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MTA says recovery is underway but calls for stable capital funding to speed repairs and expansion
Summary
MTA Chair Janno Lieber told lawmakers ridership has returned to much of pre-pandemic levels and on-time performance for commuter railroads has improved, but the MTA board's five-year, $68 billion capital plan needs steady funding to finish accessibility, accessibility, bus and railcar purchases and resilience projects.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber told the joint fiscal committees that the MTA has made measurable operational gains since 2023 and is seeing ridership climb, but stressed the authority needs a stable, predictable capital program to maintain and expand those gains.
"Transit for New Yorkers is like air and water," Lieber said. "We need it to survive." He told legislators the 2023 budget agreement that closed a multibillion-dollar operating shortfall permitted the MTA to preserve service and that the authority is now seeing ridership growth and improved on-time performance across commuter lines.
What the MTA presented: Lieber outlined the MTA's investment program and highlighted faster service on several commuter lines, elevator and accessibility construction progress, and the authority's effort to expand bus and rail service. He said the board-adopted FY25-29 capital plan requests $68 billion for repairs, accessibility, and modernization. The MTA asked the Legislature to find ways to fund that plan, saying it represents a minimum level to avoid further decline.
Fare evasion, safety and enforcement: Lieber said fare evasion has fallen following stepped-up enforcement and customer-focused measures, with subway fare evasion down roughly 25% and bus evasion down 12% over recent months. He also told lawmakers the MTA is working with the NYPD and local partners to increase policing on trains at night and expand gate-guard and other deterrence measures.
Buses and electrification: The MTA is planning major bus procurements and pilot programs, Lieber said; he also flagged infrastructure needs to support battery-electric buses, saying depot charging and higher-power distribution present major capital requirements in addition to vehicle costs.
Why the funding question matters: Lieber warned that delaying or shrinking the capital program would force the authority to postpone accessibility projects, subway and rail upgrades and other investments that feed ridership and reliability gains. He argued for a multi-year funding solution similar to other large systems and highlighted the ripple effect of capital spending on state job creation and economic activity.
Ending: Lieber said the MTA is working on efficiencies in procurement and operations and is pursuing expanded contracting with MWBEs, but maintained that long-term capital funding is the most important issue for sustaining recent improvements and preparing the system for growth.
