New Yorkers need leadership from their elected officials to avoid the devastating service cuts announced by the MTA today. The cuts have been tweaked from the December proposal, but will still impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and must be stopped.
More bad news could be on the way. Governor Paterson’s budget, released this week, slashes funding to the MTA by an additional $104 million. State leaders have a responsibility to stave off those cuts.
New York City has not increased funding to the MTA since 1995. Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council must step up for New Yorkers.
Long Island Bus riders now face the elimination of 13 bus routes and cuts to additional ones. New Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano can be a hero by reinstating $1.4 million in county funding for the system that was cut before he took office.
We urge transit riders to make their voices heard at the public hearings announced for March.
I’m sorry. This whole situation is a mess. It is a war of attrition. Right now the MTA’s message is, “We wont reduce service if the government funding that was cut in the 90s was restored”.
And the government is saying, “We won’t give you any money unless you use it wisely”.
The MTA is wasting a huge amount of money. If you look closely, the MTA has spent an enormous amount of money on purchasing new railcars to replace a fleet of around 600 cars from the late 60s. These cars (the R32 class) structurally are in MUCH, MUCH better shape than a smaller fleet of railcars ordered in the early 70s (The R44 class). Why can’t the MTA replace R44 class and cannibalize them for newer parts for the R32 class? That way, the increased maintenance costs of the R44’s rusting frames is gone, less money is spent for less new cars, and C train riders are enjoying refurbished R32s.
Of course, this makes to much sense for the MTA to do it.
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