MTA Board Approves Widespread Service Cuts

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This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The MTA board voted 11-2 to approve far-reaching service cuts that will eliminate the W and V trains and cut more than 30 bus lines in an attempt to plug a revenue shortfall of $750 million. Despite some alterations to the planned cuts drafted after a series of contentious public hearings, the service reductions closely mirror those proposed last year.

Starting in June, the MTA will eliminate 33 local and express bus routes, halt overnight service on 15 routes, and end weekend service on 16 routes, according to the Daily News. The agency will also implement a system-wide reduction in subway service that will make trains less frequent and seats less common. Under the cuts, the agency will eliminate the W train and replace it by extending the Q train into Queens and making the N train run local in Manhattan. The MTA will also cut the V train and replace it with an altered M train that will connect to the V line at the Broadway-Lafayette station and run its Manhattan and Queens route (the rush-hour M train extension that services Brooklyn along the R and D lines would be cut). Under the approved cuts, the G train will terminate at Court Square station.

The MTA also plans to layoff hundreds of station agents and other employees and eliminate free student MetroCards (a controversial proposal that won't be brought before the MTA board until June). "Nobody likes this vote. It's obviously a very painful vote, and I don't think there's anyone sitting around this table that would take it likely. It's a vote that affects a lot of people's lives," MTA Vice Chairman Andrew Saul told NY1. "But we must also be realistic here. There will be no outside help from the city, the state and from the counties, and therefore we must squeeze every nickel that we can out of our own resources."

Board member Allen Cappelli told the Post that legislature "wrote us a bad check" and blasted city and state officials for "trying to blame us for what is entirely their responsibility."

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By Ben Muessig in News on March 24, 2010 2:28 PM

Comments [rss]

Rickyrab

The MTA ought to make a stronger case for funding and find ways to INCREASE, not cut, service when they get their heads together in the future. Same goes for Albany. Also, find some way to increase fares for some premium service - that might be nice, subway first class. But I'm not sure how to make that work, other than a Metrocard/proof-of-payment combo, and the express bus service didn't do all that well in Manhattan.

HypocraticOath

The MTA is worse than Amtrak in their ability to bleed cash and run at a loss.

Allison

i think they should make the R run to Queensboro Plaza instead of just to Queens Plaza because seriously waiting for an N train during rush hour at 59th + Lex, while 2 fucking R trains come in a row is really irritating.

Jen S

So you want the R to go above ground for Queensboro, then return underground to continue on its normal route? That would be some fancy trackwork.

LB

Lol . I see a Non New Yorker here posing !

LB

While all of these cuts will hurt every strap-hanger, Some will hurt that much more . The "M" line rerouting will only confuse and in the long run be a waste of time . There are already cuts to service on the "R" line which amounts to a [20]minute wait during non-rush . I never really took the "V" home so really can't defend it but it seemed to ease the overcrowding a little on the "E" but not enough . The "G" was inevitable, The mta wanted that to happen years ago ! I guess the days of the twenty minute rides through Manhattan are over !

bigmikebrooklyn

i wish this quote were direct and not a typo:

"It's obviously a very painful vote, and I don't think there's anyone sitting around this table that would take it likely."

that would mean nobody voted for the cuts. and fuck the non-express N, doesn't the R train cover most of that?

What if they Give the MTA an IPO and make it beholden to wall street, would that make it run more like a real business and less like uncle Al's backcountry train tours and union and nepotism clearing house?

LB

Nope ! Haven't you been paying attention over the past fourteen years ! People who get "Good" high paying mta jobs , Start out as decent folk . Those days are short lived as they accumulate dough and begin to take a look at their shoes . There looking at their shoes they see the "Little People" that pay to make the system work and scoff at them ! It's not about running this transit system like a business . It's about getting paid, and securing that status ! After that it's all gravy !

inoyourider

Dear MTA:

Fuck you.

Learn how to balance your books.

Stevennnn

The big question now is will they bring back the cuts they're making and when?

drewo

Shirley you jest. Once gone -- gone for good.

And I did call you Shirley...

Rickyrab

Well, I suspect when they get around to restoring service, they might "redraw the map" and charge ahead with some new routes instead of using the pre-cut service routes. This is because neighborhoods change and origins change and destinations change. But many parts of the old routes might come back.

mtauser

Airports, Manhattan and the nicer parts of the city should all be interconnected via transit as well as back to other rail networks.

But don't try to be a huge transit agency for everyone. That isn't what is needed.

Don't charge MTA commuter taxes either to citizens who do NOT use mass transit. They pay enough as it is already when they use tolls.

MTA needs to be CUT and stripped down and pulled apart and what needs to be kept is only necessary transit that actually matters, not useless routes all over the place.

Cut salaries, cut employees and cut cut cut. The existing cost of the service is plenty for a per person ridership basis. No need to raise fares and taxes charged to the MTA also needs to be reduced.

The MTA is poorly mismanaged. It is too large and too unwieldly.

imperialnetwork

"Don't charge MTA commuter taxes either to citizens who do NOT use mass transit. They pay enough as it is already when they use tolls."

No they don't. Not even close. And even if you were correct about this, it's not like the huge percentage of New York City residents who don't own cars can "opt-out" of paying taxes to support roads we don't personally use. User fees are reasonable as part of a revenue stream (hence paying for MTA passes/tickets, unlike most roads, which are free), but certainly taxation on a broad scale should go toward mass transit-- it is a crucial public need/service that helps the NYC (and hence, NYS) economy function.