Anyone who has ridden the New York subway system appreciates its ability to get New Yorkers from Far Rockaway to the Upper West Side. But the system is overburdened and needs major repair. While New Yorkers account for 33 percent of the nation’s mass transit users the city receives less than 20 percent of federal transit funds. The inequity trickles down to the state level as well. New Yorkers account for 81 percent of the entire state’s public transportation ridership, and yet the city receives only 62 percent of the state’s public transportation funding.

Take Action

Use these talking points to tell federal officials to give NYC its fair share of transportation funding:

• A portion of the Liberty Zone Tax benefits should be revised so that the benefits can be used to bring the Long Island Railroad into Lower Manhattan and provide a direct ride to JFK International Airport.

Use these talking points to tell state officials to give NYC its fair share of transportation funding:

• The state should sufficiently fund the MTA so that it can meet its operating expenses and keep expansion projects, such as the Second Avenue Subway, on track without any further fare increases.