Results tagged “doomsdayplan”

With the fate of the MTA up in the air—sure, the agency did pass the "doomsday" fare hikes and service cuts, but the State Legislature still has the opportunity to provide a bailout—there's another try for a rescue plan that will appeal to enough State Senators to break the stalemate. According to the Post, "Gov. Paterson is again on board with a plan that would toll 13 now-free East and Harlem River bridges at the cost of a subway ride for all drivers -- but the latest twist would exempt those crossing the spans for business or medical purposes.... [There would also] be 5 to 10 percent tax increase on all non-city residents who use long-term garage parking spaces in Manhattan and a 50-cent "dropoff" surcharge on every taxi ride." Richard Ravitch, author of the first plan that included bridge tolls, supports this revision, telling the Daily News, "The modification is intended to deal with what many people thought were the most legitimate objections to tolls." However, Senators are kinda to outraged about the amended fees—Sen. Pedro Espada (D-Bronx) said, "It just fundamentally wrong. It is anti business. It is anti small business." So, do we get ready for fare hike number 2?

The bad news from the MTA doesn't stop: This time, MTA officials say that lower tax revenues—an "alarming sharp decline" as the NY Times puts it—may mean the MTA has to consider cutting service and raising fares .

Since state lawmakers have recessed for Passover & Easter break without a deal for helping the MTA, the MTA has released the timetable for the approved fare hikes and service reductions, which range from 25% higher subway, bus and rail fares to eliminating bus lines. MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin tells the Daily News, "While we continue to hope that Albany will reach agreement on a comprehensive plan for the MTA, we have no choice but to move toward implementation of these cuts and fare increases."

WCBS 2 thinks Governor Paterson has made a "dramatic promise to worried straphangers" today by saying, "I promise you we are not going to put that kind of fare increase on commuters, on people who come in and out of the city of New York to work and to live." "That kind of face increase" refers to the (average) 25% fare hike approved by the MTA last week, which could be prevented by a bailout from Albany. Unfortunately, the State Legislature doesn't agree—mostly the State Senate—so Paterson added in his remarks, "If I don't see it working then I'll just make [lawmakers] stay right there [in Albany] until we get a deal"—which is why the Daily News Photoshopped him into a subway train, we think. But he will give the lawmakers some time to "cool off" and won't make them stay in Albany during Passover and Easter vacation, so it's unclear how potent the threat is.

The three most powerful men in Albany—Governor Paterson, Assembly Speaker Silver, and Senate Majority Leader Smith—were able to come up with a $132 billion budget in secret. But any attempt to save the MTA is being stalled by the Senate.