MTA
Streetsblog Basics
Honoring the Tappan Zee, and Other Highlights From the RPA Assembly
Today, the Regional Plan Association held its 23rd Annual Assembly, gathering many of the region's transportation and development players under one roof. Unlike recent years, when the buzz was about congestion pricing or DOT's bicycle and pedestrian programs, this year's program didn't have much to excite livable streets advocates.
April 19, 2013
Manhattan CB 6 Urges MTA to Restore Blue Lights to Select Bus Service
Manhattan Community Board 6 has adopted a resolution in support of a state law to bring back flashing blue lights on Select Bus Service buses. The reso also urges the MTA to explore options to restore the lights in lieu of legislative action.
April 17, 2013
After 102 Days, Cuomo Finally Names Tom Prendergast MTA Chief
Today Governor Andrew Cuomo named Tom Prendergast Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Prendergast had been serving as interim executive director of the agency for more than three months, since Joseph Lhota departed at the end of last year to run for mayor. Prendergast, like previous MTA chiefs Lee Sander and Jay Walder, brings deep experience in transit management to the job.
April 12, 2013
Quinn Ties Transit Growth to NYC’s Economic Health, Stops Short on Funding
Christine Quinn outlined her transit platform at a campaign event at LaGuardia Community College this morning. With a focus on Select Bus Service and ferries -- elements of the transit system that the mayor can actually control to a large degree -- Quinn's proposals tie the expansion of transit to the city's economic health. She also called for local control of the MTA.
April 11, 2013
In State Budget, Tax Receipts Giveth to MTA, and Cuomo Taketh Away
Earlier this week, there was good news for transit riders: MTA tax receipts came in higher than expected, providing up to $40 million in additional revenue this year. While the MTA isn't scheduled to update its budget until summer, there is already talk of using the money to restore cuts or expand service.
March 29, 2013
Ravitch: The Next Mayor Must Get Serious About Congestion Pricing
The next mayor will have to take the lead on transportation funding challenges that, while difficult to address in campaign speeches, are critical to the city's future, former lieutenant governor and MTA chairman Richard Ravitch said today at a Fordham University infrastructure forum.
March 5, 2013
At Transit Forum, Albanese, Allon, and Carrión Support Rational Tolls
Friday's transit forum hosted by Transit Workers Union Local 100 and a coalition of rider advocacy groups offered an opportunity for a more more detailed discussion of transit policy than this year's mayoral race has seen so far. While the candidates offered few specifics about how they would improve transit for the millions of New Yorkers who depend on trains and buses, clear differences emerged, especially on the question of how to increase funding for the debt-ridden MTA.
February 25, 2013
TSTC: Cuomo Budget Would Raid $20 Million From the MTA
If you thought Albany had gotten over the habit of raiding the MTA for cash, think again.
February 6, 2013
Cuomo Budget: Rising MTA Debt Costs Leave Big Gap for Riders to Cover
When it comes to Governor Cuomo and the MTA, no news is bad news, and the governor's 2013 budget contains nothing new for the transit agency's operating budget. With debt, pension, and health care costs on the rise, the MTA continues to slowly drown in red ink, relying on straphangers to keep it afloat.
January 23, 2013
Costs of Subway Slowdown Would Add Up Fast
Following the recent deaths of two subway passengers who were pushed onto tracks, TWU Local 100 is urging operators to slash train speeds as they enter stations, the New York Times reported yesterday. A TWU flier, which you can view here, advises operators that “Preventing a [run-over], and saving yourself the emotional trauma and potential loss of income that go with it, is worth a few extra minutes on your trip.”
January 16, 2013