NEW YORK (AP/WCBS 880) — New York City’s subways and commuter rails are getting a $6 billion chunk of federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Sen. Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday that the MTA has received the money as part of more than $14.5 billion in overall federal relief aid.
The aid, contained in COVID-19 relief bills during both the Trump and Biden administrations, has helped the MTA stave off threatened service cutbacks, layoffs and fare hikes.
“The subway system has been saved from its Covid-catalyzed brink of death,” Schumer said.
Janno Lieber, the acting chair and CEO of the MTA, said in a statement Wednesday that the agency was “grateful to Senate Majority Leader Schumer, the New York delegation and Governor [Kathy] Hochul for their consistent support of mass transit.”
“Our subways, buses and railroads are the secret sauce that keeps the region moving, helping to rebuild New York’s dynamic economy while battling climate change,” Lieber said. “This funding helps the MTA continue to provide top-tier service and in the near term avoid fare increases.”
Still, the MTA has projected it will have a $1.4 billion operating deficit by 2025, the residual effect of losing more than 90 percent of ridership on subways, trains and buses at the pandemic’s height. Subway ridership still lags pre-pandemic levels by about 40 percent.
Schumer said he pushed to have the money disbursed in a lump sum rather than given out gradually in much smaller amounts, as is customary with federal aid.
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