It was a full-court press in Albany. Advocates and legislators gathering in support of the MTA’s 2025-29 capital plan, trying to make the case for funding the $35 billion needed in the $65 billion plan.

“We’re going to get the MTA capital plan done,” Manhattan State Sen. Liz Kruger, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said. “The MTA region is the economic breadbasket, not just of the entire state of New York, but of the entire northeast region, and our future is dependent on having a 21st century mass transit system.”

What You Need To Know

  • Transportation advocates and legislators descended on Albany to make sure the MTA’s $65 billion capital plan is funded

  • There is currently a $35 billion funding gap and legislators are looking at a combination of taxes and fees to fill it, but are also looking to sure up the $14 billion in federal support

  • In a new post to X, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy once again threatened funding, saying the governor must address crime, despite statistics showing it is down from pre-pandemic lows

Many components of the transit system are pre-World War II. As the April 1 budget deadline approaches, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber is trying to change that.

“We want to make sure the physical infrastructure of the MTA gets the investment necessary to keep it in good condition,” Lieber said. “In fact, to improve its condition so riders get more service and reliable service.”

The question remains how to do it. State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie met with Lieber.

“I discussed with him I will make sure the MTA’s capital plan is funded,” Heastie said. “I didn’t disclose with him how we plan to do it because we don’t have a solid plan yet. I just gave him the assurance because I haven’t talked to the members about what a possible plan is.”

The assembly budget floated the idea of an increase to the payroll mobility tax — a tax on businesses — a fee on for-hire-vehicles rides and a delivery surcharge. Both the Senate and Assembly’s proposed budgets add back the full city and state contributions, which would bring the funding gap down to $33 billion.

But questions on federal funding remain, expected to be $14 billion of the capital plan. State leaders sent a letter to President Donald Trump, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the state Republican congressional delegation requesting they commit to the federal share of the funding.

“We’re asking the feds to help the MTA capital plan when we have 43% of the mass transit riders in the nation and get 17% of the transit funding,” Heastie said.

The response came Tuesday afternoon in yet another attack from Secretary Duffy, saying on X: “How could the state’s modernization plans say NOTHING about making transportation systems safer?”

“It’s hard to understand why folks are so intent — folks in the new administration are intent on painting New York City as a hellscape,” Lieber responded. “Subway crime is down 28% in the past year. I really don’t understand why a pro-police, pro-public safety administration — that’s how they represent themselves — would be attacking what the NYPD is doing.”

Heastie told Lieber he wanted the MTA to be more proactive about the parts of the capital plan that would improve safety, like modern turnstiles that will prevent fare evasion.