Today’s Headlines

  • Crain’s Maps the Straight Line Between Cuomo’s Patrons and His Infrastructure Projects
  • Facing Regulation, Uber Beefs Up Congestion Pricing Campaign (Politico)
  • Just Another Day of Debasement on Andrew Cuomo’s Subway (Gothamist, Post)
  • Stringer: Half of Neighborhoods Served by the Subway Have No Accessible Stations (AMNY)
  • The Times Is Fielding Questions for the New MTA Accessibility Officer
  • Judge OKs Class Action Suit Over Unsafe LIRR Conditions (Newsday)
  • Politico Did an Explainer on the Council’s Waste Reform Bill; Post Votes No
  • Conflicts of Interest Board Not as Cavalier About Placard Culture as de Blasio (NYT)
  • More on Citi Bike Discounts for SNAP Members (NYT, AMNY)
  • Upper West Side Still Standing After Garages Cleared for Housing (Rag)
  • Traffic Violence Remains the Benchmark for Preventable Causes of Death (Post)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

  • Larry Littlefield

    “Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Antonio Brandveen earlier this month ruled against the LIRR in its motion to dismiss the suit, filed by LIRR commuters Meredith Jacobs of Wantagh and Fred Lee of Uniondale “on behalf of the passengers of the LIRR who suffered during the so-called ‘summer of hell,? ? according to the court ruling.

    So they deserve to be compensated, perhaps by taxes collected in New York City, or by more service cuts in New York City.

    Meanwhile, NYC Transit riders are enduring a decade of hell — and that is expected to continue.

    Taxes are high in the rest of the state, though not so high as here, but the suburbanites who work for the government there are expected to provide public services in exchange for higher pay and benefits (combined) than most of their neighbors, while the suburbanites who work for the City of New York only do so voluntarily.

    Courts have held over and over that there is no right to public services. I don’t know what this judge is thinking.

  • Daphna

    Long Island residents such as Meredith Jacobs and Fred Lee live outside of NYC so they do not have to pay the 3.5% city income tax on top of NY State’s already high state income tax rate. They also ride LIRR which is highly subsidized by about $7 per ride. Whereas, NYC residents pay about the full operational cost of the subway with their fare. [All except subway riders in the MTA are subsidized toward the operational cost: local buses, express buses, access-a-ride, ferries, LIRR and Metro North.] So Meredith Jacobs of Wantagh and Fred Lee of Uniondale get to live outside NYC and avoid the local income tax, and ride for a discount on LIRR since it’s subsidized, but despite this they sue an already cash strapped and struggling public service provider. Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Lee must know that their lawsuit will cause all other uses of the public service to suffer, as money they take out of the system for themselves is that much less to be able to provide service with.

  • Larry Littlefield

    Yup. The ethics of suing the state or local government are iffy even when you’ve been harmed, because those responsible are never held accountable.

    The ethics of a frivolous lawsuit that this one?

    I suggest they sue the Federal Reserve for reducing the value of their bond investments by raising interest rates, ignoring that the value of their bonds was previously inflated by having interest rates cut to zero.