Asides

Over the past few months, Transportation Alternatives has been pushing its Rider Rebellion campaign on the public. They want to show how transit riders support “affordable fares, better service and the end of service cuts.” In essence, its goal is to convince politicians to invest more heavily in the system to avoid decay, and they’re trying to do so by highlighting some of the more unsavory aspects of the system. Recently, they named 138th Street/Grand Concourse the smelliest system in the station to highlight how budget woes have led the MTA to cut cleaners. It’s quite the dubious distinction.

“We asked our fellow transit riders to stand up, cover their noses and tell us which station smells the worst,” Paul Steely White, TA’s executive director, said. “While recent budget cuts by the state legislature have forced subway riders to deal with higher fares and less frequent trains, it has also led to cutbacks in the general upkeep of stations. Stations have got dirtier and smellier and the conditions are unacceptable.”

The 138th Street station edged out 34th St./Herald Square, Jamaica Center and Grant Ave. in a text poll. Unfortunately, though, only 229 folks voted so the results aren’t entire scientific. Still, the point remains: Stations aren’t as clean as they should be, and riders have to suffer the stench because of it.

Over the years, John Liu has become a prominent New York City politician who doesn’t have a clue about MTA finances. As early as 2007, I questioned his knowledge of transit funding, and he has over the years continued to espouse falsehoods and non-sequitors about the MTA. Now, with Jay Walder’s looming departure, he has somehow managed to raise his own bar yet again.

In a brief interview with a local Queens community paper, Liu slammed Walder for leaving the MTA, and while I don’t disagree with the overarching sentiment that Walder is leaving before he finishes the job, Liu’s statements are patently absurd. “I’m very disappointed that Walder’s leaving and I hold him responsible,” Liu said. “He basically just threw his hands up and waved the white flag. I think it was a cop-out.” Responsible for what, exactly? Considering the only recent MTA report to come out of Liu’s office was a petty one on service changes, I’m sure Walder isn’t going to take Liu’s accusations too seriously.

Meanwhile, Liu, who refuses to take the position that pension reform is needed because it would alienate his high-powered friends in labor, thinks the solution to the MTA’s woes can be found through the magically federal government fairy. The MTA, he says, will be fine if only the feds would give it more money. And this a politician many think will try to run for mayor in 2013?