MTA: New York City could be crippled if transit infrastructure isn’t upgraded soon

NEW YORK — The MTA is one of the most intricate parts of how we get around in New York City.

CBS New York is taking a closer look at this aging infrastructure, which was built more than 100 years ago.

The MTA is painting a dismal picture about the state of the city’s transit system and its future.

Millions of New Yorkers rely on buses and trains to navigate their daily lives, and transit bosses say the city could be crippled if the system isn’t upgraded soon.

READ MORE: MTA: Money made from congestion pricing will be used to address existing issues

MTA officials released a report Wednesday outlining the agency’s needs for the next 20 years, by which time the agency says 1 million additional commuters will be taking trains and buses.

The MTA says the 100-year-old Grand Central Terminal and the tunnel leading into it could collapse without repairs, rendering Metro-North trains useless for years.

The MTA’s report also talks about improving service, like fixing the signals to increase train capacity, buying new buses, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trains, and providing new commuting options for people in Brooklyn and Queens.

The agency is also stressing the importance of ensuring the system is resilient to climate change.

According to the MTA, many subway repairs remain incomplete due to lack of funding. The hotly debated congestion pricing plan is designed to fix that, and prevent further delays and more debt that will ultimately fall on riders in the form of higher fares.

Congestion pricing would raise $1 billion for the MTA and would allow the agency to bond $15 billion per year to complete repairs.

CBS New York’s Marcia Kramer will have much more on this developing story on the News at 5 & 6 p.m.