THE MTA HAS A DECISION TO MAKE ....

TESTIMONY OF BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT

MARTY MARKOWITZ

MARCH 3, 2010 

I WELCOME NYC TRANSIT PRESIDENT TOM PRENDERGAST AND THE MTA BOARD TO BROOKLYN. THANK YOU, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE JAY WALDER, TOM PREDERGAST, AND HELENA WILLIAMS HEADING OUR SYSTEM. THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE -- THE RIGHT LEADERS AT THE RIGHT TIME, TO HELP NAVIGATE US THROUGH THIS CRISIS.

NOBODY IN THIS ROOM WANTS CUTS. AND THERE IS NOT A PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO IS IN FAVOR OF THESE PLANS, NOT ONE. BUT THIS CRISIS IS REAL AND PUBLIC SERVANTS MUST MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS. THAT SAID, I'M CERTAIN THAT THE MTA'S CURRENT PROPOSAL WILL ONLY SLOW OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

ALREADY, TRAINS AND BUSES ARE OVER CAPACITY AND COMMUTERS EXPERIENCE CHRONIC DELAYS. WE SHOULD NOT BE REDUCING SERVICE IN A SYSTEM THAT HAS ALREADY FAILED TO KEEP PACE WITH GROWTH. THESE CUTS COMPROMISE THE VERY SAFETY AND SERVICE THAT KEEP OUR CITY FUNCTIONING.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE PLAN TO CUT COSTS BY CLOSING STATION BOOTHS, ELIMINATING HUNDREDS OF STATION ASSISTANTS, AGENTS, AND DOZENS OF SUPERVISORS ABSOLUTELY COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF MILLIONS OF TRANSIT RIDERS.

THIS PLAN LEAVES SUBWAY STATIONS AND PLATFORMS UNATTENDED, WITH NO ONE AROUND TO HELP IN AN EMERGENCY. UNATTENDED SUBWAY STATIONS ARE AN INVITATION TO CRIMINALS -- AND NO ONE WANTS A RETURN TO THOSE BAD OLD DAYS IN CITY HISTORY.

THE MTA'S PLAN TO RUN FEWER TRAINS WILL PACK RIDERS INTO TRAIN CARS ALREADY BURSTING AT THE SEAMS. ELIMINATING THE M-TRAIN -- REPLACING IT WITH A "V"  IN WILLIAMSBURG, BUT CUTTING IT OFF FROM SUNSET PARK, BAY RIDGE, BOROUGH PARK, DYKER HEIGHTS, AND BENSONHURST -- MEANS OVERCROWDING AND DELAYS ON THE R, N, AND D.

AND FRANKLY, THE PLAN TO CUT SERVICE ON THE G-TRAIN, WHICH ALWAYS GETS BROUGHT UP IN THESE SCENARIOS, IS AN INSULT TO BROOKLYN AND QUEENS. THERE IS A WORLD OUTSIDE OF MANHATTAN! -- AND WORKERS NEED TO COMMUTE BETWEEN THE LARGEST BUSINESS DISTRICTS OF THE CITY'S TWO MOST POPULOUS BOROUGHS.

REGARDING REGIONAL TRANSIT, THE PLAN TO CUT NIGHT AND WEEKEND LIRR SERVICE IN BROOKLYN MAKES NO SENSE. THE MTA JUST OPENED THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATED ATLANTIC TERMINAL -- IT SHOULDN'T NOW CUT OFF SERVICE TO IT. PEOPLE RELY ON THE LIRR TO GET TO THE AIR-TRAIN AND JFK AIRPORT.

AND HOW ABOUT BUSES?  BROOKLYN DEPENDS ON THEM. BUSES ARE THE ONLY ANSWER IN AREAS WITHOUT SUBWAYS, AND A LIFELINE TO THOSE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES. JUST LOOK AT THE POSSIBLE ILL EFFECTS OF THESE CUTS:

ELIMINATING THE B4 WILL CUT OFF MANY SENIOR CITIZENS' SERVICE TO CONEY ISLAND HOSPITAL FROM SHEEPSHEAD BAY. THE B51 AND B39 ARE THE ONLY TWO BUSES TAKING MANY WITH MOBILITY NEEDS BETWEEN MANHATTAN AND BROOKLYN, AND MANY HAVE CALLED ON ME TO SAVE THESE LINES. 

CUTTING THE B13 IN WILLIAMSBURG WILL LEAVE RIDERS WITH NO ADA-ACCESSIBLE STATIONS TO REPLACE LOST SERVICE. THE MTA'S DRAMATIC RECONFIGURING OF ROUTES FOR BROWNSTONE BROOKLYN'S B37, B69, B71, B75, AND B77, WILL COMPLICATE COMMUTES AND LEAD TO INCREASED WAITS.

THE SAME GOES FOR BOROUGH PARK'S B23, MARINE PARK'S B2, GREENPOINT'S B24, THE B7 ON KINGS HIGHWAY, THE B31 IN GERRITSEN BEACH, AND A DOZEN OR SO OTHER ROUTES.

FURTHERMORE, THE MTA'S PLAN TO CUT THE X27, X28, X29, X37, AND X38, WILL WORSEN COMMUTES IN BAY RIDGE, BATH BEACH, AND GRAVESEND AND LEAVE CONEY ISLAND WITH NO EXPRESS BUS SERVICE TO MANHATTAN.

OF COURSE, I AM ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGED AT PLANS TO ELIMINATE STUDENT METROCARDS -- IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO STRAND OVER 500,000 CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO GET TO SCHOOL BUT BY BUSES AND TRAINS.

ADDITIONALLY, CUTTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM ACCESS-A-RIDE, PLACING LIMITS ON ELIGIBILITY, LAYING OFF STAFF, AND ELIMINATING DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE IS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE SENIORS WHO BUILT THIS GREAT CITY.

THEY PAY TAXES AND THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TRANSIT FARES. WE ABSOLUTELY OWE THEM DEPENDABLE TRANSIT ACCESS!

I HAVE REPEATEDLY PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOLUTIONS -- LIKE A MODEST INCREASE TO THE GAS TAX LEVIED IN THE ENTIRE 12-COUNTY MTA DISTRICT AND DEDICATED SOLELY TO PUBLIC TRANSIT. I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO PAY MORE FOR GAS, AND BELIEVE ME, I'M A DRIVER MYSELF, BUT AS A DRIVER, I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTING A FEW MORE CENTS IS WORTH IT IF IT WILL HELP KEEP PUBLIC TRANSIT MOVING.

I'VE ALSO SUPPORTED RAISING THE FEES ON VEHICLE REGISTRATION BASED ON WEIGHT AND MODEL TYPE (MEANING, IF YOU WANT TO OWN A SUPER-SIZED SUV. THAT TAKES UP MORE SPACE ON THE ROAD YOU SHOULD HAVE TO PAY MORE THAN SOMEONE WHO DRIVES A SMALLER OR MORE FUEL EFFICIENT CAR!)

FURTHERMORE, RIGHT NOW, RESIDENTS IN NYC PAY A HIGHER "VEHICLE USE TAX" WHEN REGISTERING THEIR VEHICLES THAN RESIDENTS IN OTHER COUNTIES. I AM ADVOCATING FOR CHARGING ALL TWELVE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE MTA THIS SAME FEE AND DEDICATING IT TO FUND MASS TRANSIT. IT IS NOT FAIR THAT RESIDENTS IN WESTCHESTER PAY A LOWER FEE AND RESIDENTS IN PUTNAM COUNTY PAY NO FEE WHEN WE ALL COULD BE PAYING THE SAME FEE IN ALL TWELVE COUNTIES TO PAY FOR OUR SUBWAYS AND BUSES. 

THE SOLUTION TO THIS TRANSIT FUNDING CRISIS MUST BE REGIONAL, AND I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL TO SHIFT THE BURDEN TO NYC RESIDENTS THROUGH A HIGHER PAYROLL TAX, WHILE LESSENING THE BURDEN FOR THE SUBURBS. I'VE ALSO SUGGESTED CREATING A NEW "MEGA-MILLIONS" STYLE LOTTERY DEDICATED TO PUBLIC TRANSIT. AND I'VE CALLED ON THE MTA TO CUT COSTS BY CONSOLIDATING ITS PROPERY ASSETS.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, THE MTA LEASES A BLIGHTED BUILDING AT 370 JAY STREET. IF THE MTA  DOESN'T NEED THIS BUILDING IT SHOULD SELL ITS STAKE IN IT -- AND I'M CERTAIN THE MTA  HAS DOZENS OF PROPERTIES THAT IT DOES NOT NEED. SELL THEM AND USE THE MONEY TO FUND MASS TRANSIT!

I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT THIS KIND OF INEFFICIENCY EXTENDS TO PENSION AND WORKER DISABILITY ABUSE IN THE TRANSIT  SYSTEM -- AND IF THE AUTHORITY CANNOT REFORM ITSELF, EVEN AFTER UNDERGOING AUDITS, THEN IT MAY BE TIME FOR A MORE SERIOUS INVESTIGATION OF EFFICIENCY AT THE MTA.

THE BIGGEST OUTRAGE IS HOW NYC, THE LARGEST MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM IN AMERICA, GETS NO RESPECT FROM WASHINGTON. FOR SOME REASON THE MTA HAS FAILED TO RALLY THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO STOP SHORTCHANGING OUR BUSES AND TRAINS.

ONE IN EVERY THREE PUBLIC TRANSIT USERS IN THE U.S. RIDES THE MTA, YET OUR SYSTEM IS AMONG THE LEAST SUBSIZED, PER CAPITA, IN AMERICA. HOUSTON, LOS ANGELES, MIAMI, AND DENVER ALL DO BETTER FOR THEIR RIDERS THAN NYC! THE MTA MUST PUSH HARDER FOR MORE FEDERAL FUNDING!

LASTLY, I SUPPORT THE CITY COUNCIL AND STRAPHANGERS CAMPAIGN'S IDEAS TO REDIRECT FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY CURRENTLY RESERVED FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES TOWARD SYSTEM OPERATIONS -- OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING.

NO ONE WANTS TO RETURN TO THE 1970s, WHEN USING CAPITAL FUNDS FOR OPERATIONS GOT OUT OF HAND ,  BUT I BELIEVE, AS DO OTHERS, THAT SUCH A MOVE IS JUSTIFIED IN THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS. AFTERALL, THE STIMULUS WAS PROVIDED EXACTLY FOR THIS REASON-- TO SAVE JOBS AND SERVICES!

THE MTA HAS A DECISION TO MAKE -- IT HAS TO DECIDE WHETHER IT IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS CRISIS TO FUND FLASHY "COSMETIC" MEGA-PROJECTS IN PLACES LIKE LOWER MANHATTAN WHILE STARVING THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, OR WHETHER IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO STRATEGICALLY AND TEMPORARILY REDIRECT FUNDS TO PRESERVE JOBS, SAFETY, AND RELIABILITY IN THE SYSTEM.

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER -- LET'S KEEP THIS CITY'S ROAD TO RECOVERY "ON TRACK" AND KEEP BROOKLYN AND NEW YORK CITY SAFE, MOVING, AND SUCCEEDING