The MTA unveiled the newest capital plan on Wednesday, a proposal with goals to help modernize mass transit over the course of the next several years. Totaling just north of over $68 billion dollars, the proposed solution is not to necessarily prioritize new rail lines, but instead upkeep existing transportation and maintaining the somewhat “status quo.”
“There are assets within this system that are in real danger of failure,” Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s president of construction and development, said at a press briefing Tuesday.
In terms of the proposed plan, there are several key improvements they have their eyes set on, see them below:
- Purchasing 2,000 new modern railcars
- Modernizing and replacing 75+ miles of signals (Broadway N, Q, R, W line, the Liberty and Rockaway A, S lines, and the Nassau J, Z lines)
- Upgrading transit hub maintenance facilities, including Livonia Shop and the 240 St Shop
- 60+ stations to be made ADA-accessible and 45 subway station elevators to be replaced
- 150+ stations upgraded with customer communications and enhanced security cameras
- 10 stations will be fully renovated
- Platform fencing will be installed at 100 stations
- Building the The Interborough Express (IBX), a new rapid transit service between Brooklyn and Queens
- Purchasing 500 zero-emissions buses as part of mission to achieve a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040
- Renewing power systems
- Installing modern fare gates
- Rebuilding the Grand Central Artery, which carries 98% of all MetroNorth service
- Combat flooding in the subway for 20+ stations
- Upgrading Hudson Line infrastructure to combat climate change, sea-level rise and intense rainstorms
“After years of underinvestment, more than 90 percent of this proposed plan – the largest in MTA history – focuses on bringing the system to a state of good repair. These investments are necessary to serve the following generations and the future of the region’s economy, environment and social and economic equity,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.
In terms of next steps, the MTA Board is scheduled to vote on the capital plan during its meeting on September 25. If approved, the plan must be submitted to the MTA Capital Program Review Board by October 1, which will have 30 days to review and approve it.
From there, the MTA plans to launch a series of open houses in mid-October throughout the New York region along with a public education campaign to engage and inform New Yorkers about the capital plan.
Stay tuned for more info on the MTA capital plan, and if you wish to read the whole thing you can see the full report here.