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Speeches
I want to thank the Metropolitan Transit Authority for this opportunity to voice my concerns, and the concerns of many working New Yorkers, regarding the fare hike and other budgetary actions the MTA and New York City Transit have proposed, including token booth closings and bus service cutbacks. These proposals prey on the convenience, the wallets and the safety of New Yorkers.
Although we have heard Governor Pataki repeatedly claim to oppose any new taxes, all of us in this room know that a fare hike is a tax hike. It’s a tax that hard-working New York families will have to pay each time they go to houses of worship, a tax every time they visit a loved one, or shop for a child’s new clothes, a tax every time they consult a doctor, or attend a kid’s little league game.
Make no mistake – this fare hike is a tax on those who can least afford it.
The proposed service cuts are also unacceptable. Shutting token booths may cut the MTA’s expenses, but the cost to riders is too high to make this a reasonable budget option. Token booth clerks are not police officers, but their presence deters crime. This is especially important in stations that the Police Department has determined to be high crime locations. The timing of the proposed cuts is particularly bad considering that subway muggings and assaults are among the few crimes in New York City to see an increase last year.
In addition, the elderly, people with baby carriages, and the physically disabled who need the assistance of a token booth clerk will have to walk to booths that are sometimes several hundred feet from the booth proposed to be closed.
Finally, I do not understand how New York City Transit can even utter the words “service cuts” while refusing to open the books and show us how the agency managed to move into the red while ridership increased. Hundreds of thousands of new Yorkers use buses daily. The MTA’s proposed cuts in bus service will require them to wait longer for buses. In the freezing weather we have experienced recently, this could be a health hazard, particularly for seniors and children.
We cannot respond to budget difficulties by creating a dangerous and inconvenient transit system. New York City transit riders who have helped the MTA increase its revenue should not be rewarded with fare increases. Nor do we deserve service cuts. It is unconscionable to propose both at the same time, especially when the MTA has not shone needed light on its finances. Fiscal experts in the City Comptroller’s office cannot even track your finances with the documents you have provided. Before you come completely clean with your finances, New Yorkers will fight you every step of the way.
Once again, I thank you for allowing me to speak to you on this issue. I urge you to listen to the concerns of all New Yorkers, and take our comments into consideration when deciding the fate of your customers.
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