For immediate release: March 13, 2008
Contact:

Tri-State Transportation Campaign Kate Slevin, Veronica Vanterpool 212-268-7474

Regional Plan Association Neysa Pranger 212-253-2727 x 319

 

 

New Fact Sheets Outline Planned MTA Projects By Region

Fully Funded MTA 2008-2013 Capital Program Needs Congestion Pricing, Increased State and Local Aid

Elected officials and interested citizens in the New York metropolitan area can now see what benefits each borough and region will receive if congestion pricing is passed and the MTA receives additional funding, thanks to new fact sheets released by the Regional Plan Association and Tri-State Transportation Campaign. The fact sheets organize the planned transit projects in the MTA's 2008-2013 Capital Program by borough and region in a plain-English format, and should be a valuable resource for regional stakeholders.

The $29.5 billion Capital Program includes more than 650 new subway cars and over 2,900 new buses, completion of the Second Avenue Subway first phase and LIRR East Side Access, and $183 million for flood mitigation. As the fact sheets make clear, it is arguably the most ambitious and outer-borough focused capital plan in MTA history. Other projects in the plan include 41 subway station rehabilitations in Brooklyn and Queens, installation of communications-based train control ("Robotrain") on the Flushing line, work at 10 subway and Metro-North stations in the Bronx, and the replacement of the entire Staten Island Railway train car fleet.

However, these projects are at risk. The capital plan will not be fully funded unless the New York City Council and State Legislature vote to approve congestion pricing and increase aid to the MTA.

“If the New York Region hopes to compete with our global competitors over the next decades, we must plan for and invest in our transportation system now in order to allow for economic growth.  Congestion pricing is our best bet to make that happen,” said Christopher Jones, Vice President of Research, Regional Plan Association. 

“These fact sheets show policymakers what their districts will gain from the MTA Capital Program – and what they will lose if congestion pricing doesn’t pass. We hope elected officials will stand with the transit-taking majority and vote for congestion pricing before March 31st,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

The fact sheets are available for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley. They can be viewed at www.tstc.org.

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The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is a non-profit policy watchdog organization dedicated to forging a more balanced, environmentally sustainable, safe and socially equitable transportation system in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

The Regional Plan Association is a non-profit regional planning organization that improves the quality of life and the economic competitiveness of the 31-county New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region through research, planning, and advocacy.