Area lawmakers are up in arms after the Metropolitan Transit Authority proposed eliminating west-of-Hudson rail service, in addition to 50 percent cuts throughout their service area, as sweeping budget shortfalls loom without federal assistance. Metro-North ridership is down 83 percent, and MTA chairman Patrick Foye says they need the feds to kick in 12 billion dollars to get through the rest of the year…
Rockland assemblyman Ken Zebrowski said the proposal would decimate the local economy. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says while he understands the need for reductions due to the pandemic, eliminating all west-of-Hudson service should not even be an option…
North Rockland and Orange County Assemblyman Colin Schmitt called it an “unacceptable, boneheaded budget proposal.” North Rockland and Orange County state senator James Skoufis says the region could leave the MTA and contract with NJ Transit instead, if it comes to that. The MTA says cutting west-of-Hudson service would save at least $25 million and avoid more than $1 billion in planned capital expenses.