Mass Transit

This summer I wrote about the need for increased public subsidies for mass transit and about the importance of keeping transit fares as low as possible. Due to over borrowing for capital improvements during the Pataki administration and the reduction in revenues from the City's real-estate transfer tax, estimates of the size of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's budget deficit continue to grow. The most recent estimate is for $1.2 billion in red ink next year. The MTA has proposed a "doomsday budget" of massive fare increases and widespread service reductions. They are hoping that the prospect of higher prices for less service will somehow scare the courageous and forward-looking leaders in Albany into action.  read more »

The Straphangers Campaign today issued its 11th annual “State of the Subways” Report card, rating the L as the best of 22 subway lines, followed by the 7. Both of these lines are participating in a management pilot program and are run by Line General Managers who have been given a greater degree of independence, as well as accountability to the riders on these two lines.

"The L ranked highest because it performs best in the system on two measures—regularity of service and announcements—and well above average on three other measures: frequency of scheduled service, delays caused by mechanical breakdowns and the percentage of dirty cars," a statement released today by Straphangers said.  read more »

One of the central elements of Mayor Bloomberg's plan for a sustainable New York City is to improve mass transit and get people out of their cars and into busses and subways. In addition to better and more frequent transit service, the city also needs to ensure that the price of mass transit is kept under control. In the aftermath of the defeat of congestion pricing, we see that mass transit in this region is under greater financial stress than at any time since the fiscal crisis of the mid 1970's.

State and local tax collections are in decline, and the MTA bears the burden of the Pataki philosophy of borrowing to fund transit infrastructure.  read more »

The M.T.A. did not seem to notice the chorus of boos that erupted across the city from public officials and subway riders alike upon hearing news of a potential 8 percent fare hike next year, because today the agency went even further.

City Room reports that the M.T.A. will also request at its Friday board meeting an additional 5 percent increase to take effect by January 2011 — for a cumulative increase of 13.4 percent over 18 months.

The M.T.A. argues that raising fares is the only way to deal with a projected $900 million budget gap. Though dissenters at the "contentious" meeting today claimed that there's more fat to trim on the M.T.A.'s budget.

Stayed tuned for the outcome on Friday.