New York Construction Report staff writer
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has approved a historic $65 billion capital plan aimed at modernizing New York City’s aging transit infrastructure, marking the largest investment in the agency’s history.
The five-year plan, covering 2025 through 2029, was approved by the MTA board this week. It is the first capital plan informed by the MTA’s Twenty-Year Needs Assessment, the most comprehensive system-wide evaluation the agency has ever conducted.
“This is the first capital plan based on a comprehensive review of the condition of this priceless system,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “And it’s the first to truly and unapologetically say we are prioritizing a state of good repair.”
MTA Construction & Development (MTA C&D), which oversees delivery of capital projects, has already initiated work on nearly half the projects included in the plan. Early efforts include modernizing signaling on the Fulton and Liberty lines, launching the design phase of the Interborough Express, and implementing climate resiliency upgrades on Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line.
“This is the most rigorously vetted capital plan in MTA history, and we’re ready to deliver better, faster, and cheaper,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA C&D.
The plan calls for wide-ranging investments, including the purchase of 2,000 new railcars, making 60 subway stations ADA-accessible, modernizing 75 miles of signals, installing updated fare gates at 150 stations, and overhauling key infrastructure such as the Grand Central Artery.
Other priorities include updating customer information screens, enhancing security features, rebuilding more than 80 power substations, and upgrading train shops and yards.
MTA officials emphasized the importance of in-house work in reducing costs. Since the initial plan proposal, MTA C&D has reevaluated which projects can be completed internally, resulting in significant savings. New York City Transit, for example, has already installed platform barriers at 19 stations this year and is on track to reach 100 by year’s end.
In a report detailing the agency’s progress, MTA C&D noted $3 billion in capital delivery savings over the last five years. As a result, the 2025–2029 plan delivers more for riders while costing 4% less in inflation-adjusted dollars than the current $68.4 billion plan covering 2020–2024.
“Funding transit, whether operating or capital, should be treated like a core government service—like water, sanitation and healthcare,” said MTA Chief Financial Officer Kevin Willens. “It is an investment in infrastructure that is critical to the economy of the city and the state.”
Pending final approvals and continued funding support, the MTA expects to begin full implementation of the capital plan in early 2025.
