Comments on: Public hearings for the MTA, but to what end? http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/ A New York City Subway Blog Sat, 26 May 2012 04:42:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Allan Rosen http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-74558 Allan Rosen Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:24:22 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-74558 Moat of the cuts will stay. It is highly doubtful if cuts other than the ones Walder orders to be dropped will be dropped. Two weeks is hardly enough time for the Board and the staff to review all the comments and make changes. The videos of the Brooklyn hearing were supposed to be posted on the MTA website on March 10th and as of the 15th, still are not available. When did or will the board receive copies of all the written testimony to review? After the scheduled vote? Moat of the cuts will stay. It is highly doubtful if cuts other than the ones Walder orders to be dropped will be dropped. Two weeks is hardly enough time for the Board and the staff to review all the comments and make changes. The videos of the Brooklyn hearing were supposed to be posted on the MTA website on March 10th and as of the 15th, still are not available. When did or will the board receive copies of all the written testimony to review? After the scheduled vote?

]]> By: MTA reassessing bus cuts, but larger deficit looms. :: Second Ave. Sagas http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-74185 MTA reassessing bus cuts, but larger deficit looms. :: Second Ave. Sagas Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:15:30 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-74185 [...] hearings last week as political theater, I recognize that, as happened in 1990, these hearings can impact the MTA’s approach to service cuts. Today, the Daily News reports, unsurprisingly, that the MTA is reconsidering some bus route [...] [...] hearings last week as political theater, I recognize that, as happened in 1990, these hearings can impact the MTA’s approach to service cuts. Today, the Daily News reports, unsurprisingly, that the MTA is reconsidering some bus route [...]

]]> By: Allan Rosen http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73842 Allan Rosen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:10:52 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73842 The MTA stated in their report that they intend to implement their recommendations or some version of it within 90 days after the hearings. I have also heard that it takes 18 months to prepare a schedule. Therefore, in order for all this to happen within 90 days, some or most of this work has to have already been prepared and it is impossible for all this to have been prepared within 30 days as the MTA stated, if I read that correctly. The MTA stated in their report that they intend to implement their recommendations or some version of it within 90 days after the hearings. I have also heard that it takes 18 months to prepare a schedule. Therefore, in order for all this to happen within 90 days, some or most of this work has to have already been prepared and it is impossible for all this to have been prepared within 30 days as the MTA stated, if I read that correctly.

]]> By: Allan Rosen http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73840 Allan Rosen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:04:40 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73840 The period was the end of the sentence. It was not meant to be part of the address. The period was the end of the sentence. It was not meant to be part of the address.

]]> By: Allan Rosen http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73839 Allan Rosen Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:01:40 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73839 If you read my entire testimony, I did not say that they did not account for lost revenue. (1) I said they grossly underestimated lost revenue. Whenever they provided an alternative routing, I could not find any lost revenue. (2) their service guidelines except for outer Staten Island, call for no one having to walk more than a quarter-mile to a bus route. This has always been interpreted as a quarter-mile to an east-west or north-south bus route. I do not know how it is currently interpreted. (Theoretically, all Manhattan crosstown routes could be eliminated and technically everyone would still be within the guidelines.) I recognize that these are only guidelines and cannot be followed in all instances. However, these cuts are putting some between one-half and three-quarters of a mile from a north-south or east west bus route and that far exceeds the guidelines as I interpret them. To interpret the guidelines otherwise does not make sense. (3) "your cost analysis and theirs were not based on the metrics". I'm not sure if I understand what you mean by this, but we can discuss it if you would like to. If you read my entire testimony, I did not say that they did not account for lost revenue. (1) I said they grossly underestimated lost revenue. Whenever they provided an alternative routing, I could not find any lost revenue. (2) their service guidelines except for outer Staten Island, call for no one having to walk more than a quarter-mile to a bus route. This has always been interpreted as a quarter-mile to an east-west or north-south bus route. I do not know how it is currently interpreted. (Theoretically, all Manhattan crosstown routes could be eliminated and technically everyone would still be within the guidelines.) I recognize that these are only guidelines and cannot be followed in all instances. However, these cuts are putting some between one-half and three-quarters of a mile from a north-south or east west bus route and that far exceeds the guidelines as I interpret them. To interpret the guidelines otherwise does not make sense.

(3) “your cost analysis and theirs were not based on the metrics”.

I’m not sure if I understand what you mean by this, but we can discuss it if you would like to.

]]> By: Sammy Finkelman http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73816 Sammy Finkelman Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:11:46 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73816 Nobody could write a detailed reply? I thought, when I looked at the book, taht mayeb one or two things he said about what they did in their calculations was wrong. Maybe there was more wrong in his post -but there was not too much about calculations in the testimony. But in any case, he as clearly guessing about whjat they did. And his guess that this was a pckage developed over a long period of time and tehy substituted recent figures for earlier ones, may be correct. There really is no reason either to think the MTA was just following a rule and I think the recently acquired bus routes in Queens are of course politically protected. Nobody could write a detailed reply? I thought, when I looked at the book, taht mayeb one or two things he said about what they did in their calculations was wrong. Maybe there was more wrong in his post -but there was not too much about calculations in the testimony. But in any case, he as clearly guessing about whjat they did. And his guess that this was a pckage developed over a long period of time and tehy substituted recent figures for earlier ones, may be correct.

There really is no reason either to think the MTA was just following a rule and I think the recently acquired bus routes in Queens are of course politically protected.

]]> By: Sammy Finkelman http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73815 Sammy Finkelman Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:07:11 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73815 Can I get it also? Can I get it also?

]]> By: Sammy Finkelman http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73814 Sammy Finkelman Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:06:10 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73814 I think the reason the link you gave does not work is that there is period after the m in .com Leave out the period and it does work. I think the reason the link you gave does not work is that there is period after the m in .com Leave out the period and it does work.

]]> By: Sammy Finkelman http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73813 Sammy Finkelman Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:04:05 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73813 Allan Rosen: AR> my testimony which you can read either at allanrosen.spaces.live.com. That link does not work. This is the link to the testimony: http://allanrosen.spaces.live.com/?lc=1033 I got that through http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2010/03/former-transit-brass-criticizes-latest-cuts/#disqus_thread Which you put on that slip of paper you handed out to a few people at the MTA hearing in Brooklyn. You stayed a few minutes just a little bit outside the auditorium and I guess whoever walked out just then could get it. Allan Rosen:

AR> my testimony which you can read either at allanrosen.spaces.live.com.

That link does not work. This is the link to the testimony:

http://allanrosen.spaces.live.com/?lc=1033

I got that through http://www.sheepsheadbites.com.....qus_thread

Which you put on that slip of paper you handed out to a few people at the MTA hearing in Brooklyn. You stayed a few minutes just a little bit outside the auditorium and I guess whoever walked out just then could get it.

]]> By: Sammy Finkelman http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/03/03/are-the-mtas-proposed-bus-cuts-misguided/#comment-73812 Sammy Finkelman Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:59:16 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5256#comment-73812 >> In short, it is my belief that the visible cuts don’t amount to much, and the effective cuts (such as the student Metrocard) will never happen, leaving the agency to scramble for one-time emergency help That's the idea! The only question why did they include any real cuts at all, instead of having the package consist entirely of fake cuts and playing chicken? >> In short, it is my belief that the visible cuts don’t amount to much, and the effective cuts (such as the student Metrocard) will never happen, leaving the agency to scramble for one-time emergency help

That’s the idea! The only question why did they include any real cuts at all, instead of having the package consist entirely of fake cuts and playing chicken?

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