NEW YORK (AP) — New York city’s subways and commuter rails are getting a big chunk of federal COVID-19 relief funds. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has received $6 billion, part of more than $14.5 billion in overall federal relief aid. The Democrat said he pushed to have it disbursed in a lump sum rather than given out gradually in much smaller amounts, as is customary. The MTA has projected it will have a $1.4 billion budget deficit by 2025, the residual effect of losing more than 90 percent of ridership on subways, trains and buses at the pandemic’s height. Subway ridership still lags pre-pandemic levels by about 40 percent.
Photo: FILE – Patrons move through the Jamaica Center subway station, April 22, 2021, in the Queens borough of New York. After months of negotiations, New York and its two neighboring states have finally agreed on how to divide up billions in federal COVID-19 relief money aimed at public transit. .(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
