New York's transport is in rude health: ridership levels on New York's commuter rail and metro networks are soaring. Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Elliot Sander sets out his ambitious vision for the future

International Railway Journal, April, 2008 by Elliot Sander

FORTY years ago, MTA was born out of crisis. By 1968, decades of deferred maintenance and a lack of capital investment had begun to threaten the regional transport network. Transit ridership was plummeting. Track fires became routine. Derailments, cancellations, and crime were facts of life.

Thankfully, MTA secured funding to bring the system back to a state of good repair. Since 1982, MTA has invested $US 76 billion rebuilding 200 subway and rail stations and 1120km of track. We've also rebuilt or purchased 6400 subway cars.

The results are extraordinary Trains now run 40 times longer between breakdowns. The introduction of MetroCard and E-ZPass has revolutionised people's travel habits and ridership has soared by nearly 40%.

The challenges we face today are different from those we faced in 1968 but they are just as large and just as complex. New York is locked in a competition for brainpower and capital with cities like London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris. We cannot settle for a second-rate transport network. To remain a centre of commerce, culture and innovation, we must transform MTA internally and externally.

We will invest $US 30 million in new services this year. Our customers will benefit from increased service on 11 subway lines, additional trains on LIRR and Metro-North, and improved customer communications.

Working with the Port Authority, NJ Transit, Connecticut DOT and others, we will launch regional ticketing so that travellers can purchase all fares from the same place and use the same card for multiple services of the transit agencies in the region. We're also working with NJ Transit and Amtrak to create regional commuter rail interoperability. This will be revolutionary. Interoperability will enable us to adapt our route network to reflect where people want to go.

In the area of security, we have committed $US 947 million to hardening the physical infrastructure of our network against post 9/11 threats. Future phases of this capital spending will bring our investment up to $US 1.5 billion.

One of my highest priorities has been to develop a long-term vision and implement an action plan for the next 25 to 40 years. Both are absolutely critical if our region is going to meet the challenges of economic growth, liveability and sustainability in the first half of the 21st century.

We believe demographic trends like immigration and mega trends like climate change will shape New York City and the rest of MTA's 8000[km.sup.2] territory in the decades ahead. New York City forecasts a million new residents by 2030. The region is expected to add 3 million residents. Over that time period, our ridership is projected to grow by 20%.

Our biggest global competitor, China, spends 9% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on infrastructure. India is aiming to boost its infrastructure spending from 3.5% to 8%. Meanwhile, the United States spends less than 1% of its GDP. That is unacceptable.

We would need at least $US 702 billion to replace the assets of New York City Transit, the biggest piece of our nearly $US 1 trillion system. The $US 20.5 billion we're including in the capital programme for investments in maintenance and renewals is breathtaking. Nonetheless it is well below the level of where we need to be in the long term.

This five-year capital plan, if approved and fully funded, will maintain MTA's progress in attaining a State of Good Repair. With our investment of about $US 9.5 billion for system expansion and capacity improvements, we will also ensure that the downstate region will have a transport network that offers the levels and quality of service expected in a world centre.

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Overall, the best thing we can do as a region is build mass transit infrastructure and cluster mixed-use development around MTA's existing stations. Congestion pricing is a vital element in our fight against climate change and a critical piece of our strategy to fund the capacity improvements and expansion included in our 2008-13 capital programme. Net revenues of about $US 300 million a year will make it possible for MTA to generate $US 4.5 billion from a 30-year bond issue.

After completion of East Side Access and Second Avenue projects, the wave of investments that need to be made in the next 25 to 40 years should rely heavily on the MTA's diamonds in the rough: underutilised or dormant freight and commuter rail rights-of-way that can be transformed into subway lines; and 88km of lightly-used middle tracks on subway lines that can be used for new express services.

The projects and vision I've just described for the next five years and beyond will meet our needs in the 21st century. Executing these projects will start with our $US 29.5 billion capital programme and congestion pricing revenue. We recognise that $US 29.5 billion is a lot of money, but we have no choice.

If the last 40 years have taught us anything, it's this simple truth. The region's economic vitality, liveability and beauty are inextricably linked to the fortunes of MTA. If we shirk our responsibility to the MTA network, we put our region at risk. Even as we enter difficult economic times, we must continue to invest.