December 03, 2015
CDTA Supports Need for Increased Funding to Upstate Transit Properties
Transit Industry Calls For Added Funding As Part of Upstate Infrastructure Plan
ALBANY, NY (December 3, 2015) The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) supports the call from the New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) for an annual investment of $100 million to balance the announced aid package for the MTA.
“The Governor has committed to providing $8.3 billion to fund the MTA capital program,” said Carm Basile, CDTA CEO and President of NYPTA. “We applaud that action and encourage the administration to commit to providing appropriate funding to the rest of the state’s transit systems.”
The New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA), which represents over 100 transit systems across the state, today called for an annual investment of $100 million to meet the infrastructure needs of upstate and suburban downstate transit systems.
The need for infrastructure funding to balance the announced aid package for the MTA has been in the news over the past several weeks. NYPTA representatives testified today that any state plan to fund transportation in the New York City region must also include adequate support for upstate and downstate suburban transit systems.
New York transit systems need approximately $1 billion in infrastructure investments over the next five years with more than 80% slated for state of good repair improvements to core infrastructure. At current funding levels, the resources currently available to transit systems will meet less than half of this need.
According to Basile, “There is an urgent need to invest $500 million over the next five years to improve transit infrastructure upstate and in the downstate suburbs to support the growth of our communities. These systems together would rank as the 7th largest transit system in the nation, ahead of major cities like Boston and Philadelphia and the demand for our services continues to grow.”
Transit ridership is growing across the state and customers and the business community are demanding more and better service. Last year, CDTA ridership topped 17 million boardings for the first time in the Authority’s 45 year history. Ridership on CDTA buses has increased from 13.8 million to the record numbers we are seeing today in the past 5 years. Transit services across New York State are critical to the economic growth of communities. More and more, people are using transit services to get to work, stimulating the economy and improving the quality of life in communities across the state. Mobility choices provided by transit systems connect people to jobs, businesses, education, and health care. NYPTA recommends a state investment of $100 million per year in upstate and suburban downstate transit infrastructure, which will allow these systems to modernize aging infrastructure and continue to meet the growing demands from customers.
ABOUT CDTA: The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) was created in 1970 by the New York State Legislature as a public benefit corporation to provide regional transportation services by rail, bus, water and air. CDTA is the premier mobility provider in the Capital Region, providing local, express, commuter and bus rapid transit services. CDTA owns and operates the Rensselaer Rail and Saratoga Springs Train Stations. Today, nearly 650 people work to deliver a transit system that transports 60,000 customers each weekday.