Dear Members of the downstate New York Congressional Delegation:
We write to urge you to ensure that federal emergency funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is proportionate to its immense scale within the American public transit sector and fundamental importance to the economy of the New York City region. The COVID-19 emergency has destroyed the MTA’s ridership and revenue, while inflicting terrible human suffering — at least 83 MTA employees have died — and staggering financial losses.
The MTA said on April 16 that it needed $3.9 billion in additional federal aid to keep afloat during 2020. Credible estimates indicate that the need may be even greater. An analysis released by some of our organizations on April 15 found the MTA’s shortfall may run from $4.4 to $8 billion. This problem deserves your utmost attention.
As you know, New York relies on transit to a unique degree among American cities. Even with ridership down dramatically, we need to keep the system in good running order. New Yorkers riding buses, subways and commuter trains today work in hospitals. They are receiving and sorting critical goods, and keeping grocery stores stocked. Transit workers and presumably, regular riders have been hard hit by Covid-19. We need the MTA to run enough transit service so that essential personnel and transit workers all have more space on buses and trains. We also need to make sure that the MTA’s vital Access-A-Ride paratransit service, which takes riders to jobs and health care, is operating fully throughout this crisis and beyond.
The MTA accounted for nearly 40 percent of transit trips nationwide in 2018, according to federal data (see attached sheet on metro shares of the U.S. transit market). Yet the agency received less than 15 percent of the transit funding made available in the March CARES Act.
As the crisis eases, New York will not return to work and other aspects of our lives primarily in automobiles. We not only need the MTA to continue to function through the worst of the crisis, but also to be poised to rebound and again accommodate a large share of travel, including more transit accessibility, in the city and metropolitan region.
Helping New York get back to work will be an important component of getting America back to work. In better times, the MTA moves 9 million people per day, and is critical to the daily function of a region that accounts for 11 percent of America’s gross domestic product.
We look forward to working with you as you shape relief legislation.
Sincerely,
Tom Wright
President and CEO, Regional Plan Association
Murad Awawdeh
Executive Vice President of Advocacy & Strategy, New York Immigration Coalition
Vincent A. Cassano, PE
Senior Director, Jacobs
Robert Cifarelli
President, Transport Workers Union Local 2055
Jaqi Cohen
Campaign Director, Straphangers Campaign
Matthew Cohen
Vice President, Government Affairs and Communications, Long Island Association
Lisa Daglian
Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA
Arthur Davidson
General Chairman, System Council No. 7, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
William DeCarlo
National Vice President and National Legislative Director, Transportation Communications Union (TCU IAM)
Ron Deutsch
Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute
Dean Devita
Secretary-Treasurer, Director of Commuter/Passenger Railroads, National Conference of Firemen & Oilers, 32BJ, SEIU
Rabbi Michael Feinberg
Executive Director, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
John R. Feltz
International Vice President, Railroad Division Director, Transport Workers Union of America
Danny Harris
Executive Director, Transportation Alternatives
Patrick Howard
President, Transport Workers Union Local 2001
Peter Iwanowicz
Executive Director, Environmental Advocates
David Jones
President & CEO, Community Service Society and MTA Board Member
Jennifer Jones Austin
Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
John Kaehny
Executive Director, Reinvent Albany
Dave Kapell
Executive Director, Right Track for Long Island Coalition
Gary LaBarbera
President, Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York
Jose Lopez
Deputy Director, Make the Road New York
John McCloskey
General Chairman, Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Union
Eric McClure
Executive Director, StreetsPAC
Mike McConnell
President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1573
Matt Mitchell
General Chairman, Association of Commuter Rail Employees Local 9
Jose Ortiz, Jr.
Executive Director, New York City Employment & Training Coalition
Jeanny Pak
Head of New York & Mid-Atlantic Region, Public Finance, UBS
Kai Petersen
General Chairman, Association of Commuter Railroad Employees
J. Michael Perry
President Directing General Chairman, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 19
John Porcari
President, Advisory Services, WSP
Nick Peluso
National Representative, Transportation Communication Union (TCU/IAM)
Betsy Plum
Executive Director, Riders Alliance
Thomas Prendergast
Executive Vice President & National Transit Market Leader, AECOM
Benjamin Prosky
Executive Director, American Institute of Architects-New York
Joseph Rappaport
Executive Director, Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled
Scott Rechler
Chairman and CEO, RXR Realty
Milo E. Riverso, PhD, PE
President, Chief Executive Officer, STV Incorporated
Alexander Roberts
Executive Director, Community Housing Innovations
Michael N. Romita
President & CEO, Westchester County Association
Steven Rubenstein
Chairman, Association for a Better New York
Jean Ryan
President, Disabled In Action of Metropolitan NY
Julie Samuels
Executive Director, TechNYC
Andrew W. Sandberg
Asst to Presiding/Directing General Chairman, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 19
Carlo A. Scissura, Esq
President and CEO, New York Building Congress
Nick Sifuentes
Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Chris Silvera
Secretary-Treasurer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 808
Anthony Simon
General Secretary Transportation Division, Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Union
Michael Sweeney, PE
Executive Vice President, HNTB
Julie Tighe
President, New York League of Conservation Voters
Tony Utano
President, Transport Workers Union Local 100
Jennifer Van Dyck
Elevator Action Group, Rise and Resist
Jessica Walker
President and CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Robert Wessels
Executive Director, General Contractors Association of New York
James Whelan
President, Real Estate Board of New York
Justin Wood
Director of Organizing & Strategic Research, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Kathryn S. Wylde
President & CEO, Partnership for New York City
