Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Transit Funding

“People’s Fare Hike Hearing” Asks Albany to Take Action on MTA Funding

By Stephen Miller | Nov 13, 2012 | 2 Comments

As the latest round of fare hike hearings — the fourth in five years — continues around the region, turnout is low but rants against the MTA board are still at a high boil. As usual, the elected officials who allocate resources to the transit system are shielded from public accountability. But today, on a […]

Have the Days of Scapegoating the MTA Come to an End?

By Charles Komanoff and Alex Matthiessen | Nov 12, 2012 | 11 Comments

MTA Love. Two words that have never before been paired have been practically joined at the hip during the recovery from Superstorm Sandy. To wit: The “enthusiastic round of applause” accorded Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief Joe Lhota at last week’s Association for a Better New York breakfast by real estate magnates and other civic power […]

MTA Wants to Take Payroll Tax Ruling Straight to State’s Top Court

By Stephen Miller | Aug 24, 2012 | No Comments

On Wednesday, a state Supreme Court judge ruled the Payroll Mobility Tax unconstitutional, saying that because the “budgetary crisis of the MTA is not a substantial state concern,” the law required a home rule message from the affected counties. Now, the MTA says it will appeal directly to New York’s top court. New York’s courts […]

The MTA Payroll Tax Ruling: What’s Next?

By Stephen Miller | Aug 23, 2012 | 14 Comments

Saying that the “budgetary crisis of the MTA is not a substantial state concern,” a state Supreme Court judge ruled yesterday that the MTA Payroll Mobility Tax is unconstitutional. Although taxes will continue to be collected as the MTA appeals the case to a higher court, yesterday’s decision puts $1.5 billion, or approximately 12 percent of the MTA’s annual […]

Value Capture, the Dulles Rail Extension, and the Future of Transit Funding

By Jay Corbalis | Aug 20, 2012 | No Comments

The failure of Atlanta’s transportation ballot measure late last month led to speculation among many analysts about what the vote meant for other regions across the country looking for ways to fund infrastructure projects. But though the Atlanta vote captured the lion’s share of media attention, another vote cast in July could hold as much […]

How the MTA Managed to Afford Service Restorations

By Noah Kazis | Jul 26, 2012 | 3 Comments

Wondering how the MTA could afford to restore service on 24 bus lines and postpone next year’s fare hikes? New budget documents show where the transit system’s revenues and costs beat expectations, leaving the small and fragile surplus. The biggest savings came from cheap energy. Revenues from riders were up, but the important yet volatile […]

Show More Stories