WASHINGTON – A $900 billion federal stimulus package has been agreed upon by congressional leaders and it will likely include $600 for individuals and a $4 billion bailout for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The $600 check is half of what a previous coronavirus economic stimulus bill provided.
The MTA relief means the agency can breathe a sigh of relief for 2021. Without it, the transportation authority said it would have to make “devastating service cuts and layoffs of o0ver 9,000 colleagues,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye.
There was also talk of cutting Metro-North east of Hudson service in half and eliminating west of Hudson service altogether.
“To be clear, we are still facing an $8 billion deficit in the years ahead, but this is a promising first step that will help protect the local, state, and national economies in the short term,” Foye said.
NEWS STORY PROVIDED BY: Mid Hudson News -www.midhudsonnews.com