Photo credit: Marla Maritzer

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. holds a news conference announcing his opposition to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s fare hikes and service cuts before its board meeting on March 25, 2009.

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. provided testimony today to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Board, opposing the fare hikes and service cuts.
 
The testimony reiterated his opposition to the MTA’s proposed plan to raise fares by 23 percent in New York City and even higher in the suburbs, as well as the massive service cuts.

“This is a defining moment for our city, region and state,” Thompson said. “Our vast bus and subway network, in spite of its many frustrations, is the envy of other cities in our nation who live and die by the automobile. Our financial health – and for that matter the health of everyone in the region – depends on safe, reliable and efficient transit.”

Thompson criticized State and City legislators for failing to fund the MTA adequately for more than a decade. “These leaders now appear to have failed thus far to solve this latest deep crisis, which has been caused by great losses in revenue and the towering debt they have themselves imposed on transit riders,” Thompson said.

“Today, even as the Board prepares to take its vote, I call on Governor Paterson, the Assembly and the Senate to stop the clock, negotiate and make the kind of deal that is equitable for all,” Thompson said. “It can be done, and it must be done.”

Thompson has proposed an alternative to generate revenue. His proposal – a weight-based vehicle registration fee – would save the MTA nearly a half-billion dollars in implementation and administrative costs alone over the next five years. Thompson's proposal also would help improve air quality by charging more to drivers of larger, more-environmentally damaging vehicles.

“Most important, it would require that all drivers from across the entire 12-county MTA region would contribute to transit – not just those in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and upper Manhattan,” Thompson said.

Thompson commended the MTA for heeding the advice of the disability community, his office and several other elected officials in abandoning its unjust proposal to more than double fares for Access-a-Ride users.

“Most people with disabilities simply cannot afford other transportation options,” Thompson said. “Your attempt to double their fare was plain wrong. I look forward to working with the MTA to look at ways to provide better service to people with disabilities at lower cost, such as through the use of accessible taxis and livery service.”

Thompson’s testimony was delivered by Joseph Rappaport, Policy Analyst for the New York City’s Comptroller’s Office.

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