County executives beg Washington for $12B in aid for MTA

Metropolitan Transit Authority officials are warning of doomsday cuts if they don't get at least $12 billion in federal aid.

News 12 Staff

Sep 23, 2020, 8:27 PM

Updated 1,498 days ago

Share:

Hudson Valley county executives are banding together and calling for federal funding for the struggling MTA.         
Metropolitan Transit Authority officials are warning of doomsday cuts if they don't get at least $12 billion in federal aid.
The county executives from Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties have sent a joint letter to President Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others in Washington.
They're urging Washington leaders to respond to the MTA's request for federal aid because without it they say services could be cut in half. MTA officials say they are facing staggering financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. They say ridership on trains, buses, and subways plummeted virtually overnight as the tri-state area went into lockdown, and many continue to work from home keeping the numbers down.
Just last month, the MTA board said they may have to eliminate train service in Orange and Rockland counties because ending service on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines could save nearly $25 million.
MTA officials warn that a fare hike of 10% to 15% could also be implemented if they don't get federal aid, and they may have to go forward with these plans by their November board meeting or sooner.