New York state Deputy Comptroller Rahul Jain on Thursday said the MTA, which released its 20-year-old a day earlier, needs to continue to deliver on ridership in order to reach a more stable fiscal situation.
The discussion on “Mornings On 1” followed the release of a comprehensive report by the state comptroller's office, which offered a view of the MTA's financial requirements, budget trends, customer satisfaction, capital programs, ridership and revenue.
That report was published shortly after the MTA unveiled its own 160-page assessment outlining a 20-year plan to rejuvenate and expand New York City's transit system.
In the assessment, the MTA painted two contrasting visions for the agency’s future while also laying out a wish list of needs, including addressing aging infrastructure and climate resilience, a new Crosstown subway along 125th Street and a proposed Interborough express train in Brooklyn and Queens.
The assessment also noted that the MTA is already taking steps toward modernization, investing more than $7 billion in climate-resilient infrastructure, updating signal systems for the L and 7 trains and initiating 36 accessibility projects.