BP Adams Releases Letter To Majority Leader McConnell And Speaker Pelosi Demanding Funding To Avert MTA Service Cutbacks

Press release from the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President:

November 19 2020

Brooklyn, NY – Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams released a letter to United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressing the dire need for Federal funding to assist the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Yesterday, MTA Chair Pat Foye said that unless the Federal government provides funding to shore up the agency’s finances, the MTA may lay off more than 9,000 employees and reduce services by 40 percent across subways and buses, and by 50 percent across commuter lines. Experts and advocates say such drastic service cutbacks could lead to a transit “death spiral,” in which less service would lead to fewer people using the system, which in turn would lead to less farebox revenue, forcing further cuts. Some have also pointed out that more infrequent service may lead to greater difficulties in maintaining social distancing protocols on the system, as more riders crowd into fewer trains and buses.

“Our transit system is the lifeblood of our city. We cannot allow the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic to drain it away. Not only would the drastic service cutbacks sketched out by the MTA hinder our city’s economic recovery, but they would also fall hardest on Black and Brown workers who were on the front lines in the early days of the pandemic. New York City is a major economic driver of this country, and has contributed more than its share. Now it’s time for the Federal government to step up and return the favor, by providing urgently needed assistance to the MTA. I urge Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader McConnell to work out a deal that prioritizes our transit system — we can’t afford any more delays,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

In the letter, Borough President Adams notes that ridership on the City’s mass transit system has plummeted by 70 percent, costing the MTA billions of dollars in lost revenue. The MTA has requested $12 billion in Federal funding. Even with the potential cuts, the MTA said, they would still be facing a $3.1 billion budget deficit by the end of next year.

The full letter can be viewed here.

This press release was produced by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. The views expressed are the author's own.