Cuomo’s Capital Budget: $3,400,000,000 for Roads, $0 for MTA

Here's something NYC representatives should be screaming about in Albany: Governor Cuomo's budget allocates more than $3 billion to roads and bridges but nothing to the MTA's capital program, according to an analysis released today by the Riders Alliance. The discrepancy amounts to a gigantic transfer of resources from the New York City region to the statewide road program.

When Cuomo announced a few months ago that the state would commit $8.3 billion to the MTA's five-year capital program, upstate representatives started howling about "parity" between funding for roads and bridges and funding for NYC transit. They saw the MTA getting a slice of state funds, and they wanted a cut for their districts.

But once the governor revealed his executive budget, the disparity actually ran in the other direction: Billions in direct subsidies were slated for roads and bridges, and no state money had been set aside for the MTA this year.

There's no public policy rationale for transportation funding "parity" -- just a political tradition of divvying up state resources in a manner that can garner a majority of votes in the state legislature. Viewing Cuomo's budget proposal in that light, why should New York City's assembly members and state senators vote for a spending plan that blatantly swindles their constituents?

Over the full five-year capital plan for roads and bridges, Cuomo is planning for $11.9 billion in direct state funding for the Department of Transportation, plus $2 billion in subsidies for the Thruway Authority, according to the Riders Alliance. By contrast, Cuomo has only spent $1 billion on the MTA's five-year capital program. While the governor promised $7.3 billion in additional support, his budget delays that contribution indefinitely, essentially letting Cuomo avoid funding the MTA for as long as he remains in office.

And while the NYC region pays for a sizable share of the MTA capital plan -- $11 billion -- out of its own collective pocket through fares, tolls, and dedicated regional taxes, none of the state DOT's capital funds come from local, dedicated revenue streams, the Riders Alliance reports. If the state continues to leave the MTA capital plan unfunded, subway and bus riders will end up shouldering more of the burden through higher fares.

This current budget proposal shows the huge imbalance created by Cuomo's big dodge on MTA funding. Unless Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and NYC's representatives change the governor's budget, roads will get $3.4 billion in direct state subsidies plus $200 million in bank settlement funds, and New York City transit will get zilch.