MTA Board approves five-year capital plan

MTA/Patrick Cashin

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board approved its 2015-19 Capital Program, at its October meeting.

The program represents the largest investment ever in the subways, buses, railroads, bridges and tunnels that keep New York moving and is the result of an agreement between MTA, New York City and New York state.

The Capital Program will buy thousands of new subway cars, train cars and buses; invest $2.8 billion in subway station improvements; complete the installation of Positive Train Control on Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); bring countdown clocks to the majority of subway stations; begin work on extending the Second Avenue Subway to East Harlem; build a new LIRR station in Elmhurst, Queens and construct four new Metro-North stations in underserved areas of the Bronx.

“Since our first Capital Program in 1982, we have invested more than $100 billion to rescue our mass transit network from near-collapse and make it an engine of growth for the entire region,” said MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas F. Prendergast. “…this revised Capital Program will reduce costs and deliver projects more efficiently without cutting any projects or the benefits they will bring to our customers.”

The revised program totals $29 billion, almost 10 percent less than the $32 billion Program first proposed a year ago. It includes $21.6 billion in core investments in the MTA’s subways, buses and railroads; $4.5 billion for the East Side Access, Penn Access and Second Avenue Subway projects; and $2.9 billion for MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

The program is fully funded with $11.8 billion in MTA funds, an $8.3 billion commitment from Gov. Cuomo, $6.4 billion in federal funds and $2.5 billion committed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The 2015-19 Capital Program includes full details on all project spending and efficiencies as well as revenue sources, and is available on the MTA website at www.mta.info/capital. Following the MTA Board’s approval, the Capital Program will be submitted to the state Capital Program Review Board (CPRB) for approval.