MTA Faces $35 Billion Funding Gap as Lawmakers Debate Solutions

The transit agency's ambitious capital plan depends on new revenue streams, but specifics remain unclear amid public skepticism and political gridlock.

• MTA Chair Janno Lieber has urged New York lawmakers to address the $35 billion shortfall in the agency's 2025-2029 Capital Plan, which aims to modernize aging subway infrastructure and improve reliability.
• Proposed funding solutions include controversial taxes such as delivery fees, vehicle mileage charges, and increased income taxes, though no formal plan has been agreed upon.
• Public trust in the MTA remains low due to decades of delayed projects, high construction costs, and unfulfilled promises, complicating efforts to secure additional funding.
• Critics have called for greater transparency and cost-cutting measures, while Lieber defends recent reforms aimed at reducing expenses and streamlining projects.
• The MTA warns that failure to secure funding could lead to worsening service reliability, jeopardizing the transit system relied upon by millions of New Yorkers daily.

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