NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The MTA's capital plan, the agency's more than $50 billion road map for spending on everything from new tracks to an expansion of the Second Avenue Subway, hit a major roadblock during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now that it's back and running, the Citizens Budget Commission, a group that analyzes New York State and New York City's finances and services, said in a report Tuesday that some of it may be unaffordable.
"About 20% of the financing is from what is called either paygo capital or bonds that the MTA would issue and pay for through their operating budget," said Ana Champeny, the CBC's vice president for research.
Champeny said that taking money from the operating budget to pay for system upgrades is a concern, but MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said that since the pandemic pause ended, they've spent nearly $10 billion on capital projects.
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"We're very much on track to do like $50 billion in a normal five-year period, which would be exceptional, much better, [and] faster than ever before," Lieber said.
The CBC also wants the agency to be more transparent about what projects are being prioritized.
Among the concerns, the nonpartisan nonprofit said in its report that without speeding up the contracting and execution of capital projects, "the MTA's transit systems may struggle to return to a state of good repair, which could risk the City’s and region's economic growth and competitiveness."
Lieber said every project through next year is on the MTA website.
MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan doubled down on Lieber's pushback in a statement, adding that while they "appreciate" the CBC's "feedback," their "report does not accurately portray the status of the MTA Capital Program."
"After an 18-month pause due to COVID-19 — i.e., in approximately 13 months — the MTA has already awarded $9.5 billion in capital projects. This puts us in the range of a $50 billion pace over a normal five-year award period," Donovan added. "Further, 75% of the awarded work is for projects that maintain the system in a state of good repair — evidencing the MTA's prioritization of this type of capital investments."
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