The New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the largest public transit system in North America, says it needs a $ 12 billion bailout from the federal government to tackle the worst financial crisis in its history to resist.
“The MTA simply can no longer wait for relief from Washington,” Patrick J. Foye, the MTA’s chairman and CEO, said Wednesday. “The economic future of New York, and the country, relies on strong MTA progress. If the Senate fails to act and deliver $ 12 billion, it would be a devastating blow to mass transit as we know it. ”
Without the help of the federal government, metro services could be cut by 40% and commuter rails by 50%, officials said at a finance meeting.
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It’s not just New York that is hurting, because public transportation nationwide has been hit by a double whammy of reduced revenue and increased costs due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ridership is very down because the pandemic has kept many workers and students at home. At the same time, the costs associated with keeping trains and buses have gone up due to new safety measures, such as deep cleaning and reduced capacity.
Seattle has seen “an unknown loss in revenue for sales tax and farebox collections totaling $ 280 million by 2020, and up to $ 615 million by 2020-2022.” As a result, dozens of routes on the King County Metro have been set to begin, diminish, or cancel early next month.
Two-thirds of San Francisco’s bus lines could be permanently cut unless the city finds a new way to finance them, reports The San Francisco Chronicle.
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which operates public transportation in Boston, said this week in a report that equestrianism was as much as 90% from last year, and projected a loss of $ 524 million in revenue for fiscal year 2021.
The federal CARES Act, adopted at the outset of the pandemic, provided $ 25 billion for transit agencies around the country. But as these funds have run out, public transit advocacy groups have begun calling for a massive rescue by the federal government. Dozens of organizations and politicians are gathering this month for a virtual Save Public Transit Rally, where they are calling for at least $ 32 billion in emergency funds.
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However, Congress is currently in a stalemate over additional incentives, and the bills being considered do not cut it, according to the U.S. Transportation Advisory Group. The HEALS Act, which is being pushed by some Senate Republicans, does not contain any money specifically for public transportation, and the HEROES law passed by House Democrats provides less than half of the $ 32 billion that industry leaders say that they are needed.
