If Subway Ridership Stays Down, Will A Federal Bailout Help?

The MTA is begging for $12 billion [View this email in your browser]( The MTA Threatens Fare Hikes And Major Service Cuts If The Federal Government Doesn't Kick In $12 Billion Plus: Revel mopeds are back. 7 train windows keep getting smashed. And two guys dressed as Mario and Luigi recreated Mario Kart on the streets of New York City. By [James Ramsay](mailto:james@wnyc.org?subject=We%20the%20Commuters) [two masked men ride a subway during the pandemic] Kostas Lymperopoulos/CSM/Shutterstock After months of vaguely declaring that "[everything is on the table]( MTA chair Pat Foye announced on Wednesday that if the agency doesn't get a $12 billion check from the federal government, it could cut bus and subway service by 40 percent and commuter rail service by 50 percent. In November, the MTA will present to its board the options for a 2021 budget, which then needs to be voted on by December 31st. In addition to service cuts, the MTA is also considering laying off 7,200 workers, increasing fares, and putting almost all major infrastructure improvements on hold. "The future of the MTA and the future of the New York region rests squarely in the hands of the federal government, the U.S. Senate specifically," said MTA chair Pat Foye. "If they fail to [provide the money], horrendous choices lay ahead." The MTA exhausted [$3.9 billion]( in federal relief funding at the end of July. Earlier this month, the Senate went on recess without passing a second relief bill. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer both said they're fighting to secure the $12 billion that the MTA requested. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said yesterday that "it's not mathematically possible" to avoid cuts if Washington doesn't chip in. But with or without the emergency funding, subway ridership is currently down about 75 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. That reduced ridership — which could continue for months — is one reason why budget watchdog Nicole Gelinas said the MTA needs to be financially prepping for a new normal. "The MTA should be thinking of the money from Congress not as a solution, but as a way to buy time to do many of the other things it mentioned as draconian," she said. "Work with the workforce to become more productive through attrition, not layoffs (particularly with commuter-rail train crews and overnight one-person subway-train operation with camera coverage of the train), rather than wait until the last minute and have to do indiscriminate layoffs or pay freezes." — [Reporting by Stephen Nessen]( Revels Are Coming Back With A Rule Requiring Helmet Selfies [a Revel scooter sits parked by a curb on the Upper West Side]( Richard Drew/AP Revel mopeds, which were abruptly taken out of service after [two riders died last month]( have returned to the streets of New York City. What's changed: Riders will now be forced to take a selfie showing they're wearing a helmet. They'll be suspended for running red lights or driving the wrong way down a one-way street. And all users have to to complete a 21-question in-app quiz. The Department of Transportation, which negotiated with Revel over the new safety guidelines, confirmed that it supports the relaunch. Though Revels go up to 30 miles per hour and don't require users to have a motorcycle license, street safety advocates have championed the mopeds as a useful alternative to cars. "As New York City recovers from [the pandemic], we must ensure that all residents have access to safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation alternatives to avoid growing levels of car usage and ownership," said Danny Harris, Executive Director of TransAlt. — [Reporting by Jake Offenhartz]( People Keep Smashing Windows On The 7 Train [a transit worker fixes a broken window on the 7 train]( ABC7/[Twitter]( The [New York Post]( reports that as of Tuesday night, over 460 subway windows had been smashed in recent months. The MTA said it has spent more than $300,000 to replace the windows, and its reserve of replacement glass is almost gone. This particular vandalism spree, which began in May, has mostly occurred on the 7 line, though 2 and 3 trains have also seen related incidents. An MTA official [told WABC-TV]( that it takes "considerable force" to shatter the glass, so the person doing this must be using a blunt object like a hammer or a pipe. "We are continuing to increase the surveillance, and that is in conjunction with our friends at the NYPD," said the MTA's Chief Safety and Security Officer Patrick Warren. "If there's any time that we should think about a broken windows policing strategy, this may be that moment in time." The NYPD said it has identified an alleged culprit who remains at-large. Here's What Else Is Happening Starting next month, essential workers commuting overnight will no longer get to use for-hire vehicles on the MTA's dime. Back in May, when the MTA ceased running the subway between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., it created a program to subsidize cab rides for commuters who otherwise would've had to take an 80+ minute bus ride or walk more than half a mile to or from a bus stop. The transit agency said that with about 1,500 people using the service every night at an average cost of $49 a ride, it can no longer afford to keep the program going. While overnight subway service remains suspended indefinitely, the MTA said it added three new bus routes to help late-night commuters. ([AM New York]( Metro-North could lose its Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines if the agency doesn't get federal financial support. The two lines, which are currently the only options for Rockland County residents to take a train into Manhattan, cost the MTA about $25 million a year to operate. In response to the threat of dropping the service, officials from Rockland and Orange Counties said they'd likely pull out of the MTA and stop sharing tax dollars with the agency. ([Rockland/Westchester Journal News]( It now appears that New York City will not create a dedicated busway on 5th Avenue. Last month, the Department of Transportation announced that 5th Avenue between 57th and 34th streets would take three car lanes and turn them into a bus lane, a pick-up and drop-off lane, and a bike-and-pedestrian lane. This, in addition to the two dedicated bus lanes that already exist on the avenue. But local stores ($$$) complained that the redesign would inconvenience shoppers who come by in private vehicles, so the DOT essentially nixed the plan. ([Streetsblog]( An NJ Transit supervisor who stole $2.1 million from the agency has been sentenced to five years in prison. Richard E. Schade, a facilities supervisor, pleaded guilty last fall to orchestrating a plan to set up fake companies and then give them money for services like landscaping and maintenance. Four other people, including an NJ Transit mechanic, were also charged. ([NJ.com]( Video: Mario Kart IRL [a guy dressed as Luigi cruising through soho on a bumper car] Scott Lynch These days, if [a 19-person wedding party]( can march down a busy Manhattan street, then surely two grown men (with large TikTok followings) dressed as Mario and Luigi can [tour around the city on go karts](. [the logo for WQXR's Classical Commute playlist, featuring an illustration of Beethoven in a conductor's car] Whether or not you're commuting anywhere this evening, it's the right time for Edvard Grieg's "Summer Evening," which is [streaming for free]( in this week's Classical Commute playlist on Spotify. Weekend Service Changes: Night of August 28th – Early Morning on August 31st This is a partial list of major service disruptions scheduled for the weekend. For a complete list of the MTA's Weekender updates, [check here](. Note: The entire subway system is closed each night from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. until further notice. trains will not run between Grand Central-42 St and New Lots Av. trains will not run between Grand Central-42 St and Brooklyn Bridge. Uptown and trains will skip 72, 81, 86, 96, 103, 110, 116 and 135 Sts. Coney Island-bound trains will skip 167 St, 161 St and 155 St. No trains will run between Church Av and Coney Island-Stillwell Av. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. [a close-up of James Ramsay sitting on a vespa] James Ramsay only karts as Toad. (Photo by Amy Pearl) Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential transportation coverage and more. [Donate]( Copyright © 2020 New York Public Radio, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: New York Public Radio 160 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 [unsubscribe]( [update preferences]( [privacy policy](