That’s what the MTA is saying these days when they look at the capital improvement budget.  There’s a gaping $3 billion hole smack in the middle of the budget responsible for general repairs and maintenance of the transit system.

Yep.  $3 Billion.  Oops.

“The [CAPITAL] program has some shortfalls in it,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Elliot Sander said at an agency board meeting. [AMNY]

Uhhh yeah, “shortfall” is an understatement.

While mega-projects like the Second Avenue subway are not affected, the “nitty-gritty” work of station repairs and upgrades, signal replacements, or purchase of new cars could suffer, said MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin. {AMNY]

You know, just the minor things like repairs, and track signals.  And really, how badly do we really need working brakes?