By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report on Monday saying that the MTA was relying too heavily on fare hikes and risky budget projections in its proposed plan to close a $1 billion deficit next year.
This most recent review of the transit agency’s financial plan revealed that the agency's deficit could more than double by 2014 and showed that fare increases and service reductions accounted for 57 percent of the MTA's plan to close the budget gap, according to the comptroller's office.
"We're seeing the effect of the recession and years of undisciplined bloat and inefficiency," DiNapoli said in a statement on Monday.
"The MTA's current administration is working to close its budget gap, but commuters and taxpayers are demanding results. The MTA needs to change the way it does business. Repeated fare hikes and service cuts can't change a culture of complacency."
The MTA has recently floated the idea of increasing the price of a 30-day unlimited MetroCard to $104, or raising the price to $99 but instituting a 90-ride cap, in addition to a proposal to charge people $1 whenever they buy a new MetroCard instead of refilling an old one.
DiNapoli also said the MTA was taking great risks by relying on anticipated savings in labor costs, the disabled riders' program, and overtime in order to close the budget gap.
The comptroller’s report came the same day that the MTA announced that it expects to reduce overtime costs by $54 million for the year, which is several millions more than it estimated saving earlier this year.
