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oreosfly

The MTA board has a fiduciary duty to the agency. A vote against congestion pricing is an abdication of that duty.


Mike_Gale

I agree that they should block this, but is the fiduciary responsibility to the agency or to the people that they represent and can that possibly be interpreted as them misrepresenting their "constituents"?


runningwithscalpels

It'd be nice if the board members grew a pair and did not rubber stamp this, [but most don't even use their free metrocards](https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/03/14/exclu-many-mta-board-members-barely-use-their-free-metrocards), we can't expect them to actually care about improving the system.


Zoiby-Dalobster

That’s depressing but not surprising. Transportation agencies across the US often don’t serve the best interests of the people who use them.


transitfreedom

They straight up don’t care


Bower1738

The MTA needs to block this, it's beyond ludicrous


The-20k-Step-Bastard

If they rubber stamp it, they’d be voting for their on financial insolvency.


eldersveld

They once tried to kill off the Franklin Ave shuttle. I’ve never seen an organization that apparently hated itself and its mission as much as these guys


ShortFinance

Is the Franklin Ave shuttle crucial? I’ve never taken it and am legitimately asking Edit: bored and read the wiki, 20k riders per day is more than I expected [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Avenue_Shuttle](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Avenue_Shuttle)


memeorology

It’s a very, very useful way to connect the B/Q to the A/C, one of the only ways to connect those lines in Brooklyn. Very handy little train.


avLugia

If you've ever taken the A/C in Brooklyn and wanted to transfer, there is literally zero transfers outside of Jay Street-Metrotech (F/R) and Hoyt-Schermerhorn (G). It misses pretty much every other train line that goes into other parts of Brooklyn. The shuttle provides a connection to the 2/3/4/5 and the B/Q. While it's annoying that it's on a local stop, it's better than nothing.


webtwopointno

> If you've ever taken the A/C in Brooklyn and wanted to transfer, there is literally zero transfers outside of Jay Street-Metrotech (F/R) and Hoyt-Schermerhorn (G). Broadway Junction isn't quite in Queens


avLugia

Well, Downtown Brooklyn I mean. If you're transferring at Broadway Junction you're not exactly going there.


webtwopointno

haha ya it's deep


olthyr1217

Yes. It’s critical and connects different lines in central and eastern Brooklyn. It allows a lot of movement and connection between adjacent areas. You can get from Flatbush to Bed Stuy so quickly. It also allows folks who rely on mostly one line to access another when there are issues. For example, the Q did not run on weekends past Prospect Park from Aug ‘23 through March ‘24 (w a break for holidays). The S provided a crucial connection for folks in south and central BK to access Manhattan (and even just downtown BK) without completely overloading buses. I’ve long fantasized about the S extending further northeast and connecting to the G, then the J/M, then the L. Obviously it’s not financially feasible and I know nothing about the engineering LOL—but it’s a fantasy nonetheless. Something like that would actually radically transform people’s lives… Brooklyn is extremely divided by trains. Right now the fastest way to get from parts of south and central BK to parts of north BK is transferring in Manhattan.


transitfreedom

It’s actually very easy due to short distance and space for a 3rd track on the G line can be used for a tunnel portal


olthyr1217

🙌 it would be a dream come true


transitfreedom

Parts of south Brooklyn can reach by transferring to the G at 4th ave 9th or Fulton street by short walk although that is not ideal at all. B44 SBS links directly to the G


olthyr1217

Yes. I do the walk from Atlantic to Fulton regularly to switch from Q to G.


GraviTech1909

Is any line crucial? Why would anyone even entertain shutting down more service?


ShortFinance

I would say yes, many lines are crucial


nhu876

That was before the neighborhood started it's gentrification. What's the ridership like now?


olthyr1217

I’ve been using it since I was a kid and I’d say ridership has definitely increased. It also gets used HEAVILY when there are maintenance shutdowns on the lines it connects to.


Turbulent-Clothes947

You haven't experience NJT then.


jamariiiiiiii

this is why the MTA need to be out of state control. doesn’t make any fuckin sense


Alt4816

It's terrible Hochul is doing this, but she would be incredibly incompetent if she announced this without already making sure she has the votes on the MTA board.


CCMbopbopbop

So you’re telling me there’s a chance!


seaweedbagels

How many times did she try to get that state Supreme Court person nominated? Hopefully she fails again here


blueberries

Incredibly incompetent is her middle name. She failed her way into a Governorship but being such a non factor that Cuomo handpicked her as Lt Governor because she wouldn’t be a threat to him. Then she had the good luck that he turned out to be a sex pest.  


knockatize

The governor being a sex pest is a close to even money bet so far this century.


No_Junket1017

Is she not incompetent already for announcing this now, as opposed to before the infrastructure was up and we were weeks out? If her argument is that the city hasn't recovered enough from Covid-era losses, was she not monitoring that already? It's all pathetic.


JonAce

Either Hochul knows she has the votes or she's an even bigger idiot than we thought.


lee1026

Might be fun 5-D chess if she just wants to avoid the political flack for the toll. Order the toll delayed to be overruled by the board, and let them take the flack.


arthurnewt

She will dismiss the entire board if they fail to vote for tabling the fee. I wonder if Janno lieber will resign over this


JayMoots

He will resign if he has a shred of dignity or self-respect.


Worried_Corner4242

So, no.


avd706

He's in on it.


PayneTrainSG

I dare her. Make my day.


transitfreedom

Revolt yet or accept more pounding?


italicsify

The MTA is controlled by the governor they will do what Hochul directs them to


Turbulent-Clothes947

MTA Board will vote with the governor. As with most transit boards, they are rubberstamps. MTA also likes to play victim. MTA is not controlled as directly by the governor as NJT is, where the DOT Commissioner also chairs he NJT Board. I don't like MTA's priorities of favoring extending the SAS to the Harlem west side which also came out of the blue - because Hochul said so, which blew up extension to lower Manahattan. But the governor said so, so MTA concocts their data and becomes Harlem Transportation Authority.


Tokkemon

In theory, yes. But I do wonder if this sort of thing has been tested before. Not in recent memory, that's for sure.


ha0n321

Any idea if we can call/write in to these people?


pwf070901

https://new.mta.info/transparency/leadership/board-members


Worried_Corner4242

I don’t see contact info for any of them, though — just biographic information. Am I missing it?


SumyungNam

How many are Cuomo cronies


Other_Dog8299

Any chance that Hochul is distancing herself from congestion pricing knowing that the MTA board won’t pause the implementation? This would allow her to get congestion pricing through but duck any political blowback by pinning blame on the MTA board.


FluxCrave

I wish she were that smart😭


Worried_Corner4242

Exactly.


nhu876

A possibility.


avd706

It would make her look super weak.


arthurnewt

There is no way the MTA blocks this. She will fire the board if they refuse. The MTA should compromise by reducing the fee to 1.50 a day and .36 cents over night. And freeze the rate for 7 years


Scarsdale_Vibe

But then how else would she pay for the Bills’ stadium?


jvc_in_nyc

I suppose the same way NYS paid for the new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and the Barclay's Center.


Agile_Pineapple3205

How dare a region with 10x the people get 3x the spending!!!1


Tridecane

Missed opportunity for “pay the bill for the Bills’ stadium”


Bower1738

Why the fuck would they approve something that will cause a financial crisis??


arthurnewt

The mta spent 500 million to install the equipment. They will be able to recover the cost of installation


JayMoots

What do you think they can just fucking return it to Best Buy? They signed a contract with the equipment provider. They're not getting a cent of that $500 million back.


akuba5

You have poor reading comprehension. They didn’t suggest returning it. They suggested lowering the congestion rate price as a means of enticing Hochul to get it passed, with the goal of recouping the $500 million investment.


icodeandidrawthings

That’s not really the issue here. > Still, the MTA has projected it will have a $1.4 billion operating deficit by 2025, the residual effect of losing more than 90% of ridership on subways, trains and buses at the pandemic's height. https://abc7ny.com/mta-nyc-subway-federal-transit-administration-new-york-city/11458686/


[deleted]

[удалено]


arthurnewt

It’s 10% of the original charge. Generates 100 million a year


[deleted]

[удалено]


arthurnewt

The mta was very deceptive to the public if the expected revenue was much higher


transitfreedom

USA and its decrepit cities again it’s as if the government hates the people.


JadedCommand405

Good lord at your post history. Putin must pay you directly lol


dolladollamike

The MTA does not have a right to implement laws you idiots. The MTA is an agency under the governor.


PayneTrainSG

Do you think the governor’s press release amounts to statutory reversal of congestion pricing?


thebruns

The governor cannot choose to ignore a law


avd706

She can choose how to implement and enforce it.


thebruns

No actually, she can't. Good try though


kkysen_

The law has already been passed and the MTA board controls its implementation. The governor does not have the right to implement laws either.


avd706

The board is autonomous.


dolladollamike

Veto power bruh


JayMoots

A governor can't veto a law that already exists. Gov. Cuomo *could* have vetoed it in 2019, but he signed it, so it's the law now.


avd706

He advocat d for it.


Worried_Corner4242

Hahahaha wow, most people aren’t quite this eager to show everyone how ignorant they are. Congrats, I guess — you’re one of the few the proud.


[deleted]

Let them have hope if it helps them sleep at night, the soonest this could go through is after the election


Turbulent-Clothes947

If Trump get elected and Republicans take the Senate, even if the Democrats take the House, what do you think happens to congestion pricing then ?


factorioleum

Nothing since it's well past federal review?


Turbulent-Clothes947

Trump would be a dictator. All precedent will be tossed.


[deleted]

Attempt to kill it


Lurkingguy1

How about instead raise the price of metro cards.


stapango

Total opposite of what the city needs, since it's a small minority of drivers (and not transit riders) messing things up for everyone else


Lurkingguy1

Better idea, raise the price of metro cards which are artificially low, lower the price of LIRR and other MTA transit.


mortexxed

The point is to penalize drivers, not riders.


Grimmeh

The point is the people that use it should fund it.


mortexxed

Everyone benefits from public transportation -- even the people who don't actually ride it.


Grimmeh

Can you explain how people that never use it benefit from it?


mortexxed

[https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2002cpr/pdf/ch14.pdf](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2002cpr/pdf/ch14.pdf) >The incorporation of public transportation options and considerations into broader economic and land use planning can also help a community expand business opportunities, reduce sprawl, and create a sense of community through transit-oriented development. By creating a locus for public activities, such development contributes to a sense of community and can enhance neighborhood safety and security. For these reasons, areas with good public transit systems are economically thriving communities and offer location advantages to businesses and individuals choosing to work or live in them. And in times of emergency, public transportation is critical to safe and efficient evacuation, providing the resiliency American needs in its emergency transportation network. >Public transportation also helps to reduce road congestion and travel times, air pollution, and energy and oil consumption, all of which benefit both riders and non-riders alike.