Statement by Ellyn Shannon, PCAC Associate Director,
Regarding the One-year Progress Report of the Subway Action Plan
At the Transit and Bus Committee
MTA Headquarters, 2 Broadway, New York, NY 10004
September 24, 2018
Good morning. I am Ellyn Shannon, I am speaking on behalf of the New York City Transit Riders Council regarding the Subway Action Plan and the critical need to invest in the Fast Forward plan.
The Subway Performance Dashboard has provided some very helpful transparency into the Subway Action Plan. Thank you. As promised at the June Board meeting today we understand you will present the Subway Action Plan’s progress report. When Governor Cuomo announced the plan in 2017 he indicated it was not the total solution but rather, that it was to be a short term intensive repair operation.
In our analysis, progress has been made in slowing the rapid downward trajectory of the system. But Riders, employers and families hit their threshold limit two years ago, and that has not changed. They now want to hear that New York City and New York State are committed to a long term funding solution that supports the Fast Forward Plan.
When we conducted our 2015-2019 Capital Program effort with the Urban Land Institute called Keep NY on Track, we held round table discussions to learn what leaders from a wide variety of industries thought about the MTA, and the amount that should be invested in its 5 Year Capital Program. The most common number put out, was $50 billion. So a number close to that, is our expectation, if we want to get our globally competitive system back on track.
We look forward to hearing today’s presentation, the good news and the bad with a focus on moving forward. Thank you.
Download here: 092418 NYCTRC NYCT Committee Subway Action Plan