NEW YORK (AP) — Motorists and mass transit riders in New York already facing fare and toll increases next year and in 2023 could face drastic service cuts if the federal government doesn’t help the Metropolitan Transportation Authority out of a gaping budget hole brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Tuesday by the state comptroller.
Tolls and fares are planned to increase 4% in both years, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. The MTA also plans to reduce its administrative staff by about 2,700 people through attrition.
Worse, subway and bus service could be cut as much as 40% and regional rail service to the northern suburbs, Connecticut and Long Island could be reduced as much as 50% if the MTA doesn’t receive federal funds it seeks. The MTA received $4 billion from the federal government earlier this year but has asked for an additional $12 billion. It is uncertain whether additional money for transit assistance will be included in future COVID-19 stimulus bills.
Failure to address the problem “would mark the end of regional public transit as we know it,” DiNapoli said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters.
Ridership plummeted more than 90% on subways during the height of the pandemic, and riders have only slowly begun to return in recent months. Subway ridership remains down about 70% compared to pre-pandemic levels, DiNapoli said, far below the MTA’s projections from several months ago. Traffic at toll bridges and tunnels also dropped steeply.
Subway ridership surpasses more than 5 million daily during normal times.
“Any projections are problematic at this point,” DiNapoli said, referring to mass transit ridership. “But the overall expectation is that you won’t see a return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023. And that’s obviously a big ‘if.’ A lot is still to be determined.”
Even if normal ridership returns by 2023, the MTA still projects budget deficits totaling more than $19 billion through 2024, according to DiNapoli’s report. Included in that is a projected $6.3 billion deficit in 2021, which would be more than 50% of total revenues. The report called the gaps “historic in nature.”
The projected fare and toll increases would raise $145 million in 2021 and rise to $650 million by 2024, according to the report.
Increased cleaning and disinfecting of the subway, rail and bus systems — which has included the rare step of closing subways overnight — is costing the MTA about $1 billion in unplanned expenses, DiNapoli said. He didn’t have an estimate for how much the MTA is saving by the overnight closures, but said any savings are likely being offset by the costs of cleaning.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.