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For the New York City region to function efficiently and recover quickly and equitably from the pandemic, its transit systems must be able to move millions of residents and workers around the city. A well functioning transit system connects people with work opportunities, education, and the other factors of daily life. Yet there have been significant hurdles to returning to pre-pandemic levels for all the transit systems that operate in and around NYC.

Hurricanes Ida and Henri have delivered a beating to our transit systems over the past few weeks. The damage, delays, and structural problems uncovered by these storms expose long-standing climate-related vulnerabilities, highlighting the lack of resiliency and redundancy around the region. These problems have been exacerbated by the pandemic which threatened the financial viability of the systems even as front line transit workers were disproportionately suffering the effects of COVID-19.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridge and Tunnel crossings, which served 900,000 vehicles on an average day pre-COVID, have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, showing an increased reliance on cars as we emerge from the pandemic. Left unaddressed, this will lead to additional congestion, emissions, and lost time and productivity - and is deeply troubling for the future of the NYC region.

Conversely, ridership on the subway, New York City Transit (NYCT) buses, and commuter rail remain down by considerable margins (although 50% of transit ridership still represents more trips and people than 100% of cars). The trend is especially troubling because the MTA and New Jersey Transit (NJT) have historically depended on fares to fund approximately 40-45% of their operations. They have also been starved for riders as travel remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

Federal aid for transit agencies has softened the worst of the blow from COVID-19, but long term investments have been difficult to fund. For example, congestion pricing (the plan to charge drivers heading South of 61th in Midtown, which has been scheduled to support the MTA Capital Plan for $15 billion in funds) is unlikely to start until 2023, long after its originally scheduled start date. This will delay much needed investments to modernize the system’s signals, accessibility and expansion to transit-starved parts of the city.

An unabated transition toward a more car-dependent region is dangerous and puts a ceiling on job growth. 2021 is on track to be the deadliest for pedestrians in recent memory; and as RPA’s A Preventable Crisis report points out, adding just 11,000 additional drivers to the road in the region would cost nearly a quarter million commuters more time and money, while also adding 38,000 crashes annually and approximately 80-90 additional traffic fatalities.

New York City’s long-term recovery is dependent on its transit systems, which are unmatched in size and importance around the country. Part of our answer to the climate crisis - that has laid bare the weaknesses in our transit - is to improve our transit system. The programs to help bring it up to speed could be an incredible boon for the economy.

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Transit is Key to Strong Post-COVID Recovery

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