MTA Board Approves Latest Doomsday Plan

You think $500 million overtime is bad? How about last year's $900 million pension expense which is projected to be $1 Billion this year?

Time to start jumping the gates!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hXBAoIAKx4&feature=player_embedded

The MTA is the best thing that ever happened for the cab industy. Hail, ride a bike, walk, but whatever you do, don't be a sucker.

MTA PLAN TO SLASH $40 MILLION THIS YEAR, $80 MILLION THE NEXT, FROM ACCESS-A-RIDE WILL LEAVE DISABLED RIDERS STRANDED. ( I copied the heading from my email and it was all on caps)

http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-duane-and-assembly-member-kellner-criticize-mta-plan-slash-millions-access-rid

If the MTA does not get more money they will have no choice. That is the REALITY. Please Felix WAKE UP.

DH, I would be willing to pay for a fare increase if services aren't cut but we need to stop the mismanagement at MTA. Too much money wasted.

A fair fare would be 4.25. That would put it on par with other world metros and solve the money issue. People need not be so cheap.

If that was the fare, it would be practical to buy a car and drive to work. Yes, you'd be stuck in traffic but at least you could amuse yourself, texting and sexting. You wouldn't be standing and waiting for 20 minutes on a dirty, crowded, dangerous platform, waiting, and then for another 45 minutes on any one of the painfully slow "express" trains.

Hey, could women please stop putting on their full make-up on the morning train please? It makes me gag.

I admit that we do receive a bargain fare but the service is deteriorating. I'll pay more for better service but we NEED spending reform at MTA. too much mismanagement. I also Blame Bloomberg for the Ratner deal. The MTA isweetened the deal for developer Bruce Ratner's controversial Atlantic Yards project.

Ratner agreed in 2005 to pay $100 million cash for the Vanderbilt Railyards, part of the site where he plans to build a new arena for the New Jersey Nets and 16 office and residential towers.

Under a new agreement unveiled Monday, Ratner will pay just $20 million upfront - with the other $80 million spaced out over 21 years.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/06/23/2009-06-23_mta_lets_atlantic_yards_developer_go_on_the_installment_plan.html#ixzz0ZsxuPxS8

Felix - Amen on your comments about the sweetheart deal the MTA worked out with Ratner. The MTA should have gone with the highest bidder, not the corrupt developer in bed with Markowitz, Bloomie, and the ESDC.

Furthermore, if the MTA needs to slash its budget this severely, it should suspend work on the 2nd Avenue subway line instead of cutting service to already beleaguered trains like the G. There's absolutely no reason why providing more convenient lines for rich Manahattanites at an exorbitant build-out cost should supercede providing some level of quality service in the outer boroughs.

Words spoken true and now King Bloomberg wants to provide his rich neighbors with subsidized ferry services since walking a fews blocks is inconvenient for them.

What it comes down to is that the government needs to give the MTA more money. This would solve the problem. The workers are not to blame.

YOu mean a MTA worker as you on worker comp leave for a finger yet conducts a side business and comment here as well. I see your point.

Ah, overtime work. How about they don't spend any money until they know what the tax revenues will be?

I didn't upload my Nostalgia Train pics in time for your article on that ride, but I'm glad you were able to use one of them here. Thanks, Jen! (although this story outrages me!!!)

The MTA is using the student fares issue to scare the state and city into coughing up more $$$, but even that might not be enough to wake them up, and no one with any clout gives a crap about the plebes who ride the V and W trains (even though cutting them would also hurt F and N riders).

The only threat that might get them some leverage is cutting service on the 6 train.

unions need to be retooled

Hey, the MTA voted so it's all good.

WTF? They VOTED? I don't get that. Was there any doubt about the outcome of this "vote?" Walder, you need to step it up. You are the miracle worker from London. Work your magic, ok? Earn that salary, man!

And look, I kinda understand them cutting the free cards for students because it's the city's responsibility to get schoolkids to school, not the MTA. But Mayor Mike, if you don't want to kick in for free metrocards you need to fire up a big ol' fleet of school buses for the kids!

What a bunch of bullshit all around. Sickening. Didn't we just do this?

"$500 million spent on overtime" Well there's your budget gap right there.

It's really hard to get rid of overtime in MTA work. I would say that every single construction job with the MTA involves overtime for most of the unions involved. Sure, the MTA bids the jobs out to contractors who cover overtime for their parts of the contracts, but the MTA also pays for OT on labor that they supply. It's just a circle that never ends.

Banning overtime is one thing the private sector has been actively doing to save money and save people's jobs. It hurts but it's necessary in times like these. The MTA needs to do it too. Run it properly, not like no-show jobs for the mob.

It is particularly hard under federal law for the MTA to eliminate overtime because we need most track work done on late nights/weekends/holidays, all of which require additional payment. Unless you want workers doing track work 9-5 (I assure you you do not), we'll have to live with some overtime pay, though I am not privy to specific data and imagine cuts can be made somewhere.

so they get a mini bailout from albany to avoid the doosday plan and STILL go forward with the plan after all?

Well, the mini bailout didn't result to much, when the state underestimated tax revenue the MTA was supposed to get PLUS cut more money with the recent budget talks.

So I get back the payroll tax I paid, right?

I guess the MTA tax just offset the State's reduction in funding. So basically, a tiny percentage of NYS residents just got an extra tax slapped on us and it went right into Albany's pockets.

Awesome.

Ugh. Gotta love these crystal ball economics. How about they don't spend any money until they know what the tax revenues will be? I certainly don't spend my paycheck before I get it.

They have to speculate on future income for future expenditure planning. City, State, & Federal Governments do the same thing. The question is whether they were too optimistic on tax income, which is always possible. But given the severity of the downturn, anything is possible.

I understand that they have to cut funding since it IS a recession we're dealing with, to pay transit union raises throughout this while many organizations are freezing pay annoys me to no end. The Union needs to be put in their place.

Ahhh, I was unaware of that. Thanks. You can tell I obviously don't work in finance haha.

Yes, let's listen to the those in power and blame it all on the wage laborers. This is the same mentality that allows Wall Street to run off with billions and billions, while we complain about somebody retiring with a pension that pays him 70k annually.

Don't be sheep. ;]

There's more than enough blame to go around. The TWU workers are just the most visible face of the broken system.

Don't blame the laborers? Click on the MTA tag below the post above and read the articles about track workers working 4 hours per day and getting paid for 8 thanks to their contract. Read the other article about a whistleblower being pushed onto the tracks for reporting on such abuses. Then come back and tell us again how we're sheep.

it's called observation and it's done on a daily basis.

orange-vested "workers" stealing breaks on a train, leaning against walls chatting and checking out booties, boothed employees unwilling to help riders in need, and general "don't care-bearing" and "do-nothingness".

Is everyone on this site an idiot without a brain?

Do MTA workers piss hours away with laziness and walk away with lots of perks many of us wish we had? Sure. That is not in dispute. BUT what is in dispute is the attitude of such people making those comments here. Shitting on such workers as if they are the cancer. They are the LEAST of it. Inept management, a country which values investing in infrastructure and transportation about as much as it values cockroaches, and so on.

That said... look at the time. While you are shitting on MTA workers, you're replying to the Gothamist during adult mature 9-5 worktime. What does that say about you? While those workers stand against the wall bored out of their minds, WE have the luxury of masturbating to porn, endlessly surfing the net, chatting and emailing our friends 75% of the day and so on. Don't even dare pretend that you aren't lazy the vast majority of the time. Fortunately I went to college and got my white collar job. Maybe we don't have union protection and great healthcare and can't stand against the wall bored out of our minds, but I wouldn't trade my desk, computer, mobile phone access and comfortable surroundings for an MTA job at all. I doubt most of you would either.

I'll have you know I am not masturbating!

wasting time? you're here posting comments of biblical proportions while admittedly sitting at a white collar job. i work for myself and do what the fuck i want to with my time being in no way a recipient of any tax dollars. take your diatribe and...well you know the rest, genius.

Pretty accurate so far...

Does anyone know more about specific service reductions to the 'G' train?

I suggest more than one of you read ``The Power Broker'' and you will soon realize that Robert Moses is to blame for all of this mess.

OMG I hate Robert Moses (and all other pawns of the auto industry) so much! He allowed the destruction of the real Penn Station AND helped turn our country to the car dependent, sprawling urban planning nightmare that it is today.

Why are my tax dollars paying for highways, roads but not the MTA?

Can we destroy every statue of him and rename all parks, highways, etc. named after him?

Perhaps they can save some money if they lay off half of the MTA employees. How much to these lazy people get paid to stand on a platform with their arms crossed leaning against a wall.

LAZY WORKERS = WASTED PAYROLL DOLLARS

TWU plays, commuters pay.

Still think they should eliminate free rides for MTA employees. Or at least make it half fare instead of free.

I hope they locked Mr. Walder in some sort of iron clad agreement, otherwise i give him 6months before he high tails it the hell outta here! Hopefully he'll bring some light to the outlandish & ridiculous institution we call the MTA.

cue shitstorm.

ugh. f' it let's all move to kentucky.

i'll see ya in pennsyltucky for that crisp air and the clean Amish livin'...holla!