Sept. 24, 2008

County Executive Andy Spano, in a statement to be delivered  this evening to a state commission, is demanding that Westchester be given transit aid on par to what other counties such as Nassau get.

Without that change, Spano said, Westchester will not support any measures to raise new funds for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  
“I  will not support any new funding for the MTA without Westchester getting its proper share,” Spano said in his prepared remarks. “We already contribute two times more in property tax revenue than any other New York county to local transit and three times as much as any county bordering New York City.”

Spano’s statement will be delivered to the Commission on Metropolitan Transportation Authority Financing at a hearing at 6 p.m. tonight at the Westchester County Center. The commission was appointed by Gov. Paterson and is headed by former MTA executive director Richard Ravitch. Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz will read the Spano statement. 

“Time and time again, Westchester has been shortchanged when it comes to transit aid. Because we run an efficient system, we get less funding. We get penalized for doing a good job,” Spano said. .

Westchester County and Nassau County have approximately the same number of riders and routes on their bus systems. Yet the subsidy Westchester taxpayers have to give the bus system is $30 million, compared to $10 million for Nassau.
The difference is because Nassau received $10 million more this year in state operating assistance (STOA), while Westchester received just an additional $185,000. In addition, Nassau received $14 million from the MTA. Westchester received nothing. 

“Our residents pay mortgage, fuel, phone and sales taxes as well as tolls and assorted fees imposed on the region to aid transit to the tune of $162 million last year,” Spano noted. “But that money is not coming back to help Westchester’s transit system.”
Spano demanded a  broad regional review of the mass transit needs of the entire metropolitan area.
“The present funding system for regional transit services is anything but regional,” he said. “Decisions have been institutionalized over time that, whether by accident or design, reward those systems that just happen to be the most inefficient. Public transportation is not solely about railroads or New York City’s subways or Nassau County’s buses.  It is about tying the metropolitan area together with a well-thought-out plan and funding stream, that can be shared equally.”
 He added, “I will not support a commuter tax nor consider New York City’s congestion pricing plan. Both these proposals will have the same negative effect on Westchester’s commuters and residents.” 

SPANO TESTIMONY
In a letter sent last month to Governor Paterson and Chairman Ravitch, I expressed  strong concerns about the funding of public transportation in the region. I would like to submit a copy of this letter for your official record, and reiterate my reservations.

When, as a member of NYMTC, I agreed to support the distribution of federal aid for this year, I did it with the understanding that both the State and the MTA would ask this Commission to address the needs of all mass transit users in the district, not just those who ride MTA-operated buses.

With energy, the environment and the economy affecting the lives of virtually every commuter, this Commission must look beyond the borders of New York City and develop a true regional funding plan that would assist all transit needs. This is especially crucial when it comes to suburban transit and Westchester County in particular.

We tell people to get out of their cars and ride our buses—and they are doing just that. Our Bee-Line system will carry more than 32 million riders this year, an increase of 4 million in just two years. We expect this trend to continue.

What we don’t want to continue is the cost borne by our taxpayers to make the system work. This year, our operating costs have increased by about $10 million. Yet, our share of State Operating Assistance increased by only $185,000.  In contrast, Nassau County (and I certainly am not advocating less for them) received $10 million more in State aid.

What Westchester County is looking for is parity…fairness. Our county taxpayers subsidize the Bee-Line by $30 million. The bus fare accounts for just 35% of the total budget. In Nassau, the taxpayer subsidy is $10 million. We have the same number of buses and the same amount of riders. Why the difference? Because the MTA gives Nassau $14 million and gives us (and, this is hard to understand) nothing!

I will not support any new funding for the MTA without Westchester getting its proper share. We already contribute two times more in property tax revenue than any other New York County to local transit and three times as much as any county bordering New York City.

Our residents pay mortgage, fuel, phone and sales taxes as well as tolls and assorted fees imposed on the region to aid transit to the tune of $162 million last year. But that money is not coming back to help Westchester’s transit system.

I will not support a commuter tax nor will I consider New York City’s congestion pricing plan. Both these proposals will have the same negative effect on Westchester’s commuters and residents. With the commuter tax, our commuters will see more money drain from their own pockets to fund the MTA, which is already receiving $25 million directly from the County Budget. And while we recognize that Westchester is indeed tied to the economy of New York City, congestion pricing, in its last form, gives Westchester no aid for additional bus service, train station upgrades, increased parking, or even additional trains. If the purpose is to foster mass transit, which is certainly something I agree with, then you have to make the alternative more comfortable and more efficient.  In its last incarnation, congestion pricing will do nothing more than force our residents to pay more for driving their cars.

Time and time again, Westchester has been shortchanged when it comes to transit aid. Because we run an efficient system, we get less funding—a penalty for doing a good job. Why should Westchester taxpayers have to subsidize a bus system three times more than Nassau residents? If funding mechanisms were fair, if we received parity in resources, this would not be the case. The MTA’s practice of bailing out inefficient systems is simply unacceptable.

The present funding system for regional transit services is anything but regional. Decisions have been institutionalized over time that, whether by accident or design, reward those systems that just happen to be the most inefficient. Public transportation is not solely about railroads or New York City’s subways or Nassau County’s buses.  It is about tying the Metropolitan area together with a well-thought-out plan and funding stream, that can be shared equally.

This commission has a great opportunity before it. In times of challenges—whether it is the economy, the environment, or the high cost of energy—hard-working, forward thinking people have a chance to make a real difference. I urge you to step up to the plate.