MTA Prez: Don't Expect Anything From Us

You don't have to tell straphangers that things down below in the subways of New York City are under par. Though MTA President Howard Roberts did just that....and more in an interview yesterday with the Post (hoping that not as many Post readers travel on the subway on Sunday perhaps?). He fessed up to the dire conditions and the fact that even two fare increases on the near horizon wouldn't do the trick. Well, maybe this is rare bit of honesty from a MTA admin.

From The NY Post:

"There's not anything out there that anybody is very proud of," NYC Transit President Howard Roberts Jr. told The Post in a wide-ranging interview about the fundamental problems plaguing the city's 468 subway stations as the agency slashes its budget and talks about raising fares twice more in the coming three years.[...]

With the MTA reporting a steep decline in revenue, especially at bridges and tunnels, straphangers won't see any improvements. The two proposed fare hikes, Roberts said, would "only maintain the status quo."

"For years, they slashed station cleaning, and they slashed station maintenance," Roberts said of his predecessors at NYC Transit, who he said were forced into the cuts.

"It created issues."

Issues? Ya think?

Well, to Mr. Roberts credit, there is one good thing coming soon for the millions who ride the MTA, as long as they have a cellphone that is. Now we'll at least know ahead of time when the trains are going to completely fail and not as many people will be stifling in the heat of a crowded platform, waiting hopelessly for a train that isn't coming. Fixing that problem will cost way more than $600K

The Waste At The MTA

With two days to go until the MTA board officially raises our fares to commute in New York, the Daily News publishes a bombshell investigation showing the glut that can be found across the MTA. The redundant costs, multiple executives and a ridiculous amount of lawyers employed and contracted out shows how despite the board wanting more of New Yorkers' money, they fail to save in some of the easiest ways possible.

From The Daily News:

The records show that in the coming year the agency plans to expand the number of jobs from 69,973 to 70,469. In subsequent years the number of jobs will be reduced by a tiny amount - 138 - leaving the number of workers still above the current level.

Consider this:

• Instead of one president, there are eight - the MTA chief and seven agencies.
• Instead of one chief financial officer, there are six CFOs.
• Instead of a central staff, each agency has its own lawyers, auditors and payroll clerks.
  

That is just the overview, those eight Presidents make between $178 and $340K. They're given housing deferments as part of their salaries even though they live close by to their jobs. Many more employees do the same jobs only in a different office. The duplicative nature of the MTA is a well recognized problem, so what did they do about it? They employed a director for $120K to find a solution last year and there won't even be a report issued until next year.

Maybe it takes so long because of all the lawyers telling him or her what is legal and what is not. One hundred and twelve lawyers are spread out across the transit authorities doing god knows what. Their $12 million dollar cost was supplemented by millions more from outside law firms.

The glut is just overwhelming. Now we're expected to pay for this? Absolutely ridiculous!