Transit service levels in New York City reflect the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ability to balance operational costs, labor availability, and infrastructure maintenance to meet rider demand. This page covers CBC’s work on MTA operating budgets, capital planning and infrastructure needs, labor contract negotiations, fare and toll policies, and strategies for improving operational efficiency.
This page was created with AICBC Insights uses AI to group, analyze and present data and recommendations from CBC's publications. Always reference the cited sources to verify important details..
The MTA should include a complete accounting of the system’s current and potential future capacity needs to ensure all options are considered before prioritization.
The MTA should disaggregate data to the functional group and component level to better inform public discussion and project prioritization.
The MTA should include data on asset condition, needs, cost, and improvement timeframes for each investment category to achieve a state of good repair.
The MTA should detail all projects’ benefits and costs based on rigorous analysis, standard measures, and MTA goals to bring transparency to investment choices.
The MTA should provide clear and complete data on future transportation needs, including projections based on economic changes and user behavior.
Key Data
As of May 2026, making buses fare-free would cost more than $900 million in the first year, shifting costs from riders to taxpayers without necessarily improving speed or affordability for those who need it most.
In August 2025, the CBC noted that implementing One-Person Train Operation (OPTO) systemwide could save $442 million annually, which could be used to close budget gaps or improve service.
As of June 2023, the MTA's operating expenses were projected to increase at 3.3 percent per year from 2023 to 2026, with 2026 labor costs expected to be $330 million higher than budgeted.
In May 2023, it was reported that nearly 50 million subway and bus customer trips were canceled in 2022 due to crew shortages, highlighting the impact of declining employee availability.
As of February 2022, the MTA faced an annual structural deficit of at least $2.0 billion, which has been covered by federal aid and borrowing between 2021 and 2025.
Expanding the Fair Fares NYC program to 250 percent of the federal poverty level would provide affordable transit to 722,000 additional New Yorkers at a fraction of the cost of making buses fare-free. Rather than eliminating fares, the city should focus on proven operational improvements like dedicated bus lanes and signal priority to reliably increase bus speeds.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
Raise the Fair Fares NYC eligibility threshold to 250 percent of the FPL.
Improve low uptake and utilization of Fair Fares NYC through expanded education, outreach, and enrollment strategies.
Leverage proven strategies, such as signal priority and physically separated busways, to make the City's streets more conducive to faster bus traffic.
Work with the MTA to further improve bus speeds.
Key Data
$900 million
— The estimated cost to the City in the first year of implementing a fare-free bus program.
7.0 miles per hour
— The average speed of New York City buses, which is 29.3 percent slower than the national average.
$146 million
— The projected annual cost to the City for expanding Fair Fares NYC eligibility to 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
722,000
— The number of additional New Yorkers who would become eligible for the Fair Fares NYC program under the proposed expansion.
31 percent
— The current enrollment rate of eligible New Yorkers in the Fair Fares NYC program.
$86 million
— The cost of the Fair Fares NYC program in fiscal year 2025.
Andy Byford is a transport professional whose career has spanned three continents over three decades. Today, he serves as Special Advisor to the Amtrak Board of Directors and is leading the effort to transform New York Penn Station. Andy joined London Underground in 1989 as a uniformed Station Foreman and…
The proposed legislation prohibiting one-person train operation would increase operating costs and hinder the modernization of subway services. By allowing management to implement efficient operational strategies like one-person train operation, the transit system can achieve cost savings and improve service quality for riders.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The Governor should veto A4873/S4091, which would prohibit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from using one-person train operation.
The state should leave operational strategies and decisions to management as the best, most flexible path to high quality service at the lowest cost.
State laws should focus on ensuring agencies are high performing and transparent, and that management is accountable.
Key Data
$442 million
— Estimated annual savings from using one-person train operation systemwide, which could be reinvested to close the structural operating budget gap or improve service.
$10 million
— Estimated annual cost if the MTA were forced to cease using one-person train operation on the A, G, M, 5, and all shuttle services.
The MTA's Twenty-Year Needs Assessment fails to provide necessary cost estimates for critical infrastructure repairs, leaving the public unable to understand the financial requirements for maintaining transit service levels. Developing an addendum with detailed cost-benefit analyses is essential for stakeholders to make informed decisions about future capital investments and their potential impacts on service.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should develop and publish a TYNA addendum that includes robust cost and benefit estimates for rebuilding and renewing the transit system.
The MTA should ensure a TYNA addendum includes cost and benefit estimates that are sufficiently disaggregated, identify what should be invested in the next 5 and 20 years to bring the system to a state of good repair and normal replacement cycle, and identify the impacts on services and long-run costs if those investments are only partially made.
Key Data
$20 billion
— Hypothetical lower-bound estimate of the cost to bring the transit system to a state of good repair over the next five years.
$70 billion
— Hypothetical upper-bound estimate of the cost to bring the transit system to a state of good repair over the next five years.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Twenty-Year Needs Assessment process requires greater transparency and comprehensive data to effectively guide capital planning and prioritize infrastructure investments. By providing detailed, disaggregated information on asset conditions and future service requirements, the agency can better facilitate public debate and ensure that capital projects align with performance goals.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should include a complete accounting of the system’s current and potential future capacity needs to ensure all options are considered before prioritization.
The MTA should disaggregate data to the functional group and component level to better inform public discussion and project prioritization.
The MTA should include data on asset condition, needs, cost, and improvement timeframes for each investment category to achieve a state of good repair.
The MTA should detail all projects’ benefits and costs based on rigorous analysis, standard measures, and MTA goals to bring transparency to investment choices.
The MTA should provide clear and complete data on future transportation needs, including projections based on economic changes and user behavior.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces a widening budget gap as operating expenses rise by 3.3 percent annually, necessitating a reevaluation of current revenue strategies to ensure fiscal stability. To maintain high-quality service and reliability, the agency must prioritize equipment maintenance, address fare evasion, and implement operational efficiencies like expanding one-person train operations.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should be held accountable for the quality and reliability of its service, especially given the massive influx of new resources.
The MTA’s capital efforts should focus on ensuring its equipment and facilities are brought to, and kept in, a state of good repair and appropriately modernized before spending precious resources on expansion.
The MTA and union leadership should implement changes to increase productivity and flexibility, including expanding One-Person Train Operation, increasing worker availability, and modifying shift parameters and job duties.
The MTA should revisit the 4 percent yield to see if it is sufficient for ongoing fiscal stability.
The MTA should be supported in reducing fare evasion.
Key Data
3.3 percent
— The projected annual increase in the MTA’s operating expenses from 2023 to 2026.
$330 million
— The amount by which annual labor costs will exceed the budget by 2026 if the tentative Transport Workers Union pattern is adopted system-wide.
4 percent
— The rate at which the MTA has been incrementally increasing fare and toll revenue biennially since 2009.
32 percent
— The portion of the 2023 budget funded from fares.
57 percent
— The portion of the 2023 budget funded from taxes and subsidies.
11 percent
— The portion of the 2023 budget funded from motorist cross-subsidies.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces significant operational challenges, including crew shortages that led to the cancellation of nearly 50 million subway and bus trips in 2022. To stabilize the system and improve service, labor contracts must be modernized to address attendance, shift scheduling, and outdated work rules like One Person Train Operation.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
Transit workers need to return to pre-COVID attendance levels.
The MTA should expand One Person Train Operation (OPTO), which other systems embraced decades ago.
The MTA and labor need to modernize how transit workers pick the time and location of their shifts.
The MTA and TWU should follow the lead of New York City and its recent contract negotiations by switching retirees to a high quality Medicare Advantage plan.
The MTA and its labor partners must implement more creative and flexible work assignments and scheduling to improve service.
Key Data
19
— The average number of days worked annually by subway and bus workers shrunk by 19, which is nearly an entire month’s work.
50 million
— Nearly 50 million subway and bus customer trips in 2022 were canceled because of crew shortages.
$1.1 billion
— The Payroll Mobility Tax on New York City businesses was raised by $1.1 billion.
$165 million
— City support of paratransit was increased by $165 million.
$400 million
— The MTA will save $400 million by increasing its own productivity.
$300 million
— Taxpayers will provide a one-time $300 million infusion.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces an annual structural deficit of at least $2.0 billion, which is currently being covered by federal aid and borrowing. To stabilize finances and avoid future service cuts, the agency should pursue operational efficiencies and maintain planned fare increases.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should continue planned fare increases, which would be coupled with the City’s increased funding for Fair Fares to help stave off possible future service cuts.
The MTA should pursue restructuring operations to increase the efficiency of its operations and stabilize finances.
The MTA should implement initiatives to increase the efficiency of operations, such as facility maintenance improvements or one-person train operation.
Key Data
$2.0 billion
— Annual structural deficit faced by the MTA.
$11.9 billion
— Amount of federal aid and borrowing covering the structural deficit from 2021 to 2025.
$1.6 billion
— Selected re-estimates that may provide funds over the plan period.
$321 million
— Amount by which MTA operating expenses ended 2021 below plan.
$2.9 billion
— Amount borrowed from the Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF) to support operations.
$1.5 billion
— Amount of planned savings actions cancelled in the November 2021 Plan.
2026 is the year the MTA will likely have spent all of its one-time COVID-19 federal aid, and when the MTA will have to address the estimated $2.5 billion annual structural operating deficit which that aid is now covering. At an event with CBC Trustees, MTA Chair and CEO Janno…
24/7 is the number of hours and days New Yorkers traditionally have had access to the subway system. In response to the pandemic the MTA suspended overnight service to clean and disinfect the subway, giving riders the confidence they need to return to the system. The pandemic decimated revenue and…
The MTA is currently operating reduced peak-hour schedules, with Metro-North running at 63 percent of normal service and the LIRR operating at 75 to 80 percent. While temporary service reductions are appropriate to align with economic activity, the agency must adhere to minimum service delivery guidelines to protect job access and prioritize critical system repairs.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should implement a re-targeted fare structure modeled on other systems with high farebox recovery that price discriminates by trip type and time of day to minimize ridership losses while protecting low-income riders.
The MTA should ensure full uptake of Fair Fares as a key companion to fare policy in order to assist low-income riders.
Further service “right-sizing” tailored to the reduction and resumption of economic activity and commuting is appropriate, provided it remains subject to key minimum service delivery guidelines to protect job access.
The MTA must focus its investment on the highest priority state of good repair and critical system replacement work given that available resources will not be sufficient to support the full capital plan.
Key Data
63 percent
— Metro-North has been running about 63 percent of normal service amid lower ridership.
75 percent to 80 percent
— LIRR began running about 75 percent to 80 percent of normal service as of February 1, 2021.
10-12 minutes
— MTA service delivery guidelines promise a maximum headway between subway trains of 10-12 minutes all day.
20 minutes
— MTA service delivery guidelines promise a maximum headway between subway trains of 20 minutes overnight.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces a $15.9 billion budget gap through 2024, prompting proposals for 40 percent service cuts on New York City Transit and 50 percent cuts on commuter rail lines. To mitigate these drastic service reductions and potential layoffs, the agency should prioritize operational efficiencies, such as aligning bus and subway maintenance with other systems and equalizing health benefit contributions.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should recalibrate service levels to match depressed ridership during the pandemic, an approach that should continue to guide service decisions as ridership rebounds.
The MTA should focus on improving the system’s operating efficiency, which could mitigate the most painful of the drastic service cuts and the more than 9,000 layoffs that would accompany them.
The MTA should bring lagging bus operations and subway maintenance efficiency in line with other large systems to potentially generate $1 billion in savings.
The MTA should match the efficiency of Long Island Rail Road to that of MetroNorth to help generate savings.
The MTA should equalize employee and retiree health benefit contributions to those of State employees, which could save $200 million annually.
The decision to convert Municipal Liquidity Facility debt to long-term debt should be made only after increasing efficiency, adjusting service levels appropriately, and determining how much federal aid will be received.
Key Data
$15.9 billion
— Total budget gaps faced by the MTA between 2020 and 2024.
40%
— Proposed service cut on New York City Transit services.
50%
— Proposed service cut on commuter rail services.
9,000
— Number of layoffs that would accompany the proposed service cuts.
$1 billion
— Potential savings from bringing bus operations and subway maintenance efficiency in line with other large systems.
$200 million
— Potential annual savings from equalizing employee and retiree health benefit contributions to those of State employees.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces a $16.2 billion budget gap through 2024 due to pandemic-related revenue losses and must optimize service levels to match significantly reduced ridership patterns. To address these fiscal challenges, the agency should consider revising essential service plans and adjusting train frequencies to align with current demand while maintaining social distancing.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should optimize service to match ridership patterns and support critical needs of the economy, which may include changing the frequency of service and adjusting service on overlapping routes for buses, subways, and the commuter rail network.
The MTA should revise its ‘Essential Service’ plans to ensure that service enables ridership to maintain social distance guidelines without running trains that are basically empty.
To return farebox recovery ratios to 2019 levels, the MTA should implement less frequent trains or trains that make all stops along a line’s full length.
Key Data
90%
— Decrease in subway and bus ridership experienced by April.
95%
— Decrease in commuter rail passengers experienced by April.
70%
— Decrease in subway ridership from pre-pandemic levels as of August.
80%
— Decrease in commuter rail ridership from pre-pandemic levels as of August.
10%
— Forecasted 2020 farebox recovery ratio for the Long Island RailRoad.
14%
— Forecasted 2020 farebox recovery ratio for MetroNorth.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces a severe fiscal crisis due to the pandemic, necessitating a strategic combination of operational efficiencies, capital project prioritization, and service level adjustments to maintain essential transit. To ensure financial stability, the authority must balance reduced service capacity with the need to maintain rider confidence and safety while exploring revenue-generating fare and toll policy revisions.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should optimize service levels by continually adjusting capacity to current demand and safety requirements.
MTA leaders should constantly monitor and assess ridership on each rail, subway, and bus route to identify times and routes when and where service may need to be adjusted.
The authority should implement service reductions on some routes in selected periods, while potentially adding service in peak hours to meet demand.
Key Data
$8.4 billion to $12.6 billion
— The estimated operating shortfall for the MTA over the 2020 and 2021 period after accounting for federal aid.
$700 to $800 million
— The estimated annual cost for COVID-19 related cleaning, testing, and personal protective equipment in 2020 and 2021.
$11
— The proposed increase to the current in-bound toll on MTA tunnels connecting to the central business district.
$250 million
— The estimated annual revenue yield from increasing the in-bound toll on MTA tunnels by $11.
$3.9 billion
— The amount of additional federal aid requested by the MTA for 2020.
$64 billion
— The total capital commitments planned by the MTA for the next five years.
The MTA's Access-A-Ride program has experienced significant cost growth due to increased utilization from service enhancements, with annual trips projected to rise to 9.8 million by 2023. To ensure financial sustainability, the City and the MTA must determine a viable service level and cost-sharing structure, potentially involving increased passenger contributions or limits on on-demand trips.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The City should work with the MTA to assure that Access-A-Ride will achieve firm financial footing while providing a cost-effective and efficient service that offers greater mobility to disabled riders.
Part of that solution may be to ask passengers to pay a greater share of the cost for the enhanced service of the for-hire vehicle origin to destination trips, as the MTA has proposed.
Another method the MTA has proposed is to constrain costs by limiting the number of on demand for-hire vehicle trips a passenger may take.
Key Data
9.8 million
— Annual trips for the Access-A-Ride program are expected to grow to this amount by 2023.
$691 million
— The MTA forecasts total operating costs for the Access-A-Ride program to grow to this amount in 2023.
4 percent
— Access-A-Ride's fare revenue represents this portion of the program’s total operating cost.
$86
— The 2018 per trip cost for a primary service ride.
$29
— The 2018 per trip cost for an advance reservation trip.
$37
— The 2018 per trip cost for an on-demand trip.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's plan to hire 581 new police officers threatens to exacerbate a projected operating deficit of up to $1 billion, potentially forcing further reductions in bus service and subway cleaning. Before proceeding with these hires, the agency must identify sustainable funding sources to avoid compromising the quality and availability of transit services.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA Board must identify how it will cover the cost of hiring 581 new officers without increasing the MTA’s operating deficit.
The MTA should work with the NYPD and its own officers to establish clear goals and expectations to maximize the effectiveness of existing policing before spending scarce transit operating dollars.
Key Data
581
— Number of new police officers the MTA proposes to hire.
$56.1 million
— Cost of the new police force in year one.
$119.9 million
— Cost of the new police force in year ten.
$260 million
— Cost of the new officers over the 2020-2023 financial plan.
$740 million to $1 billion
— Projected operating budget deficit range after accounting for new officers.
2,500
— Number of NYPD officers currently assigned to patrol subway and buses.
The MTA's 2019 operating expenses and debt service reached $17b, while the 2020-2024 capital program requires $15 billion in funding from Central Business District tolling. Subway on-time performance has declined over the last decade, even as capital investment plans increased from $24,118 million in 2010-2014 to $33,270 million in 2015-2019.
Key Data
$17b
— Total 2019 operating expense & debt service for the MTA.
$15 billion
— Amount of the MTA's 2020-2024 capital program that tolls must be set to support.
$60,000
— Income threshold for zone residents to receive a personal income tax credit under the Central Business District Tolling program.
$33,270
— Total dollars in millions for the 2015-2019 capital plan.
$24,118
— Total dollars in millions for the 2010-2014 capital plan.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority requires fare and toll increases to maintain fiscal health and fund necessary service improvements, as current revenues fail to keep pace with rising costs. Without these adjustments, the transit system faces significant budget cuts and growing deficits that threaten the modernization efforts of the Fast Forward program.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA board should approve the planned fare and toll increase to avoid performance declines and sporadic, politically fraught fare hikes.
The MTA board should ensure that the authority is adequately funded while management pursues and achieves adequate standards of service.
A renewed board effort for stricter oversight of MTA performance could benefit the system and its users.
The MTA must be leaner and right-size service as it restores the transit system from the depths of its state of emergency.
Key Data
44%
— Share of the cost to run the transit system covered by rider fares.
$1.93
— Average cost per trip paid by most riders due to discounts and unlimited passes.
$250 million
— Amount the MTA would have to cut from its 2019 budget without fare and toll increases.
$1 billion
— Projected cash deficit for the MTA in 2022.
$40 billion
— Cost of the 10-year Fast Forward program to restore and modernize the transit system.
The Metropolitan Transportation Sustainability Advisory Workgroup Report identifies critical fiscal and managerial challenges facing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Proposed solutions include establishing a congestion pricing zone in Manhattan, conducting independent audits of capital costs, and allowing greater flexibility to close subway lines for construction and maintenance.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should establish a congestion pricing zone in Manhattan and devote all resulting revenue exclusively to MTA capital investments.
The MTA should conduct an independent audit of capital costs and state of good repair needs.
The MTA should implement procurement reforms to improve fiscal health.
The MTA should have flexibility in closing subway lines for construction and maintenance.
Mandating two free transfers for subway and bus riders would reduce annual revenue by $40 million, hindering the ability to fund critical capital investments and the Subway Action Plan. Maintaining current fare structures is necessary to support the financial stability required for system improvements.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The Governor should veto A3439/S2560, a bill mandating two free transfers for persons purchasing a ride on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subways and buses.
The state should avoid depriving the agency of fare revenue that can support debt service for $650 million in much needed capital investments.
Key Data
$40 million
— The estimated annual revenue reduction for the MTA if the bill is passed.
$1.5 billion
— The cost of the Subway Action Plan to stabilize the system.
$1.21
— The average fare revenue per ride in 1993.
$2.25
— The inflation-adjusted equivalent of the 1993 fare in 2017.
$1.91
— The 2017 year-to-date average revenue per ride.
$650 million
— The amount of capital investments that could be supported by the fare revenue.
The MTA's revised capital plan prioritizes expensive expansion projects like the Long Island Rail Road expansion and the Second Avenue Subway over critical maintenance and signal modernization needed to improve transit reliability. Despite a 10 percent increase in the plan's total budget, the agency has reduced funding for essential state of good repair work, leaving the system vulnerable to continued service deterioration.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should reprioritize funds for more appropriate state of good repair work and for the modernization of the subway’s aging signal system in future capital plan amendments.
The MTA Board should require more transparency of changes to the capital program and emphasize what the agency can accomplish if capital funds are spent on state of good repair projects or existing system improvements.
Board members and the public must remain engaged in the MTA’s capital planning process to ensure the region does not squander another opportunity to reinvest.
Key Data
$2.8 billion
— Amount of new investments added to the MTA's revised five-year capital plan.
$29.5 billion
— Total value of the MTA's revised five-year capital plan.
$20 billion
— Estimated size of New York City Transit's continuing needs in 2017 dollars.
$2 billion
— Funding allocated for the Long Island Rail Road Expansion Project.
$700 million
— Funding allocated for Phase II of the Second Avenue Subway.
The Port Authority's $32 billion, 10-year capital plan lacks a transparent needs assessment and rigorous project selection criteria, leading to potential underinvestment in essential repairs and the prioritization of projects with questionable benefits. By relying on political "bi-state parity" rather than data-driven analysis, the agency risks misallocating resources and failing to address the region's long-term transportation infrastructure needs.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The Port Authority should develop a publicly-available needs assessment that identifies spending necessary to bring facilities to a state of good repair.
The agency must establish a set of criteria for selecting enhancement and expansion projects that includes benefit-to-cost analyses to ensure resources are directed toward the most beneficial initiatives.
The Port Authority should discard the use of bi-state parity to allocate capital resources between “New Jersey” projects and “New York” projects, prioritizing regional benefits over political horse-trading.
Key Data
$32 billion
— The total amount allocated in the Port Authority's 10-year capital plan for 2017 to 2026.
$8.8 billion
— The total amount allocated for "Renew" projects, which are often described as state of good repair (SGR) work.
$3.9 billion
— The estimated shortfall in state of good repair (SGR) work over the 10-year plan period, representing a 30 percent deficit.
$3.5 billion
— The cash disbursement allocated for the beginning replacement of the Bus Terminal.
$1.73 billion
— The cost allocated for the PATH Extension to Newark AirTrain.
The Access-A-Ride paratransit program, while vital for mobility-impaired New Yorkers, is exceptionally expensive due to high utilization and unit costs, with expenses projected to reach $646 million by 2020. To improve efficiency and financial sustainability, the MTA should implement strategies such as shifting ambulatory trips to lower-cost broker car services, increasing fares, and securing Medicaid reimbursement for non-emergency medical transport.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA could shift ambulatory customers to its broker car service (BCS) program, which uses a for-hire vehicle broker to complete trips using black cars and liveries, potentially saving up to $126 million annually.
The MTA could provide service more efficiently and improve the customer experience by offering a subsidy program that allows paratransit users the opportunity to use the City’s taxicab fleet and Transportation Network Companies (TNC) like Uber and Lyft.
The MTA could consider an overhaul of the contracting relationships by altering its service design and contracting a single, full-service broker to consolidate the multiple management layers.
The MTA should revisit the policy of doubling paratransit fares, which could generate net fiscal benefits of between $71 million and $184 million annually.
The MTA should accelerate work to improve its scheduling software to incorporate more feeder service in an efficient manner to reduce the number of trips taken and lower the unit cost of those trips completed.
The MTA should seek to secure Medicaid reimbursement for non-emergency medical transport trips, which could generate an additional $10 million to $14 million annually.
Key Data
$461 million
— The cost of the Access-A-Ride program in 2015.
$71
— The cost per trip for Access-A-Ride in 2014, the highest among 29 cities with paratransit programs providing at least one-half million rides annually.
17
— The number of people registered to use the service per 1,000 residents in New York City.
$126 million
— The potential annual savings for the MTA if all ambulatory customers were moved to the broker car service program.
$184 million
— The potential annual savings from doubling paratransit fares.
$646 million
— The projected total program expenses for Access-A-Ride in 2020.
NY1 About 150,000 disabled New Yorkers use the MTA's pricey Access-A-Ride service to get around the city each day. Two new studies are proposing ways to dramatically improve service and save taxpayers more than $100 million a year.
NY1 At close to $30 billion, the MTA is about to get handed a record sum of money to maintain and expand a transit system that's showing wear and tear from record ridership, but riders shouldn't expect quick fixes.
The proposed legislation to increase free transfers for MTA riders would reduce agency revenue by $40 million annually, threatening funding for critical capital investments and operating needs. The MTA already maintains affordable fares through initiatives like unlimited MetroCards, and further revenue reductions would be shortsighted given the agency's existing financial challenges.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The Governor should veto S3228/A2607, a bill mandating an increase from one to two free transfers for persons purchasing a ride on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subways and buses.
Key Data
$40 million
— The estimated annual reduction in MTA revenues if the bill mandating an increase to two free transfers is enacted.
$500 million
— The amount of capital investments that could be supported by the fare revenue the agency would lose under the proposed bill.
$1.21
— The average fare revenue per ride for the MTA in 1993.
$2.05
— The inflation-adjusted equivalent of the 1993 average fare revenue per ride in 2014.
$1.70
— The actual average revenue per ride in 2014.
New York City faces stiff competition from other U.S. regions in attracting highly educated workers, particularly due to weaknesses in quality-of-life measures like rent affordability and long commute times. To maintain its competitive edge, the city must implement policies that support education, housing development, and improvements to mass transit infrastructure.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The city should improve mass transit to enhance its attractiveness as a place to live and work.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces significant financial instability, with projected deficits reaching $2.7 billion annually, necessitating fare increases and continued belt-tightening measures like trimmed service schedules. Rather than pursuing major service restorations, the agency should focus on adjusting bus deployment to align with actual ridership patterns.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
Periodic, predictable fare increases along with continued belt-tightening, including a trimmed service schedule, are unavoidable elements of a sensible solution.
The $29.5 million allocated for service restorations should be better justified.
Instead of major service restorations, adjustments can be made to deploy buses in accord with shifting usage patterns.
Key Data
$2.7 billion
— Estimated deficit for the current year based on audited financial statements.
$29.5 million
— Amount allocated for service restorations that requires better justification.
$136 million
— Combined loss to the 2013 and 2015 deficits caused by delaying planned fare hikes.
$2.5 billion
— Annual deficit amount exceeded from 2008 to 2011.
$1.8 billion
— Annual revenue loss threatened by the invalidation of the payroll mobility tax.
$47 million
— Unexpected cash surplus in 2012 that led to the announcement of bus service restoration.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces severe financial constraints that necessitate a 'net-zero' wage increase for transit workers to avoid further fare hikes or service reductions. To maintain service levels and fiscal stability, the agency should pursue efficiency through work rule changes, such as merging conductor and train operator roles, while accelerating safety improvements like bus partitions.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should implement a 'net-zero' wage increase to avoid forcing further harm upon riders through fare hikes or service cuts.
The agency should pursue work rule changes, such as merging the positions of conductor and train operator, to improve operational efficiency.
A greater priority should be placed on the safety of TWU employees by accelerating the installation of clear bus partitions.
The MTA should increase employee responsibility for health care costs through measures like premium-sharing or salary contributions.
The MTA should seek additional productivity concessions to fund any potential wage increases that do not exceed inflation.
Key Data
$720 million
— Projected savings from the MTA's 2012 efficiency program.
$1.4 billion
— Total revenue expected to be raised from fare increases by 2015.
53%
— Fare box operating recovery ratio for New York City Transit, which is higher than any other large transit system except San Francisco.
$424 million
— Revenue produced by the 2011 fare increase.
$449 million
— Expected revenue from the 2013 fare increase.
$494 million
— Expected revenue from the 2015 fare increase.
New York City's bus systems, which handle over 2.6 million daily passenger trips, rank among the least efficient in the nation regarding cost and labor productivity. While traffic congestion contributes to slower speeds, it does not fully account for the high operational costs, indicating a need for the MTA to address these performance gaps.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should follow the map for improvement identified by the benchmarking analysis to address the relative inefficiency of its bus systems.
The MTA should prioritize improving labor productivity as the systems currently rank at the bottom in all three productivity measures.
The MTA should address the high cost of operations across categories like vehicle operations, non-vehicle operations, and maintenance.
Key Data
2.6 million
— daily passenger trips handled by MTA buses
7.7
— miles per hour for NYCT Bus, which is one of the three systems operating at less than 10 miles per hour
8.6
— miles per hour for MTA Bus, which is one of the three systems operating at less than 10 miles per hour
9.8
— miles per hour for Chicago Transit, which is one of the three systems operating at less than 10 miles per hour
10.7
— median speed in miles per hour for all 10 systems analyzed
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's bus and commuter rail systems are relatively inefficient compared to other large U.S. transit providers, with high costs in vehicle maintenance and non-vehicle operations. While the New York City subway system performs relatively efficiently, there remains significant room for improvement in non-vehicle operations, particularly regarding staffing patterns.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
The MTA should conform to practices for direct state government employees regarding a new pension tier and cost sharing for health insurance premiums to achieve potential savings.
The MTA should explore practices in Chicago to identify new initiatives for improving labor productivity in subways.
The MTA should target the two large bus systems for efficiency improvements, as they are inefficient compared to other large U.S. bus systems and comprise a major portion of operating expenses.
The MTA should address non-vehicle operations in the subway system, as it is a substantial function with notable room for improvement.
The MTA should continue efforts to terminate inefficient staffing patterns for stations, such as the continued use of former token booth clerks, to lead to efficiency improvements.
Key Data
$935 million
— Total projected savings from all identified MTA cost-cutting initiatives in 2014.
$8.0 billion
— Total operating expenses for the five largest MTA passenger transport divisions in 2009.
$100 million
— Annualized savings projected from service cuts that took effect in June 2010.
$525 million
— Recurring savings expected from efficiency measures and service cuts.
New York's transportation system, while extensive, faces significant challenges in operating efficiency and service quality compared to international peers, largely due to low off-peak ridership and high costs. To remain competitive, the city must prioritize achieving a state of good repair for existing infrastructure while strategically expanding capacity to meet future demand.
Recommendations related to Transit Service Levels
New York's leaders should address the high operating cost per vehicle mile by learning from the operations of other systems to improve transit system efficiency.
Efforts to increase ridership should focus on off-peak hours to reduce average costs per passenger, given that peak hour trains are already relatively crowded.
New York's leaders should modernize signaling and train control systems to allow for shorter headways and increased rush hour capacity.
The city must accelerate the pace at which existing systems are brought to a state of good repair to ensure the long-term viability of the infrastructure.
Transit leaders should implement peak-hour pricing policies to shift ridership from the most crowded hours to 'shoulder' periods.
Key Data
$12.2 billion
— Estimated funding needed for highway and related facilities over the ten-year period spanning fiscal years 1998 to 2007.
$20.4 billion
— Estimated funding needed to achieve and maintain a state of good repair for the facilities operated by the Transit Authority.
8 percent
— Increase in ridership in 1998 compared to an annual average increase of just over 1 percent during the 1992-1997 years.
30 to 40
— Potential increase in the number of rush hour trains on the busiest subway lines if modern signaling is achieved.
$3 billion
— Likely cost of the LIRR connection to Grand Central Terminal, projected to be completed in 2009.
24 trains per hour
— Projected capacity of the new LIRR connection to reach Grand Central.
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