Our Government at Work - The MTA & LIRR

[PeteT]

Over the last few weeks you can't go a day without seeing something in the paper about the LIRR.

Today it was about the 70 something that fell in the gap at Syosset - a problem that cost us MILLIONS already. Yesterday it was lower ridership, day before State and Federal impact to the budget... and in the background for weeks were service cuts on the east end and the abysimal bus service system...

But yet with all these problems, lack of money, need to raise fares they are continuing to throw money at the East End Access project that wont go into revenue producing service until 2016!

Now - I realize that the rail road will say it's creating jobs, but at what expense? I propose that it's on the shoulders of their customers who would rather do without the east end access to Grand Central in exchange for maintaining the current level of service and not having to dig deeper into their pockets every month to pay for their train ticket after several straight years of HUGE fare hikes.

What do you think?

[bunny_girl]

I totally, 150% agree, Pete. I am scratching my head on this one - here the MTA/LIRR is threatening massive service cuts this summer and fare hikes next year (although I still think we will see one this year anyway) and yet they are forging forward with expanding service somewhere else? They need to get their existing "house" in order before they forge into new territories. If the go forward with ESA, what guarantee is there that service will also start seeing cuts? I agree that East Side Access could be beneficial to commuters and has its place when the economy is good and people are not being laid off in record numbers, but how can it now be justified to cut existing service while expanding it somewhere else??

I think the MTA needs to "shore up" what it is providing now - expanding on an existing poorly run and under-funded service with threatened cuts is now not sensible.

Persoanlly I LOATHE the MTA - they are a bloated, selfish, ill-run organization and we have politicians that are afraid to hold them accountable.

[PeteT]

Thanks Bunny Girl.

In today's Newsday Senator Shumer announced $83M in funding to start the Monyham Station expansion for Penn Station, LIRR and Amtrack. Come on... $83M could go a LONG way to bridge the gap that the MTA will undoubtedly blame for lowering service levels and INCREASING Fares yet again.

Isn't this just like the credit card crunch? Spending money you don't have and may never make? come on guys! just a little financial responsibility?