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Civic group hangs $26B tag on subway’s needs

By Philip Newman

But the Regional Plan Association said its suggestions would go for nought unless the administrations of Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg provide heavy cash transfusions for mass transit. The agency offered no solution if they do not.

The RPA said it was essential that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority set aside $18.5 billion for maintenance, lest the subways decline to the rickety and chaotic level of 30 years ago.

Transit activists have expressed concern that without more money from the state and city, the MTA might cut service and increase the fare again or reduce MetroCard discounts.

The MTA plans to release on July 29 its capital plan on spending from 2005 to 2009, subject to approval by the agency's board in December and legislative passage.

The independent Regional Plan Association describes itself as an “organization that improves the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the 31-county New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region through research, planning band advocacy.”

The RPA said that along with the $18.5 billion for maintenance, the MTA should earmark $7.6 billion for the Second Avenue Subway and the East Side Access project to bring Long Island Rail Road trains into Grand Central Terminal.

“A long-term commitment is now needed to avoid the system disrepair of the 1970s and fund desperately needed expansion to relieve congestion and provide the economy the capacity for growth,” said RPA President Robert Yaro.

In the early 1990s, the city and state reduced contributions to New York City transit from nearly 30 percent to 2 percent from the city and zero from the state. That forced the MTA to borrow more and more money to the point that the agency will have a $40 million budget gap in 2005, a $1.2 billion deficit in 2006 and $1.3 billion in 2007.

The RPA said the MTA must “move away from an unsustainable reliance on debt financing for transit rebuilding.

“Borrowing and debt refinancing accounted for 59 percent of the 2000-2004 capital program, contributing to growing operating deficits,” the RPA said. “Debt financing will need to greatly reduced in the 2005-2009 program if the MTA's fiscal health is to be restored.”

The agency said the transit system must be expanded.

“In an era when quality of life is of paramount importance for attracting a talented work force, the New York area has the longest commutes in the nation,” RPA President Yaro said, adding that the present system has nearly run out of capacity to bring people into the central business district of Manhattan.

“Potentially valuable projects like the No. 7 extension and downtown's JFK link will only be worthwhile if they link to a system with the expanded capacity provided by Second Avenue Subway and East Side access,” he said.

The Regional Plan Association said New York City and suburban counties must provide substantially more financial support. The MTA can count on less than $7 billion in transit aid from the federal government.

“It will be impossible for the MTA to fund a capital program that even approaches the level of need without increased state and local subsidy,” the RPA said.

On the other hand, the RPA said, “no funding is needed in this capital plan for the proposed No. 7 train extension or Lower Manhattan-Long Island rail link. The city plans to fund the 7 from development revenues and the Lower Manhattan link to the Long Island Rail Road and JFK airport will require a few years of study and planning,” the RPA said.

The group said the case for an increased subsidy from New York state could be made on both economic and equity grounds.

“The MTA region generates 75 percent of the wages earned in New York state and a similarly high share of state tax revenues,” the agency said.

On other aspects of the $26.5 billion capital plan, the RPA said:

The MTA should set aside $322 million for a third track on the Long Island Rail Road to facilitate intra-island travel for the 77 percent of residents who also work on the island as well as reverse commuting for New York City residents.

A total of $75 million is needed for bus rapid transit pilots projects to provide speedier bus service in all five boroughs.

About $60 million should be allotted for high-speed toll facilities to expedite trips across MTA controlled bridges and tunnels.

Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 136.