MTA's Deep Cuts To Metro-North Include No West Of Hudson Service

Facing massive budget and ridership shortfalls because of the coronavirus pandemic, Metro-North may cut service by 50 percent, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said Wednesday.

Not only is the MTA talking reduced service on the commuter train lines, but service could also be eliminated altogether west of the Hudson River — that being the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines.

The MTA is facing the worst financial crisis in its history and ridership on subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North is experiencing greater declines than in the aftermath of the Great Depression, MTA Chairman Pat Foye said at a news briefing.

Cutting Metro-North and the Long Island Railroad service by half would save the MTA nearly $160 million annually.

Compared to 2019, ridership on Metro-North is down 83 percent, Foye said. The MTA is losing $200 million a week.

"These are the type of drastic draconian measures we have to take," Foye said.

The MTA needs $12 billion in federal aid, he said. Being realistic about the financial condition of New York City, the state and across the country, "It is only the federal government that is going to be able to solve this," he said.

Eliminating West of Hudson service would save at least $25 million and avoid more than $1 billion in planned capital expenses.

But it would be catastrophic, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Rockland’s MTA Board Member Frank Borelli said in a joint statement Wednesday afternoon:

We agree that the Federal government needs to step in to provide stimulus funding for MTA – that is abundantly clear. The proposal to eliminate West of Hudson rail service in New York, however, would be catastrophic to Rockland and Orange Counties. If our rail service were eliminated for a mere savings of $25 million per year, there would be no reason for Rockland and Orange to even be in the MTA anymore. There is already a $40 million annual value gap between what Rockland County pays into the MTA and what it gets back in service; this has been the case for decades. We understand the need for there to be cuts and reductions as we are dealing with the realities of this pandemic in our budgets as well, but MTA needs to find a way without the proposal to eliminate all West of Hudson service. We are outraged that MTA would even consider such a proposal.

In addition to seeking federal aid, the MTA has already taken steps to cut overtime spending, freeze consulting contracts and halt some capital projects, Foye said.

Next, bridges and tunnels could see reduced staff and higher tolls. Subway, bus and train service would be reduced. More than 7,000 positions would be eliminated.

The MTA is running Metro-North at 60 percent now for 17 percent of its usual ridership, Foye said.

"We're going to re-assess the level of service across the agency after Labor Day," he said.

The federal CARES funding this spring provided $3.9 billion, which Foye said is a third of what the MTA needs to get through this year and next. The $12 billion reflects mostly revenues losses this year, but also projected revenue losses in 2021, MTA officials said.

The MTA has a new campaign — #SaveTransit — designed to raise awareness to the transit agency's plight.

SEE ALSO: MTA Warns Of 'Draconian' Service Cuts Without $12B In Federal Aid