The financially troubled MTA is warning customers that massive service cuts and layoffs are coming if the federal government doesn’t come through.
MTA Chairman Pat Foye says subway and bus ridership have plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic and this is even more severe than the Great Depression.
“The federal government must deliver for the MTA," he said. "It is literally our only option for survival.”
Foye says the agency needs $12 billion in the next few months or there will be more fare and toll hikes and a 40% reduction in subway and bus service.
State Senator Diane Savino testified during a recent hearing. “The consequences of not receiving additional funding mean extending hardship for years to come in our city," she said. "We cannot afford to lay off workers. We cannot afford to decrease services.”