Transportation

Contrary to popular belief, sustainability is not only an environmental issue. A system that is sustainable does not mean that it is merely “green” or “eco-friendly” but rather that it has the capacity to endure. There are in fact three distinct aspects of sustainability:

  • Economic: We must not spend more than we collect.
  • Social: We must be sure that no demographic is favored over another.
  • Environmental : We must not burn through our natural resources faster than we can replenish them.

For a system to be sustainable, all three elements must work in tandem. If one corner of the triangle breaks, the cycle is broken and the whole system collapses. This is why the MTA struggles today.

The broken angle in the MTA system lies in economic sustainability. Going back to its founding in 1969, the MTA has relied on inadequate state funding and borrowing to propel itself forward. However, the recent economic crisis took a heavy toll on an already strained MTA budget that suffered a 75% drain from its tax revenue and $165 million diverted by the state from its coffers. With economic sustainability fully out of reach, social and environmental sustainability are bound to follow.

With few alternatives, the MTA has resorted to increasing fares and cutting service.  In terms of environmental sustainability, the increased fares and inconveniences of the MTA has made the comforts and costs of driving more attractive. The most damaging culprit in environmental pollution is carbon emissions, and most carbon emissions come from automobiles. New York City has had the lightest carbon footprint in the nation largely thanks to its extensive network of transit that makes owning or using a car less preferable and cost-effective. The recent changes in the MTA threaten this vital element in NYC’s sustainability. Furthermore, with funds shrinking, new eco-friendly technology becomes less affordable.

Prior to the financial crisis, the MTA did not have a clean record of social sustainability. Some neighborhoods, such as up-and-coming Park Slope are better served than others such as seemingly down-and-out Red Hook. Our research found that the new cuts do not adversely affect Brooklyn’s poorest neighborhoods directly. Rather, the cuts maintain the uneven distribution of bus and subway lines that has been characteristic of the transit network for decades. The new pressures on social sustainability come from the fact that, as fares rise, the working class’s ability to afford public transportation dwindles. Service cuts to poorer neighborhoods have been compensated with re-routed bus lines. However, the larger crowds and longer waits that result add to time spent on trains and drain from time at home. For lower-to-middle class families where both parents work, this time can affect getting children ready for school, arriving on time for work, and innumerable other obligations not possible without efficient public transit.