The MTA Board approved the 2015 – 2019 USD 26.1bn Capital Program and is still subject to the Capital Programs Review Board’s (CPRB) approval. The program, which totals USD 26.1bn, outlines the next five years’ worth of vital investments to renew, enhance and expand the MTA network.
MTA reduced the entire program by about USD 3bn, which included USD 1bn in funding for SAS phase 2. Last year’s capital proposal called for USD 1.5bn for the tunnel project, and now only USD 535M is allotted.
A spokesman for the authority told local media there will be "visual construction" by the end of 2019, but no tunnelling. The MTA realized it would not secure a TBM by the end of 2019 and have reduced the budget. Tunnelling work would be funded in the next five-year capital plan. There will be a detailed study and environmental review.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio and MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast announced October 10 that an agreement has been reached on the previously remaining funding for the MTA Capital Program. New York State has committed to provide USD 8.3bn, and New York City has committed to provide USD 2.5bn–in addition to USD 11.8bn in MTA funds and USD 6.4bn in federal funds.
Governor Cuomo said, "The MTA is the lifeblood of New York, helping millions of people travel throughout the city and the surrounding suburbs, and fueling one of the largest economies on the globe. Our challenge is not only to help the system continue to fuel the region’s growth, but to keep up with and respond to that growth as it happens. This MTA Capital Plan is what we need to make the system smarter and more resilient, facilitating major upgrades, expansions and building crucial pieces of equipment so that riders are not forced to accept the failures of outdated infrastructure. This plan will mean a safer, stronger, more reliable transit system for people all over New York, and is crucial in supporting our growing economy. And this program would not have been possible without everyone stepping up to pay their fair share. Today with this agreement, we are making an historic investment not only in the MTA, but in the future of New York."
