City officials asked Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday for investments that could reduce the time commuters wait for buses and trains.
Bronx City Councilman Amanda Farias said New Yorkers shouldn’t have to rely on unreliable services.
“Making sure there are no delays is a real need for people here in the Bronx,” Farias said.
On Thursday, Farias released a resolution calling for state aid in 2024 to help achieve that goal.
“We are specifically asking the governor to invest $300 million to fully fund our MTA,” she said.
Data collected by the MTA shows that weekly subway and bus ridership is almost half of pre-pandemic levels.
To combat this, her resolution proposes that the MTA implement “six New York Cities.” This is a plan, she says, which could “increase her system-wide ridership by 15% and increase fare box revenue.”
In response to the request, a spokesperson for Ho-Chol’s office said, “Governor Ho-Chol is dedicated to providing reliable transportation and will continue to work with lawmakers to maximize public transportation support.” he replied.
Now that the resolution is in place, Farias said he plans to spend the next month trying to get the support of his colleagues on the city council.
She hopes to convince Ho-chul of the importance of next year’s budget before announcing it in April.