Comments on: Bloomberg Seeks MTA Changes

By: Allison Villa

Allison Villa — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:23:04 +0000

The MTA is getting extremely out of control with all the NY Politicians giving billion of $$$ to their contractors, consultant (friends)…and the money is coming from all the increases they are
imposing to the NY residents.
The corruption inside the MTA is completely an abuse to the residents of this city. The workers are just puppets of the top guys making the decisions and giving billion $ jobs to corrupted contractors.
who is ever going to audit them? Its time to remove them and place some new people there with no connections to contractors, construction companies, consultants etc

By: StationStops

StationStops — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:56:21 +0000

MTA must be dissolved – over the years it has proven itself incompetent of providing transit services for the greatest city in the world.

New Yorkers have become so accustomed to such poor service, they don’t even realize what great service is anymore.

I am tired of hearing about the costs of MTA projects – that’s not the point – the point is that if you have a properly incentivized organization, costs come down.

We need to stop throwing good money after bad.

When you have the transit organization raising fares on a population which is losing jobs, they are no longer serving the greater good – they are no longer an ally of the New York population – you can qualify them as a failure, and move forward…

By: A closer look at Bloomie’s transit proposals :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:02:01 +0000

[...] Bloomberg decided to jump into the well-trodden transit fray. Bill covered Bloomberg’s 33-point plan for a better transit system in a guest post last week, but I want to offer up a few of my own thoughts on this plan. I’ll [...]

By: Niccolo Machivelli

Niccolo Machivelli — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:27:19 +0000

The MTA as an institution unites suburbs and city, unites areas of different productivity, land use regulations, population density and auto ownership. Transportation by its very nature take people from one place to the other. Finding a perfect balance of economic fairness will always fail because of these essential differences between communities.

Instead of focusing your ire on the supposed favoritism for suburban commuters progressive transit advocates should be pushing for more reverse commute service from city to suburb and solid intra-suburban connections so city residents can effectively access the substantial job market in the burbs. That is working for Metro North and Bronx reverse commuters.

Continuing down a road of quid-pro-quo balance sheets and mathematical allegations of fairness cannot generate enough civic trust to develop regional mass transit. This further prunes the growth of mass transit and advantages individual automobile ownership in both the city and the suburbs. Congestion pricing and bridge tolls were killed in the outer boroughs.

Public transportation has to be something that links us together in generalized reciprocity and cannot thrive in the “whats in it for me” mentality of urban grievants and the politicians that cater to them.

By: Skip Skipson

Skip Skipson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:11:10 +0000

I’m surprised he hasn’t proposed bringing the MTA under city control like he did with the schools.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:17:32 +0000

- “The institution of an F line express train” An E X C E L L E N T Idea Mr. Mayor – How about the City coughs up the money?

-” The extension of V trains into Brooklyn” Another good idea. How about you write a check to cover the cost, Mr. Mayor?

- “The expansion of the countdown clocks currently installed in on the L line to other stations” Another BOFFO Idea! It will only require systemwide installation of a Computer Based Train Control System, and the power, signal, infrastructure and wiring to support it, and the time & labor to install it. You can keep buying elections until the job is finished, your Excellency.

“Increased maintenance of subway stations” Has anyone mentioned lately that 20 years ago the City contributed nearly 30% more to the NYCT Operating Budget than it does now?

“The creation of an integrated New York Transit Smart Card” Why bother? After they get out of the Suburban at 86th St, Hizzoner and Entourage ride for free.

“Increased NYPD control of transit system security, with a reference to the installation of surveillance cameras in subway tunnels” When the Transit Police were part of the NYCT, they won nationwide awards for effectiveness & productivity, and were a model for Departments across the country. Since being subsumed into the NYPD, being posted to the Transit Bureau is considered a dead end detail. And cameras don’t prevent crime.

“Partnership with area business owners, similar to the old Adopt-A-Station program, to improve cleanliness around subway entrances” NYCT doesnt have jursidiction ‘around Subway entrances’, and hard as it may be to believe, NYCT does not actually scatter litter & garbage in their own stations, the passengers do. If the Mayor wants cleaner stations, he should instruct NYPD personnel under his direct supervision (see above) to seek out and punish people trashing the Subway.

Hey, that was easy. Maybe I’ll run for Mayor….

By: George

George — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:39:24 +0000

He mentioned NYC Transit, did he not?

Of course, the whole idea behind the MTA’s creation was so that revenue from Bridges & Tunnels could be used towards the rest of the agency. So they’d have to find a way to address the funding problems if they do decide to spinoff NYC Transit and hand it back to the city, for example.

By: Scott C

Scott C — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:35:56 +0000

And I suppose the Mayor also has a plan to pay for these improvements?

What is even more ridiculous is the fact that the V extension/F Express is a current impossibility until sometime in 2012 due to the the Gowanus viaduct rehabilitation project (assuming it stays on schedule). In case Bloomberg hasn’t noticed, the express tracks have been removed from the Carrol Street portal to 4th Avenue. But why let facts get in the way when you are pandering to voters?

By: Working Class

Working Class — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:19:37 +0000

How would you expect a state agency to be run by the city that “part” of it serves?

By: Gary Reilly

Gary Reilly — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:08:58 +0000

Bill,

Check out the “F Express Plan” in the sidebar – Ben and I have been pushing the F Express / V local plan since 2007 -

I posted something on my blog this morning, which is also covered over at OTBKB.

http://firstandcourt.blogspot......posal.html

http://onlytheblogknowsbrookly.....-plan.html

Welcome to SAS – you guys are doing a great job while Ben is out and about!

Best,

Gary