MTA Could Take Five Years to Fix Sandy Damage: Report

Restoring the sections New York City’s transit system damaged by Hurricane Sandy could take up to five years, the MTA’s new chairman told the New York Daily News.

Additionally, MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said he believed that another fare hike in 2015 was very likely.

The agency expects to spend billions to replace electrical and track components damaged by salt water during Sandy’s visit to the five boroughs.

Straphangers should expect closures and service changes as the MTA works to clean up after the superstorm during the next five years.

“What we need to do is figure out how we can mitigate those impacts, minimize the discomfort to the public, but if we fool ourselves and fool the public into thinking we don’t have to do it, there will come a point in time where the system will be out of service at a more impactful level,” Prendergast told the Daily News.