An L practice arrives in a station with protecting platform limitations.
Photograph by Dean Moses
Approval of all three New York Metropolis-area on line casino proposals turned official on Monday when the state Gaming Fee green-lit plans for full desk video games and billions of {dollars} of recent funding at three websites in Queens and the Bronx.
The upcoming opening of the brand new on line casino and different facilities at Resorts World New York Metropolis in South Ozone Park, Metropolitan Park close to Citi Subject in Flushing, and Bally’s on the former Trump Hyperlinks within the Bronx, is projected to generate $7 billion in tax income to the state over the following decade. This new income stream will largely be cut up between public colleges and the MTA.
The three new NYC-area casinos will present one more massive income stream for the MTA, which additionally collects billions of {dollars} in fares from riders yearly — a determine that can develop in 2026 when the newest spherical of fare hikes takes impact.
The MTA has additionally gained lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} extra this 12 months by the congestion pricing program in Manhattan and is gaining assist for its bold five-year capital plan by funding from a payroll mobility tax enhance that the state Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul permitted earlier this 12 months.
With the MTA among the many massive winners out of the years-long on line casino bidding course of, it’s time for the authority to share these winnings with the riders within the type of enhancements past these outlined within the capital plan — which incorporates upgrading subway automobiles and buses, increasing subway station accessibility, and constructing out the Interborough Categorical (IBSX) mild rail line.
One such further funding must be made towards enhancing security on subways and inside stations, in addition to on public buses.
This could embody hiring further safety personnel to patrol the stations, buses and automobiles, and the set up of floor-to-ceiling platform limitations at high-traffic stations corresponding to Instances Sq., Herald Sq. and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Middle to forestall folks from being pushed or falling onto the tracks (the MTA experiences 150 persons are struck by trains yearly).
One other enchancment must be working with the town not solely to broaden the bus route community but in addition to implement new Categorical and Choose Bus Service (SBS) routes serving transportation deserts corresponding to jap Queens, southern Brooklyn and the jap Bronx — offering faster service to and from Manhattan for residents missing easy accessibility to subway and commuter rail.
Efforts to broaden commuter rail service the place possible is also funded by casino-generated income. This can be significantly useful for Brooklyn and Queens communities served by the Lengthy Island Rail Street. Including new stations and extra trains alongside current or underused strains generally is a actual boon for all residents and companies.
New York Metropolis casinos could make some massive winners within the years forward. The thousands and thousands of commuters transferring by the town on daily basis must be amongst them.
