In a rather scathing editor, the New York Post rails on Elliot Sander’s State of the MTA address today. Citing the Fulton St. Hub, the delay in the Second Ave. subway and the whole flap over the 7 line extension, they note the MTA’s recent string of broken promises and wonder if it makes sense to look 40 years into the future if the MTA can’t even deliver one Lower Manhattan station on time and close to budget.”MTA brass will have to prioritize – and, more important, do a better job of managing projects and estimating costs,” the editorial says. “If the agency hopes to spend such vast sums, it first ought to show that it can deliver something for the money.”
Admittedly, the Post makes some good points. As I’ve noted numerous times, the MTA cannot seem to finish projects on time or at budget. But right now, the City needs big dreamers, and Sander offered up a Big Dream on Monday. While the MTA should shoulder the blame for faulty projections and endless construction, our government should be investing more in the City’s infrastructure. When the future depends on it, there’s certainly enough blame to go around.