STATEN ISLAND — A $75 million cut to New York's transit funding should be restored, according to Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Dan Donovan.
An amendment to a transportation bill passed by Congress last month cut extra public transportation funding in "high density" states across the country, which includes more than $75 million per year to the MTA and city Department of Transportation, Schumer said.
"This proposed cut in funding would deal a devastating blow to transit agencies, particularly at a time when New York's infrastructure is crumbling and in the need of additional funding," Schumer, a Democrat, said during an announcement of the bipartisan push to restore the funding on Staten Island.
"That is why I am going to do everything in my power to reverse these cuts and restore the program, which has been a lifeline for New York, including those on Staten Island, in years past and should continue to be for years to come."
The "5430 funding" by the Federal Transit Administration, started in 2005 and gave additional funds to states that are considered to be the most congested and transit-dependent, Schumer said.
An amendment in the House's six-year transportation bill would eliminate the 5340 program.
"Staten Islanders face some of the longest commute times in the country, and the situation isn't much better in South Brooklyn," Donovan, a Republican, said in a statement.
"The proposed mass transit cuts are unacceptable, and the House negotiators know my position."
