Still Falling Down - Mass Transit

A chance to make the commuter tax productive

webmaster@stillfallingdown.com (Writer) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:17:45 -0400

Mayor Bloomberg has used the financial crisis as an opportunity to once again bring up the issue of a commuter tax.

The State Assembly (read Sheldon Silver, who represents a district in NYC) is willing to consider the idea.
The State Senate (read Dean Skelos, who represents a Long Island district) appears unwilling to even discuss it.

I guess that leaves David Patterson as the tie-breaker.

While drastic spending cuts would be preferable to any tax increase, maybe we can come up with a commuter tax that isn't a tax per se.

Let's collect the commuter tax at the bridges, tunnels, and to a much lesser extent, on the suburban rail and bus lines.

I've mentioned this before, but let's trot it out again.

Close the free Manhattan crossings inbound to private automobile traffic from 5AM to 3PM on weekdays. Force drivers in their own cars to pay to get into the city during working hours.
Increase the inbound toll on the remaining crossings to $40 during those times. This should be the main source of the commuter tax, and at the same time, create an incentive towards mass transit instead of the disincentive that exists now.
Eliminate on-street parking in Manhattan (below 135th Street) for private automobiles from 7AM to 8PM. Get the drivers who are willing to pay the higher toll into parking garages. Then hit them with an additional 10% sales tax on top of the existing sales tax. Manhattan residents who park monthly get a 100% exemption.

Add a 10% surcharge onto MTA and New Jersey Transit suburban line tickets coming into New York during those times. This should make up for the loss in tolls due to the increased prices, but not enough to offset the incentive.

Eliminate the outbound tolls. Get the vehicles out of Manhattan as quickly as possible.

The benefits to all this: Reduced traffic, which means lower costs for the movement of people and goods, cleaner air (reducing the cost of failing to meet federal pollution standards), reduced road maintenance costs, and best of all, fewer single-passenger SUVs blowing their horns at red lights.

I just loooove talking to myself.

The PATH and the Second Avenue Subway

webmaster@stillfallingdown.com (Writer) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:08:20 -0500

When the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad was laying out where its tracks and stations would go, the plans included a connection to the East Side via Astor Place and then on to Grand Central Station. This segment of the lines was never built, although a short stub of maybe 50 feet was built just east of the 9th Street Station.

Now comes the Second Avenue Subway with construction contracts about to be awarded. How about completing Mr. McAdoo's plans and building the extension out to Astor Place with transfers to the number 6 line and then Second Avenue?

That's a pretty short line from 6th Avenue to 4th Avenue and 2nd Avenue. Even the Port Authority should be able to manage a project like that.

MTA looks to buy some votes with your money

webmaster@stillfallingdown.com (Writer) — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:39:38 -0400

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has generated a proposal to cut subway and bus fares by 50% between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. According to the Authority's 2006 Financial Plan, as a result of the Gap Closing Program, their New York City Transit division will save $43.7 million with a reduction of 432 positions. These positions are involved in the delivery of new subway cars, the design of new electrical and signalling systems, and, of course, station, car and bus maintenance.

"Gap Closing Program"? Why does a organization with a billion-dollar surplus need a Gap Closing Program? Or is there really a surplus? Will we hear next year about the deficit? Sounds a little too Enron/Worldcom/Adelphia to me.

The money New York City residents have been paying in increased fares, which we are told is needed for system upkeep, will go to subsidize the tourist invasion of Manhattan during the holidays, but also to buy your votes on the Transportation Bond Act. I happen to be in favor of this bond issue, since I haven't been able to find where they've hidden the line items which will actually go to operational expenses instead of capital expenditures. As a rule, though, I just don't like vote buying.

So, the trains, buses and stations will be dirtier, the new trains will be delayed another year, signalling improvements will take a few more years to design and even more years to install. And we'll take on more debt.

So, thanks MTA Executive Director Katherine Lapp, for a thoughtful proposal. And I'm sure the suburban commuters (of which, Katherine, you would be one if you didn't have an Authority provided car and driver) whose rides are subsidized at the expense of city dwellers will continue to thank you. Oh, and how's that 22% salary increase from Pete Kalikow holding up?