Politics & Government
Uptown Lawmaker Demands Public Transit Aid In COVID-19 Bill
Congressman Adriano Espaillat wants the federal government's coronavirus stimulus to help public transit agencies around the country.
NEW YORK, NY — Harlem's representative in Washington, D.C. is demanding that the stimulus bill currently being debated in Congress include federal aid for public transit agencies around the country such as New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Adriano Espaillat wrote a letter to congressional leaders of both parties including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Chairman Kevin McCarthy on Sunday urging the lawmakers to "consider critical support for public transit agencies and include provisions that will allow them to return to normal operations while continuing their important, stimulating capital projects."
The Harlem representative, a Democrat first elected in 2016, wrote that public transit agencies around the country are facing "immediate, enormous funding gaps due to sharp declines in ridership." In some cities, public transit ridership has plummeted as much as 90% as people are being told to stay at home.
Find out what's happening in Harlemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which operates New York City subways and buses and regional commuter lines such as the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, has been deemed an essential service and is not required to shut down despite the statewide stay-at-home order that went into effect Sunday as directed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
"Public transit agencies around the nation are facing immediate emergency needs, and we must ensure policies are in place to help foster a speedy recovery once this crisis is behind us," Espaillat said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Harlemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
MTA executives penned a letter to New York City congressional representatives earlier this month seeking a federal bailout as large as $4 billion. MTA Chairman Patrick J. Foye described the transit authority's situation as a "financial calamity," citing ridership losses as high as 60% on subways and 49% on buses. In addition to the loss of revenue from declining ridership, the MTA is spending extra money on efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Read Espaillat's full letter below:
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