A new analysis by the Regional Plan Association has found that the proposed Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Capital Plan will bring enhanced transit accessibility, improve reliability, and an increase in overall economic activity.
The report, “How MTA’s Next Capital Plan Benefits All New Yorkers,” looked at how the Capital Plan will make the transit system more reliable while generating more than $106 billion in economic output and creating more than 72,000 jobs over the next five years across the state. The report also said that by upgrading the infrastructure, riders will have fewer disruptions and delays, and will experience safer, more comfortable travel. The report said the signal system will save riders up to 12,000 cumulative hours each weekday.
“This report underscores what we’ve been saying all along – the aging $1.5 trillion transit system that keeps millions of New Yorkers moving and the regional economy humming must be preserved and upgraded. Starving the patient to death by underfunding is not an option,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
The 2025-2029 Capital Plan is the largest repair investment in MTA history and would spend more than 90 percent of the budget for system reconstruction and structural improvements. The transit system provides transportation for millions of riders – 37 percent of the region’s workers and 22 percent of all New York State workers.
“It’s no secret that New York’s transit system is the largest in the nation, supporting the most job-dense region in the U.S. Having a plan in place that addresses its most pressing problems that impact rider experience and economic output should be at the top of our region’s priorities,” Rachel Weinberger, co-author of the report and RPA’s Peter Herman Chair for Transportation at Regional Plan Association (RPA), said. “The MTA’s Capital Plan is good for the economy and will allow a safer and comfortable experience for every transit user.”
The proposed plan will address system components by installing at least 75 miles of new signal systems, reconstructing or creating new substations, purchasing 1,500 new subway cars, 500 commuter rail cars and 2,500 new buses, and upgrading subway and commuter rail lines impacted by major weather events.