In early October, Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi joined political and advocacy group leaders, MTA board member Randy Glucksman and Metro-North union leadership in Bronxville, NY to ask Congress to authorize $12 billion in critical COVID‑19 relief.
The effort to save the MTA and Metro-North from service cuts, fare increases, layoffs and a permanent halt to the MTA’s 2020 – 2024 Capital Plan came as Congress remains at odds regarding federal assistance aimed at helping the nation’s transportation sector.
Since the pandemic began, Metro-North has played a critical role in helping riders get to their locations safely, ensuring viable transportation for doctors, nurses and other essential workers.
“For months we have been calling on the federal government because the magnitude of the COVID‑19 financial crisis only gets worse every day. We can only begin to imagine the long-lasting impacts potential service cuts could have on our region and that’s why we look to leaders in both red and blue states and urge them to come together to save transit.”
– Catherine Rinaldi
Metro-North Railroad President
“Public transportation is our lifeline. New York wouldn’t be New York without it. Residents in Westchester County and right here in Bronxville depend on the Metro-North Railroad every single day…Please federal government, keep us riding, don’t just sit and watch the closing doors.”
– Amy Paulin
New York State Assemblywoman
"Without an infusion of $12 billion in emergency federal funding relief, riders will be faced with deep service cuts, reduced cleaning, fare increases, layoffs, and a significant reduction in the MTA’s capital program. All of that has the potential to begin a downslide into a transit death spiral from which it would take years — even decades — to come back...Securing additional federal funding that includes relief for transit and cities and states is crucial, or every worst-case scenario will come true and the entire region’s economy and recovery will suffer.”
– Lisa Daglian
Executive Director of the
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)
“The MTA desperately needs federal funding… We’re facing a doomsday scenario of service cuts, fare hikes and layoffs.... We won’t see the new train cars, station improvements, accessibility projects and signal upgrades that Metro-North Railroad needs and that riders deserve. In the worst-case scenario, West-of-Hudson service could be eliminated, stranding tens of thousands of riders… We urge a bipartisan agreement that will provide much-needed funding for our vital transit network.”
– Randy Glucksman
MTA Board member and
Chair of the Metro‑North Commuter Council