Mayor Bloomberg has said he will oppose the fare increases the MTA board is slated to vote in favor of Dec. 16, even if he has declined to wage a real campaign in favor of sensible mass transit funding.

Governor Pataki seems ready to let the increases happen. Last week, the governor’s office attempted to deflect an amNY reporter’s queries to the MTA, and then to the state budget office. The governor seems determined to duck the issue.

Worse, with only a short time until the governor releases his executive budget for the next NY State fiscal year, there is no indication about what his administration intends to do to realize the MTA 2005-2009 capital program. Today’s fare crisis is the direct result of massive MTA borrowing to fund the capital programs it has executed on Gov. Pataki’s watch. Ballooning debt service from the borrowing is causing big operating budget deficits, which are pressuring the fare. Without a firm and ambitious funding proposal by the governor, NY’s transit system is facing a permanent financial crisis. 

Sources for MTA Capital Programs (billions of dollars, % of total)

Source: NYC Independent Budget Office

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