Comments on: Senate approves questionable MTA package

By: The Infrastructurist | The Daily Dig

The Infrastructurist | The Daily Dig — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:26:51 +0000

[...] York passes a hastily written, not-very-satisfying-to-anyone MTA bailout bill. It doesn’t raise enough money and nobody knows how to collect the money it does raise. [...]

By: NY1 Poll: Few New Yorkers trust the MTA :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Fri, 22 May 2009 16:22:30 +0000

[...] the Senate finally voted to approve an MTA rescue package, it was clear that the beleaguered transit agency had lost at least one battle. While millions of [...]

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:57:51 +0000

The damn problem is that the MTA is running up costs that it really doesn’t need to. Sure, plenty of stations could use rehabilitation, but do they really NEED them? Then they’re spending all this money on Air-Conditioning for all the platforms, Special signs to tell you when the train will arrive- It’s really just plain excessive, and at the worst possible time. Some things need to be done. Maintenance on all bridge to keep them running, done. Repairs on Subway cars to keep them moving, done. The 2nd Avenue Subway- it’s been delayed for years, and we need it (It’s too crowded on Lexington), done. But do we need state-of-the art stations on every one of the stops on the Second Ave Line? Do we have do buy new cars for the SIR? Should we build a bridge from Long Island to Westchester? It’s all waste. The stations don’t have to be ugly, but they could be less flashy. The Subway cars don’t have to have their axles flying off, but they can be maintained. And we’ve all put up with the heat on the subway. Get over it. The MTA simply isn’t making an effort to cut costs instead of service, and they aren’t giving up some things so the fares won’t have to be increased. Soon, because of wasteful spending, the whole 2nd Ave. Subway will be shelved again for another 90 years. It’s nonsense. There are ways to cut costs that simply aren’t being done.

By: E. Aron

E. Aron — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:50:54 +0000

As a resident of Rockland County from 1993-2008, I never found that the MTA serviced the county, aside from the TZ Bridge, which is the biggest catastrophe of a road that I’ve ever traveled, it often takes 30 minutes to travel the 3 miles to get to Westchester due to permanent construction, and the GW.

Of course Rockland wants out of MTA funding BECAUSE IT IS NOT SERVICED BY IT. Trains that go to Pearl River are run by NJ Transit. Get your facts straight. Our “god given right” to travel by car into the city IS THEIR ONLY CHOICE.

By: MTA to vote on new fares on Monday :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Thu, 07 May 2009 18:41:41 +0000

[...] for Monday, May 11 at 10 a.m. to vote on a new fare structure. At the meeting, planned in response state-approved rescue package, the Board will vote to discard the planned service hikes and will establish the new [...]

By: Scott E

Scott E — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:01:36 +0000

am NewYork reported that the 15% MetroCard bonus will likely go back up to 20%. That means the effective price of a ride goes from $1.70 (85% of $2) to $1.80 (80% of $2.25). This one seems to have been overlooked by most of the mainstream media, if it's indeed accurate. Just passing along the info...

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:36:03 +0000

The service cuts are clearly off. The new fare structure will be released either tomorrow and Monday and will go into place in mid-June.

By: pete

pete — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:34:40 +0000

So what happened to the service cuts? Are they still on or not? And how long will it take for the MTA to reverse/change its fare hikes, or will the fare goto $2.50, then to $2.25 a few months later?

By: The Daily Dig » INFRASTRUCTURIST

The Daily Dig » INFRASTRUCTURIST — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:06:18 +0000

[...] York passes a hastily written, not-very-satisfying-to-anyone MTA bailout bill. It doesn’t raise enough money and nobody knows how to collect the money it does raise. [...]

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:50:19 +0000

I wonder how much money the MTA would save by ending service before Rockland County. It probably costs far more per passenger to run trains that far out than it does to operate the subway. So let’s end service out there and then we’ll see how Rockland County the entity feels about it.

I’m all for enacting these drastic measures if it means people actually wake up to the reality of how important transit is.