On August 10, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority released its 2010-2014 Capital Plan and 2010-2029 Needs Assessment, setting the stage for a renewed debate over how to fill the remaining funding gap in the $28 billion plan. As expected, the five-year plan reveals a funding shortfall of at least $10 billion. The 20-year Needs Assessment, while omitting a few important priorities, can serve as a blueprint for a longer-term strategy to modernize the transit system and keep pace with the needs of the region over the next generation.
Many of the projects in both the five-year and 20-year plans are consistent with recommendations made by Regional Plan Association in its October 2008 report, "Tomorrow's Transit: New Mobility for the Region's Urban Core." The MTA is asking for comments on both plans via their website.
To read RPA's full statement and critique of both plans, click here.
To read the MTA's Capital Plan and 20-Year Needs Assessment and to comment, visit: http://www.mta.info/mta/capitalprogram.html.
Image: MTA/LIRR East Side Access
@RegionalPlan