NYC Households Spend $130 a Month Funding the MTA
Today’s dose of disheartening news about the MTA comes via the Daily News, who reports that the debt-ridden city agency collects $4.8 billion a year from city taxpayers through taxes, fees, and the city budget. This comes out to $130 a month for the average New York household, even more than the cost of a monthly Metrocard, according to a new report by Comptroller Scott Stringer. Keep in mind this is in addition to the $5.3 billion they collect from fares and tolls.
Stringer’s report comes on the heels of a funding debate between the MTA and the de Blasio administration. The MTA wanted $300 million a year from the city to fund transit, while the mayor proposed $125 million a year. Amy Spitalnick, a de Blasio spokeswoman, said that the report “underscores a fundamental reality: New York City and its taxpayers have disproportionately subsidized the MTA, particularly after years of declining state investment.” However, the MTA referred to Stringer’s “fuzzy math” and said the city isn’t paying its “fair share for mass transit.”
[Via NYDN]
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