Today’s Headlines

  • Gelinas: Cuomo’s “State of Emergency” Mostly More Theatrics (Post); Also: Voice, Politico, NYT
  • Cuomo Rejects Road Pricing, Blames NYC for Shorting MTA, Gives Lie to $1B Pledge (Politico)
  • Kalikow: Job One for Lhota Should Be Reining In Wasteful MTA Spending (NYT)
  • Ravitch: MTA Board Shouldn’t Be a Rubber Stamp (MTR)
  • Cuomo’s Transit “Genius” Challenge Sure Is Looking Like Another Sideshow (NYT)
  • Tweeting Cuomo About Lousy Subway Service Seems to Have Had an Effect (Verge)
  • LIRR and Metro-North Both Had Breakdowns Yesterday (DNA, Post)
  • Lawsuit Prompts NYPD Freedom of Information Law Concessions (Voice, NYT)
  • NYPD Says It’s Investigating @PlacardAbuse Harassment (Post)
  • Truck Driver Injures Senior on LES (DNA); Cyclist Injured in Bushwick Hit-and-Run (DNA)
  • Public Plaza at Flatbush and Lafayette Avenues in Fort Greene Now Open (B’stoner)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

  • Larry Littlefield

    For New York City Transit subway maintenance employment compare

    http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/docs/MTA_2016_Adopted_Budget_February_Financial_Plan_2016_2019.pdf

    VI-130 with

    http://web.mta.info/mta/budget/pdf/adopted07_5.pdf

    VIII-130

    Number of employees.

    Under maintenance, removing buses, system safety and supply logistics to make it comparable, I get 16,140 for 2007. That compares with 17,201 for 2016.

    Total full time employment for NYCT — 48,000 in 2007, 48,397 in 2016.

    Administration 2,310 in 2007, 1,467 in 2016.

    Less maintenance is getting done. What does this mean?

  • Vooch

    better tax free living in FLA for generation greed

  • Larry Littlefield

    The exploding cost of the 2000 retroactive pension increase (and all the other deals)

    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/20/business/dealbook/new-york-city-pensions.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmary-williams-walsh&action=click&contentCollection=undefined&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection

    Means the cost of the average public worker has soared, relative to the pay of the private sector workers who pay their bills. Across the country that has meant fewer public employees, and less in services at higher tax rates.

    BUT in this case it does not appear that the number of subway maintenance workers went down. When I looked at this I expected to see a decrease.

  • AMH

    Real transportation reporters saw right through the charade yesterday. Unfortunately the Times is giving publicity to some unbelievably stupid ideas while asking no questions! Sideshow is exactly the word for it.

    Signals causing delays? Just get rid of them! Who needs CBTC when we can get techie people to reinvent the wheel? Extend the 42 St Shuttle–never mind that it’s hemmed in on both ends and redundant to the 7–adding entrances to 7 Stations (and building the 10 Av station) would actually make sense, but it’s not crazy enough.

  • Fool

    The Times has proven time and time again they are drastically out of their league when it comes to transportation reporting.

  • Larry Littlefield

    Why put resources in to reporting on the MTA now when the die is cast?

    The Times reported what we are facing now, and why, back in 2000.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/03/world/mta-s-plan-spawns-warnings-of-a-debt-crisis-and-higher-fares.html

    In the last month, government and private analysts have developed a striking consensus that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s five-year, $16.5 billion capital improvement plan is a disaster-in-waiting, built on a mountain of borrowed money, that would force a major fare increase.

    They say the crush of debt would cripple the authority’s ability to keep New York City’s subways and buses and the commuter railroads in good repair, and would make the financing of future capital plans nearly impossible. The plan would require by far the largest sale of municipal bonds in history, more than $20 billion.

  • Joe R.

    I’m waiting for a half-serious proposal to use maglevs. That always seems to be the magical answer every time a transportation system is in a crisis. Maglev is the future! It’ll solve all your problems at once and make your system “modern” at the same time!

  • Larry Littlefield

    I mean read that article. No city of state funds for the MTA capital plan for 20 years. Just federal funds, and debt.

    And I described every attempt was made to shift “reimbursable” operating costs onto the capital budget too.

    All so there could be a plunge in fares, lower taxes, higher prices for contractors, retroactive pension increases, and more spending on other things. That was Generation Greed’s “genius plan” for 20 years.

    Why is nobody calling them out on it. What is the basis of the fantasy that someone could wave a wand and make up for it — despite every special interest getting to keep every thing they grabbed?

    You know where addition funds will go? To Generation Greed’s needs. More tax breaks for the rich — and for seniors. More corporate welfare. More funding for seniors for Medicaid — but cuts for those younger. Who will end up in the street when they get old themselves.

    No limits. No shame. And they don’t want to hear it.