watch as poor and unreliable service again become the norm, and pricey additions, like the Long Island Rail Road connection to Second Ave Subway, are postponed indefinitely.  The MTA has not had a major new source of funding since the NY State petroleum business tax was created in the early 1990s. The RPA’s report raised the specter of 1970s-era neglected maintenance, service cuts and horrific conditions on the subways if adequate funding is not found — several newspapers called them the "bad old days" of routine subway service delays and frequent track fires.

Newsday repeated these concerns last week: "Watch out," the paper said after acknowledging better subway conditions, "danger lies ahead. The MTA will release its five-year capital plan next week. And in that plan, money for maintenance could wind up competing with money for new projects. Most of the projects on the drawing board now - such as the Second Avenue subway - are crucial. Just the same, their funding must not come at the expense of maintenance."  

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