Staten Island Transportation Winners & Losers
Reading the MTA’s February 7th Notice for a Public Hearing to discuss their potential Federal Transit Administration 2023 Program of Projects to support grant applications for funding from Washington revealed that there is good and bad news for Staten Island commuters. [Link to the document.]
The good news is that there is $35 million to provide full ADA station accessibility for riders who utilize the Huguenot SIRTOA Station. The scope of work will also include structural work and utility relocation as required.
In 1971, the passenger operations of the former B&O Rail Road Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Company were sold to NYC for $3.5 million. Later that year, NYC passed on control to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The MTA created a subsidiary, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority. It is managed by the MTA NYC Transit’s Department of Subways. SIRTOA would become the step child to NYC Transit receiving hand me downs or some of the oldest subway cars in the fleet. Since that time, primarily MTA funding was used for capital improvements. In recent times, the MTA initiated using Federal Transit Administration funding for some SIRTOA capital investments including stations upgrades. Delivery for sixty-four new subway cars promised for SIRTOA under the previous MTA $32 billion 2015 – 2019 Five Year Capital Plan are already several years late. They will not arrive, based upon the most recent contractors recovery schedule until 2025.
The bad news is that there is also no request for federal funding to advance the NYC Transit North Shore Bus Rapid Transit estimated cost is $600 million. This project is in the planning and environmental review process, with a shortfall of $590 million in funding.
There is also no request for federal funding to advance the NYC Transit West Shore BRT estimated cost is $1.5 billion. A planning study is under way with a shortfall of $1.485 billion in funding.
Both projects need additional funding for final design and engineering, land acquisition, business relocation, purchase of vehicles, construction and a possible vehicle maintenance and storage facility.
There is also no funding programmed within the $51 billion MTA 2020 – 2024 Five Year Capital Plan to advance either project beyond planning or environmental review.
The next opportunity for funding is the MTA 2025 – 2029 Five Year Capital Plan. As a result, projects will most likely not be completed until 2030 or later.
The final MTA 2025 – 2044 Twenty Year Capital Needs Plan is promised to be released in October 2023. Failure to include either the North or West Shore BRT projects would confirm that the MTA has no real interest in pursuing either project.