Budget watchdog says the MTA could save $2.5 billion a year, partly by running trains with one worker. The Council has no vote, but it has weighed in on fares

The MTA could close its projected budget gaps and save about $2.5 billion a year with a set of labor and operating changes, including running subway trains with one crew member instead of two, the Citizens Budget Commission said in a report released Monday, as Gothamist and PoliticsNY reported.

The commission, a fiscal watchdog group, said the MTA faces a gap of about $300 million next year that grows to about $900 million by 2030, because spending is rising faster than revenue from fares, which go up every two years. The authority's own projection is $897 million by 2030, PoliticsNY reported.

Among the recommendations, according to the two outlets:

• Removing the second crew member on the L and 7 lines, which already run on modern computer-based signals, would save about $36.5 million a year; doing it systemwide would save about $500 million a year.
• Cutting more than 1,000 jobs on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road would save about $380 million a year.
• Having MTA retirees pay more toward health insurance would bring in about $315 million a year.

The commission acknowledged that the MTA has become more efficient, reporting $576 million in savings this year, Gothamist reported. An MTA spokesperson said the report was right to note that progress and did not address the job cuts. John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union, said the same recommendations have come up "for dozens of years" and would balance deficits "off the backs of working people." Last year, the state Legislature passed a bill requiring two workers on each train, and Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed it, according to Gothamist.

Why it matters to riders: the report lands as the union negotiates a contract for about 40,000 subway and bus workers and as the MTA prepares a financial plan, expected in the coming weeks, that includes a 4% fare and toll increase. The MTA board is scheduled to vote on that plan in December, Gothamist reported.

What our records add

The Council has no vote on the MTA budget or fares. The MTA is a state authority, and its board votes on fares and tolls. The Council's tools are hearings, city programs like Fair Fares, and resolutions asking Albany to act.

It has used those tools on fares this year. On June 30, the full Council adopted Res. 143, from Kevin C. Riley, calling on the state to allow unlimited transfers within two hours of paying a subway or bus fare for pay-per-ride users. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, approved it 7-0 on June 25, according to the committee report. At a May 6 joint hearing on fare discounts, Abreu said the current fare structure does not always fit how New Yorkers actually travel, and that rising transportation costs fall hardest on lower-income households. Our earlier story covers why Council leaders prefer expanding Fair Fares to free buses.

A new resolution touches MTA jobs. Res. 694, from Shekar Krishnan, introduced Oct. 22, calls on the MTA to include enforceable "good jobs" standards in its request for proposals for new subway cars. It has four sponsors and is in committee.

None of the Council's pending items addresses train crew size.

What's next

The MTA is expected to release its proposed financial plan in the coming weeks, with the board vote in December. The Council's next stated meeting is Nov. 12.