Yesterday morning, I noted how many who cover the MTA had made the faulty assumption that this year’s service cuts would mirror last year’s. Never mind that the agency had to find far less in savings this year. Never mind that the authority had a year to ascertain better cuts that would leave fewer rides stranded. Reporters who covered the MTA were intent on believing that this year’s cuts would simply be last year’s Doomsday plan repackaged.
Today, The Post proved my point. In article about the hiring of a new manager who will oversee the death of the MetroCard, Tom Namako notes that Z train and the Bx14 bus will probably be “taken off the chopping block.” Two Brooklyn buses — the B77 and B67 — will probably be rerouted to make up for cuts to the B75 and B69, respectively. Again, though, the MTA was legally required to pass a balanced budget last month, and any mentions to Doomsday cuts were simply out of convenience. It’s not a surprise that the MTA is looking at ways to save money that will impact as few riders possible, and by now, it’s clear that this year’s cuts, when they are eventually released to the public, will look far different from last year’s.
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As soon as the MTA announces some the changes, the state and city council will take credit. They will say they fought to bring these about and that they must continue. Though the truth all they did is complain on the local news.
It’s just a matter of time before the MTA has more managers than non managers. It’s a disgrace how management heavy they are when the system ran for so many years with less than a third of the current managers and more hourly employees to supervise.
Actually, I do believe that soon the MTA will have fewer managers, but all I’ve heard are rumblings and grumblings about that. There’s nothing definite on that until at least tomorrow and maybe longer.
“Although her salary raised eyebrows among some MTA watchdogs at a time when the agency is proposing service cuts, advocates said it was good to have one person heading up the overhaul.”
Yes, that is good, but they really couldn’t have, you know, reassigned some other manager to the project, like most companies do? I couldn’t imagine if every new project we took on at my job required hiring a new manager…
Not to get too defensive of the MTA, but do you really think, considering the state of technology at the MTA, that anyone in-house has the knowledge or expertise to spearhead a program replacing the MetroCard? I don’t. Anyone working for the MTA has been working within a MetroCard regime since the early 1990s. This job called out for outside help.
I would hope someone working there would be smart enough to figure it out. But if not, then yes an outside hire was probably best on this one. But what happens after the project is done? Will she just go to some generic desk job like who knows how many other managers?
It’s not a new project-it’s been in the works for years. It seems to be a particular priority of Walder’s, so it’s no surprise that be assigned someone to the slot who he knows and expects to do a good job. Presumably whoever was in charge of the project before has been reassigned to something else.
I realize that $175,000 sounds high but, when the size of the undertaking is taken into acount, I can understand it. It is far more than a change of card type. There’s vending machines, farecard boxes & readers/ receivers , new turnstyles, card vender equipment for retailers & new computers to run the whole system.
Look at the CTA & WMATA for examples on what we are in for. WMATA is in prossess of an mager upgrade of it’s Smartrip card program with new features such as automatic refill like our Easypay program. All be it they should have done this a wile ago.
Considering the scope of the program, the cost of living in New York, and the billions of dollars involved, $175,000 is not a lot at all.