負責運營紐約市地鐵、公共汽車和通勤鐵路線的紐約大都會運輸署(Metropolitan Transit Authority)亟需注入120億美元資金,以抵消新冠肺炎疫情造成的損失。大都會運輸署的首席執(zhí)行官帕特里克·福耶表示,如果聯(lián)邦政府不同意援助,該署最早將在11月開始大規(guī)模裁員并削減服務。
“紐約市的公共交通服務會出現(xiàn)倒退,回到上世紀七八十年代。”福耶于9月3日上午向記者表示,“我們不想回到那個時代?!?/p>
福耶還認為,由于紐約市經(jīng)濟的重要性,如果其交通系統(tǒng)被削弱,將會拖慢全美的經(jīng)濟復蘇腳步。
“如果大都會運輸署拿不到資金,紐約市、整個地區(qū)甚至全國的就業(yè)崗位都會減少?!彼嬖V記者,“到時經(jīng)濟復蘇就會遇到困難障礙……經(jīng)濟將出現(xiàn)蕭條?!?/p>
紐約市是新冠肺炎早期疫情的風暴中心。大都會運輸署的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,今年3月,當?shù)鼗疖嚒⒐卉嚭偷罔F的客流量(和票價收入)暴跌92%。福耶說,直到現(xiàn)在,紐約地鐵的客流量仍然比去年低72%,公交車比去年低50%,與此同時,清潔措施的增加又推高了成本。該署稱,目前每周虧損2億美元,到2024年將面臨160億美元的赤字。(紐約市公共交通的客流量在2015年達到歷史高點,之后在疫情爆發(fā)前就已經(jīng)開始以每年5%的速度減少。)
《新冠病毒援助、救濟和經(jīng)濟安全法》(Federal CARES act)第一輪向紐約大都會運輸署提供了近40億美元的救濟資金,但是第二輪救濟金目前仍然在美國國會擱置。福耶向記者表示,若國會同意追加120億美元救濟金,該署則無需在2020年和2021年削減就業(yè)和服務,等到2021年,新冠病毒疫苗有望廣泛接種。他還說,如果沒有這筆救濟金,大都會運輸署的領導層將在11月做出關于削減服務和裁員的決定。
可能出現(xiàn)的削減影響驚人。福耶說,市內(nèi)客運服務削減可能會高達40%,通勤鐵路服務將減少50%,而通勤鐵路連接著城市和大量城市職員居住的外圍地區(qū)。這意味著候車時間將變長,公共汽車和地鐵將更加擁擠。
同樣可能會被削減的還包括大都會運輸署系統(tǒng)內(nèi)的8400個工作崗位,已經(jīng)計劃許久的系統(tǒng)升級也將再次被推遲。福耶說,漲價也可能成為整體調(diào)整中的一個必要部分。
紐約一直嚴格限制室內(nèi)餐飲和其他可能導致新冠病毒傳播的行業(yè)。得益于這種做法,最近幾個月紐約市對疫情的控制比美國大部分地區(qū)都好,但也并非沒有嚴重后果:紐約市當前的失業(yè)率為19.8%,幾乎是全美失業(yè)率的兩倍。
紐約大都會運輸署如果削減服務,可能會使經(jīng)濟復蘇難上加難。絕大多數(shù)紐約人依靠公共交通通勤;該市只有45.4%的家庭擁有汽車,曼哈頓地區(qū)的汽車擁有率更是只有24.4%。相比之下,全國平均每戶家庭擁有差不多兩輛汽車。依賴公共交通而非自有汽車出行提高了城市的人口密度,進而提高了勞動生產(chǎn)率和資本生產(chǎn)率,提升了城市的經(jīng)濟活力。
所以說,紐約大都會運輸署能否良好運行不僅是一個地方性問題:紐約市地區(qū)的國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值占全美的8%。紐約州立大學洛克菲勒政府研究所(SUNY’s Rockefeller Institute of Government)的一項分析顯示,紐約州經(jīng)濟體量龐大,盡管紐約州的州長安德魯·庫默將該州定義為“捐贈州”的說法引發(fā)了爭議,但事實是該州向聯(lián)邦政府繳納的稅收比當?shù)鼐用瘾@得的福利和服務多出1160億美元。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Min
負責運營紐約市地鐵、公共汽車和通勤鐵路線的紐約大都會運輸署(Metropolitan Transit Authority)亟需注入120億美元資金,以抵消新冠肺炎疫情造成的損失。大都會運輸署的首席執(zhí)行官帕特里克·福耶表示,如果聯(lián)邦政府不同意援助,該署最早將在11月開始大規(guī)模裁員并削減服務。
“紐約市的公共交通服務會出現(xiàn)倒退,回到上世紀七八十年代?!备R?月3日上午向記者表示,“我們不想回到那個時代?!?/p>
福耶還認為,由于紐約市經(jīng)濟的重要性,如果其交通系統(tǒng)被削弱,將會拖慢全美的經(jīng)濟復蘇腳步。
“如果大都會運輸署拿不到資金,紐約市、整個地區(qū)甚至全國的就業(yè)崗位都會減少?!彼嬖V記者,“到時經(jīng)濟復蘇就會遇到困難障礙……經(jīng)濟將出現(xiàn)蕭條?!?/p>
紐約市是新冠肺炎早期疫情的風暴中心。大都會運輸署的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,今年3月,當?shù)鼗疖?、公交車和地鐵的客流量(和票價收入)暴跌92%。福耶說,直到現(xiàn)在,紐約地鐵的客流量仍然比去年低72%,公交車比去年低50%,與此同時,清潔措施的增加又推高了成本。該署稱,目前每周虧損2億美元,到2024年將面臨160億美元的赤字。(紐約市公共交通的客流量在2015年達到歷史高點,之后在疫情爆發(fā)前就已經(jīng)開始以每年5%的速度減少。)
《新冠病毒援助、救濟和經(jīng)濟安全法》(Federal CARES act)第一輪向紐約大都會運輸署提供了近40億美元的救濟資金,但是第二輪救濟金目前仍然在美國國會擱置。福耶向記者表示,若國會同意追加120億美元救濟金,該署則無需在2020年和2021年削減就業(yè)和服務,等到2021年,新冠病毒疫苗有望廣泛接種。他還說,如果沒有這筆救濟金,大都會運輸署的領導層將在11月做出關于削減服務和裁員的決定。
可能出現(xiàn)的削減影響驚人。福耶說,市內(nèi)客運服務削減可能會高達40%,通勤鐵路服務將減少50%,而通勤鐵路連接著城市和大量城市職員居住的外圍地區(qū)。這意味著候車時間將變長,公共汽車和地鐵將更加擁擠。
同樣可能會被削減的還包括大都會運輸署系統(tǒng)內(nèi)的8400個工作崗位,已經(jīng)計劃許久的系統(tǒng)升級也將再次被推遲。福耶說,漲價也可能成為整體調(diào)整中的一個必要部分。
紐約一直嚴格限制室內(nèi)餐飲和其他可能導致新冠病毒傳播的行業(yè)。得益于這種做法,最近幾個月紐約市對疫情的控制比美國大部分地區(qū)都好,但也并非沒有嚴重后果:紐約市當前的失業(yè)率為19.8%,幾乎是全美失業(yè)率的兩倍。
紐約大都會運輸署如果削減服務,可能會使經(jīng)濟復蘇難上加難。絕大多數(shù)紐約人依靠公共交通通勤;該市只有45.4%的家庭擁有汽車,曼哈頓地區(qū)的汽車擁有率更是只有24.4%。相比之下,全國平均每戶家庭擁有差不多兩輛汽車。依賴公共交通而非自有汽車出行提高了城市的人口密度,進而提高了勞動生產(chǎn)率和資本生產(chǎn)率,提升了城市的經(jīng)濟活力。
所以說,紐約大都會運輸署能否良好運行不僅是一個地方性問題:紐約市地區(qū)的國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值占全美的8%。紐約州立大學洛克菲勒政府研究所(SUNY’s Rockefeller Institute of Government)的一項分析顯示,紐約州經(jīng)濟體量龐大,盡管紐約州的州長安德魯·庫默將該州定義為“捐贈州”的說法引發(fā)了爭議,但事實是該州向聯(lián)邦政府繳納的稅收比當?shù)鼐用瘾@得的福利和服務多出1160億美元。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Min
The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which runs New York City’s subways, buses, and commuter rail lines, needs a $12 billion cash infusion to offset losses due to the coronavirus. If the federal government doesn't approve aid, MTA CEO Patrick Foye says massive cuts to staffing and service could be implemented as soon as November.
“There will be a deterioration in service in New York City as we saw in the ’70s and ’80s,” Foye told reporters on September 3 morning. “We don’t want to go back to that.”
Foye also argued that because New York City is such an economic powerhouse, a weakened transit system there would slow the entire country's economic recovery.
“There will be fewer people employed in New York City, and the region, and the nation, if the MTA doesn’t get funding,” he told reporters. “The economic recovery will be stunted and thwarted if that doesn’t happen…the economy will be depressed.”
New York City was an early epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. The MTA reported ridership (and fare revenue) on trains, buses, and subways plummeted as much as 92% in March. Foye says ridership remains down 72% for subways compared to last year and 50% for buses, while increased cleaning protocols have driven costs up. The agency now reports it is losing $200 million weekly and faces a $16 billion deficit through 2024. (After reaching historic highs in 2015, ridership had already begun declining by as much as 5% annually before the pandemic.)
The first installment of the Federal CARES act provided close to $4 billion in relief funding for the MTA, but a second round of relief funds has been stalled in Congress. Foye told reporters an additional $12 billion from Congress would allow the MTA to avoid cuts for the rest of 2020 as well as 2021, when a coronavirus vaccine is expected to become widely available. Without that aid, he said, decisions about service and staffing cuts would be made by MTA leadership in November.
The potential cuts are shocking. Foye said they would include a reduction of as much as 40% in passenger service within the city, and a 50% decrease in service on commuter rail lines, which connect the city to outlying areas where many city workers live. Those reductions would mean much longer wait times and more crowded buses and subways.
Also on the chopping block would be 8,400 jobs across the MTA system and further delays of long-planned upgrades to the system. Foye said fare increases could also be part of the necessary restructuring.
New York has maintained aggressive restrictions on indoor dining and other businesses that can contribute to coronavirus transmission. That has helped the city contain the pandemic in recent months better than most of the U.S., but not without a serious toll: Unemployment in New York City is currently 19.8%, nearly twice the nationwide rate.
Reduced MTA service could make recovery much more difficult. New Yorkers overwhelmingly rely on public transit to access jobs; only 45.4 % of households in the city own a car, dropping to 24.4% in Manhattan. That’s compared to nearly two cars per household on average nationwide. Reliance on transit rather than cars bolsters the city’s economic vibrancy by increasing density and, in turn, labor and capital productivity.
That’s why the MTA’s health is not merely a local issue: The New York City region generates 8% of total U.S. GDP. According to an analysis by SUNY’s Rockefeller Institute of Government, New York’s massive economy means the state sends $116 billion more in tax revenues to the federal government than residents receive in benefits and services, though Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s framing of New York as a “donor state” has been disputed.