MTA Board Holds Emergency Meeting As State Senate Stalls

With the State Senate stalling on the MTA bailout plan, a plan that has the support of Governor Paterson and Assembly Speaker Silver, the MTA is holding an emergency board meeting to discuss its options. And many think that if there's no bailout, the board will vote to implement the severe fare hikes and service cuts first mentioned last November (monthly Metrocard going from $81 to $103 dollars, bus lines are cut) in order to deal with its deficit. Richard Ravitch, who offered a number of suggestions for MTA revenue, including tolling East River and Harlem River bridges (which appears to be a dealbreaker for many State Senators), told the Daily News, "The public has a right to know - and the board has the responsibility to figure out - what kind of system it can operate with the revenues they have. They have to start thinking about shrinking the system."

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By Jen Chung in News on March 13, 2009 9:26 AM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

An "emergency Board meeting of the MTA"? Who's doing the catering? Balthazar Or Bouley Bakery?

pete

So whats going to happen in 3 years when they run out of funds again (including the bridge tolls and commuter tax and increased fares)? Theres nothing left to tax or toll since that all did it this budget yet. Time to hand over your first newborn to bailout the MTA 3 years from now?

snickerdoodle

This comes after it was recently announced that MTA ridership is at an all time high.

vote to implement the severe fare hikes and service cuts

Cut outrageous salaries, pensions, paid vacations, across-the-board health care, and other extraneous benefits for union workers and MTA will have all the money it needs right there.

bluemonday

@ OTC, i don't think the unions should be completely cut, because then some serious abuse and violations could happen more easily. but i do agree that cutting some benefits could help the situation.

i thought i heard a couple years ago that they were considering selling one of the stations to disney, and then they'd decorate it and all that jazz. but i thought i then heard people complain about selling out and not wanting to see all that corporate take-over blah blah blah. as far as i'm concerned, do whatever it takes not to raise the fares!

OTC

How about implementing a plan that will save the MTA billions of dollars?

Break the union.

The cost to the taxpayers and riders is astronomical.

The excessive salary for do nothing clerks, the luxurious heathcare and retirement plans, and the inablity to use low cost alternatives, all add up to a giant F-ck Y-- to the paying public. Most people riding the subway aren't getting such benefits and freebies, why should we the public support this.

It's not just the MTA, it's all public unions, people need to rise up and demand that these unions be destoryed, that salaries and benefits be aligned with the private sector and tied to economic reality. No more retiring at 45, no more free health care, no more do nothing jobs.

Qraymond

Jen: it's the "three amigos": Kruger, Diaz, Espada.

These are the same schmucks who threatened to become Republicans if they didn't get more power. They oppose East River Tolls even though the overwhelming majority of people in their districts use mass transit.