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A widening of Route 110 in Suffolk County has likely been delayed. According to a New York State Budget Bulletin released November 4, all agency projects “not involving Federal reimbursement of at least 75 percent or impacting public health and/or safety” will be subject to a pre-approval process for moving forward. For Long [...] Like the other MTA agencies, Long Island Bus is facing deep service cuts and steep fare increases. However, the MTA plan to balance LI Bus’s budget is unique in that it assumes other government entities will increase their funding to the agency. If this does not happen, Long Island Bus would need to double [...] The 24 subway lines that traverse NYC are often personified as “veins” and “arteries,” so it is apt that Environmental Defense Fund, in a recent ad, describes transit as the “life-blood of New York City.” It’s not an exaggeration. On its website, EDF outlines five reasons transit and transit investment are important: They create [...] This morning the New York Daily News reported on the doomsday budget that the MTA will unveil at its next board meeting on Thursday. It’s not pretty. According to the News, if the city, state, or federal government don’t come through with aid or new sources of revenue the MTA will: Eliminate W, Z, [...] In testimony, Fluor described how it could design and build a new Tappan Zee bridge. New York’s State Commission on State Asset Maximization, a panel charged with studying whether leases of state assets or other “public-private partnerships” (PPPs) should be used to help the state pay for its massive infrastructure needs, heard over [...]  The state corporate surcharge, like other taxes dedicated to the MTA, has garnered less revenue than predicted. (The red line represents the state's FY2008 budget projection from spring of this year; the green line is an updated projection from October.) As predicted, MTA officials had nothing but bad news at this morning’s special finance committee meeting. Agency officials said the MTA’s deficit had grown by about $575 million since July of this year, to a whopping $1.5 billion starting January 1, 2009. Carryover revenue of about $300 million means the actual deficit will be around $1.2 billion, or about $300 million more than expected. That $300 million represents the deficit the agency will face even after a planned 8% fare and toll increase next year, internal cost cutting measures, and some additional external support. The deficit is the result of the struggling economy and lower than predicted revenues from taxes and state and city aid. MTA CEO Elliot Sander rightfully noted that the solution to the deficit would be “very painful with our limited tools,” meaning draconian fare increases and service cuts. The agency did not address how the downturn would impact the MTA’s 2010 operating budget or its next capital program, both of which will require a significant influx of funds. The next MTA board meeting is on November 20, the Ravitch Commission report on how to fix the MTA’s financial woes is expected to be released on December 5, and a state executive budget will be released on December 16. In other words, this is the beginning of a public discussion about funding our transit system. Some things to watch out for over the next few months: New and different tolls – East River bridge tolls and congestion pricing will reportedly be included in the Ravitch Commission’s recommendations for funding MTA operations. Additionally, a variable tolling structure at existing MTA toll facilities could help raise revenue and encourage more people to drive during less busy times of day. Toll and fare increases have traditionally tracked one another, but that could change, especially if variable tolling was implemented. Slashes to Long Island Bus service — the MTA has already planned on cutting its allocation to Long Island Bus by $4 million. It’s likely that the news over the next few months will be even worse for the agency, and its riders. TSTC Associate Director Veronica Vanterpool. Leadership New Jersey, a non-profit fellowship program aimed at expanding and improving the pool of the state’s civic leaders, held its sixth annual forum on the Future of New Jersey last Wednesday, October 15. The yearly forum invites a cross-section of leaders to share their best ideas to [...] |
 
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