Subways 'Saved' With $6B Payment To MTA, Schumer Declares

New York City NY

12 January, 2022

11:59 AM

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NEW YORK CITY — Consider New York City's subways "saved" — or so says Sen. Chuck Schumer. Schumer made the proud declaration Wednesday as MTA was poised to receivean unprecedented $6 billion lump sum payment. The payment from the $1.2 trillion federal stimulus bill represents the largest cash infusion to a public transit agency, Schumer said. It's also the "largest grant" in MTA's history,he said. "With latest $6 billion delivered, I can tell NY'ers: the subway has been saved," Schumer said in a statement. The timing could prove fortuitous for the MTA. Subway ridership had been recovering — though still stood at roughly half pre-pandemic levels — before the omicron coronavirus variant struck. It hit a pandemic record — 3.4 million riders — in early December, according to data. But since then an omicron-fueled COVID-19 hit the city and evidently scared straphangers away from subways. Ridership on Monday stood at 2.3 million riders, data shows. And COVID-19 infections among MTA workers during the omicron surge prompted officials to suspend service on several lines. The coronavirus pandemic's ridership dip, along with other fiscal strains, made the prospect of MTA service cuts a real possibility. But the federal stimulus payout and other measures altogether totaling $14 billion helped forestall the cuts. Janno Lieber, the MTA's acting chair and CEO, thanked Schumer and the rest of New York's congressional delegation for their work to secure the funding. "Our subways, buses and railroads are the secret sauce that keeps the region moving, helping to rebuild New York's dynamic economy while battling climate change," Lieber said in a statement. "This funding helps the MTA continue to provide top-tier service and in the near term avoid fare increases."