This Week: Get an Insider’s View of the MTA

The ongoing deterioration of subway and bus service is a serious problem for New Yorkers and a threat to the regional economy, but Governor Cuomo still seems intent on treating MTA dysfunction as a political inconvenience, not a crisis he needs to urgently address.

Why is service getting worse? Why do capital improvements cost so much and take so long? What are the internal reforms necessary to get the agency back on track? The governor and his appointees at the MTA should be trying to answer these questions, but no one in public office has given a full and honest account of what needs to change.

While the MTA has taken some initial steps to communicate better with the public, it remains difficult for outsiders to get a clear sense of what ails the agency. To shed some light on what’s holding back progress, on Thursday TransitCenter is hosting a panel of three former agency staffers who’ll discuss the MTA’s organizational structure and internal culture.

Here are this week’s highlights from the Streetsblog calendar. Check the full calendar for more info on these and other events.

• Monday: The Brooklyn Community Board 1 transportation committee agenda includes an update from last month’s Meeker Avenue safety workshop, a request for a bike corral on Driggs Avenue, and the location of Citi Bike stations. 435 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn. 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: WE Bike NYC hosts law firm Vacarro & White for tips on what to do if struck by a driver while biking. 109 N. 3rd Street, Brooklyn. 7 p.m.
• Thursday: Hear from former MTA insiders about the organization’s internal culture, and what can be done to make it better. TransitCenter, 1 Whitehall Street, 17th floor, Manhattan. 6 p.m.

Watch the calendar for updates. Drop us a line if you have an event we should know about.