Bill de Blasio is just a poser interested in photo ops. He has zero interest in the needs of New Yorkers from NYCHA to the subway. It’s always someone else’s problem or fault. But if crime is down he is the first to take a victory lap like he was the primary reason. He is revolting.
4
Was the Mayor's phone not working? Perhaps they kept missing each other because we all know how prompt de Blasio is. The man isn't qualified to be dog catcher. Maybe if the mayor spent more time in the city he would have found the time. Now I hear he's in Mexico. Is anybody home at Gracey Mansion?
6
He does not report to the Mayor, his budget does not come from the Mayor, so why would he contact the Mayor. Now the Mayor should have welcomed him and offered support to actually making the system somewhat decent.
6
Maybe politically it is not smart that DB has not met with Byford. The facts are simple. Cuomo hired Byford and Cuomo is in charge of the subway. His new found interest in the subway just might have something to do with his election campaign A suggestion to the governor instead of grandstanding by putting state troopers on city roadways use the funds for mass transit and stop acting like a petulant child. I support DBs plan to tax high income New Yorkers to pay for it. All the governor needs to do is get out of the way.
7
de Blasio is an embarrassment. Thought Dinkins was bad (he was) ... de Blasio is in a class by himself. We can only thank the previous mayor for leaving the city in good shape ... but, it's been running on auto pilot ever since.
To think he was reelected .. unbelievable.
16
Unlike most world systems, New York's subway operates 24/7 and crime could be a problem in the off hours.
Some of us believe that the strange occurrence of fatal "accidents" when ridership is at its lowest is very suspicious.
https://hiddenhomicides.blogspot.com/2016/05/why-do-so-many-accidents-ha...
4
The mayor could not find time to meet with this man for six months but I'll bet he found plenty of time to go to his gym in Brooklyn.
11
I recently saw the results of this Mayor's delinquency last Sunday when an M train rolled past with one of its cars covered end to end with graffiti. This is a sight I hadn't seen since the early 80s! The disorder in the subways is 100% the responsibility of the Mayor. It is every day now that I see people jumping the turnstiles with no consequences what so ever. This city is going to the dogs under this mayor. Can he please run for president already so we can be rid of him?!
12
I don't live in NYC but this "oversight" on the part of De Blasio would finally push me over the edge. Every large city depends (or should depend) on good, reliable, and functional mass transit. This should be near the top of the mayor's to-do list. 6 months is forever and emphasizes the lack of seriousness that De Blasio places on this issue. For me, that means I would never vote for the guy again.
12
Did I miss something? When I worked for the MTA in the 1980s, there was something called the Staten Island Rapid Transit; it seems to still be operating, according to the MTA website. Someone should bring that to the Staten Island Borough President's attention.
3
Then you should know that the SI Railway is not connected to the NYC subway system, hence it is not a subway.
4
Andy Byford has even taken rides on the SI Railway and SI express buses to better understand passenger's long commutes. During the recent SI express bus network redesign he was responsive to passenger concerns and adjusted the network accordingly. He's off to a good start.
9
Why would a lazy, do-nothing Mayor de Blasio meet with the CEO of the subway, bus, and commuter rail system that is a foundation of his city's economy? De Blasio takes on hard problems? Five years into his tenure, he only now says the city will test all public housing apartments for lead paint. Think of the damage to the young children who've lived in those apartments under his watch. We can expect nothing of this man. He taints the word progressive. I wish this useless mayor would move to Iowa.
15
This is what happens when you vote for a mayor who ran the first time as the anti-Bloomberg candidate and talked about the tale of two cities.
Mr. Mayor, I know you think this is Cuomo’s problem but if you really want to help the poor, fix the subways so those who live in the outer boroughs can get to work.
16
Obviously, they should have met as part of the hiring process, but then I never cease to be surprised at how poorly run transit systems are in the United States. There is effectively, no national passenger rail system and still, as far as the nation's capital city is concerned, no Washington Dulles Airport train link with the city. London introduced four station stops linking it with its Heathrow Airport in the 1980s. In addition, it has train stations at its other London Airport locations at City, Gatwick and Stansted.
5
I suspect NYC will increasingly become a city divided by transit use. People who can afford cabs, Uber and car services will use those as their primary means to get around in the future. The subways will increasingly be left for the blue-collar workers and the poor, many of whom must travel long distances to get to work. Tourist guidebooks will warn visitors from ever attempting to use mass transit here.
Already, I avoid the subways unless I absolutely must get somewhere that's too far to bike or walk. It's a sad decline for a city so obviously flush with money and which likes to see it itself as a global capital.
11
You must hang out with some very wealthy people. I don't foresee any time I would be able to afford on cabs, car services or Uber for my Washington Heights to Financial District commute, and I'm an attorney.
8
No, as a writer I'm definitely not among the wealthy nor do I know many wealthy folks. But unless there's a dramatic change, I predict that in another 5 years people will have no choice but to earmark a larger portion of their earnings for cars, or use bikes to get around. The system will simply no longer be viable or even safe.
He can finger point to cuomo all he wants but this is his city and his job is to work for us, he’s been hired by us. The economic lifeblood of nyc is the subway and anyone in Brooklyn relying on the L, M or J train we are the mercy of this going well. There’s a $19 billion plan for the mta and all of us pay for it. We are the ones actually riding on and paying for a subway that is chronically late, dirty and heavily overcrowded. Now there’s a NYCHA scandal under his watch where he has the nerve to tweet that nyc lowered lead 90 percent since 2005. He had little to nothing to do with this, but 800-900 children were exposed to lead during his time due to the curruption of an agency he’s to oversee. Roofs on public housing have collapsed and the city pays out millions. The nycha scandal will turn out to be a massive class action lawsuit everyone will pay for. No one will care about “vision zero” . He and cuomo represent the worst of inter fighting and partisan politics. This city is riddled with corruption starting at the top and even through all the unions. Our institutions like the once great unions are now nothing but money for politicians. Meanwhile at the mta the top union dogs double their salaries in OT, support less effective and modern ways of working vs their foreign union counterparts (look at the studies of subways built around the world). Sir your legacy is at risk here wake up.
9
NYC subways are proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither De Blasio nor A. Cuomo are presidential material.
They just don't seem to understand that daily lives of the electorate are not a political football, and that, if they had accomplished something together, each could have basked in the other's reflected glory. Instead, they give credence to the Republican mantra, that people may vote for Dems to represent them in legislative bodies for ideological reasons. But they cannot administer locally.
24
One would think that of all the causes a "progressive" Mayor would address is the dysfunction of mass transit in our city. Instead, Mayor DeBlasio prefers to push his unimaginative and unworkable tax on the rich who already pay more in tax for ever more mediocre services to live here. Does he really think that will benefit New York, or is this a cynical way to avoid confronting Governor Cuomo and the difficult structural issues that will take real and concerted leadership to resolve? Waiting six months before meeting with Mr. Byford is a clear indication of DeBlalsio's arrogance and cynicism.
9
Please keep reporting on this issue. In fact, keep a log of all the delays and publish them. This is embarrassing and maddening to be the best city in the world but have the worst infrastructure imaginable.
16
It should probably be pointed out that Mr. Byford rode the subway to and from City Hall. de Blasio takes the subway nowhere unless the NYPD has cleared the stations of homeless and he is accompanied by a phalanx of cameras.
26
Too much focus on bells and whistles (WiFi, new shiny trains and buses, new stations with art works, countdown clocks - most of us have no choice but to WAIT, no matter what the clock says!) ....versus focusing on the basics...things that will actually improve the commutes... such as track maintenance, signal upgrades, improved P/A systems, more SBS service with pre-paid boarding, better training and oversight of employees.
I'm tired of the 'lack of funds' excuses. The problem is corruption, bureaucracy, mismanagement, poor training, apathy, lack of oversight, etc.
The other day I go down the stairs into one of the cesspool train stations. All the way down the tunnel towards the turnstyles. Only to see....just beyond the turnstyles, a ROPE on the Downtown side. Then, only there by the turnstyles, was a sign ...'No Downtown trains at this station'. Gee, couldn't you have indicated that on the STREET level, before I came all the way into the station? So I communicated that to the 'employee' in the booth...that..you know...it might be nice if there were a sign on the street level. Course, he couldn't have cared less. Yeah, he may work in the booth, but it's not 'his station'. His response to me was 'you can call 511 to complain'.
Classic. This is why we hate the MTA so much. In Japan, subway employees think it an HONOR to have the jobs they do, and they act accordingly. When it comes to the MTA however, employees know their jobs are permanent, regardless.
21
We don’t live in Japan, hon. Very few people in New York or the rest of this country think it’s an honor to have the jobs they do. The cultural difference is real so that’s an unfair dig.
I have seen New Yorkers tear off the signs and yellow tape closing off subway station entrances because they’re determined to get down in the station. It’s as if they don’t believe the signs. Now imagine the poor person in the booth having to deal with this all day. It’s not the job of the person in the token booth to constantly replace the signage and yellow tape outside. If New Yorkers were more respectful (like the Japanese, perhaps) this problem wouldn’t exist but as I have already said, New York City and Japan are not the same. I’m a born and bred New Yorker who’s been all over Japan. The two places are worlds apart.
3
It should probably be pointed out that Mr. Byford rode the subway to and from City Hall. de Blasio takes the subway nowhere unless the NYPD has cleared the stations of homeless and he is accompanied by a phalanx of cameras. The Hudson Yards Terminal of the 7 was funded by Bloomberg, not Cuomo.
13
Here's Cuomos priorities when it comes to transportation infrastructure. Spend billions on a new Tappan Zee bridge and then not include any option for commuter rail. Add extravagant extensions to the subway on the Upper East side and Hudson Yards and then let the rest of the collapsing system subway starve. Put money into the virtually unused Rochester airport and let LaGuardia decline into third world airport territory. See a pattern? The donors, both rich landowners and construction unions, benefit and the rest of us suffer.
29
The political aspirations of both Cuomo and DeBlsio have taken their sights off the the citizens of New York State and New York City. They are continually posturing for press quotes as to who has more chutzpah. Both have been surrounded by corruption.
I voted for neither because their egos have replaced the common sense needed for the reponsibiles of being a Governor and Mayor.
8
The stations are filthy! The elevators are sticking. The cars haven’t been cleaned in years. The City has no pride in itself. Verdi Square is overgrown...the planting are choke by weeds and the plaza is filthy. It has been cleaned in months or maybe years. The mayor doesn’t care. He wants a national platform. The City simply doesn’t matter.
Of course the MTA is no better. It’s failure to maintain the existing system compared with its williness to sounds hundreds of millions on systems and “upgrades” that don’t impact its core mission...providing safe, clean and reliable public transport. An English accent doesn’t help.
It’s time for public servants to work for the public.
13
Mayor de Blasio, aren't there better ways to tell the City that the subways and the MTA are Governor Cuomo's responsibility than treating the subway chief like he's radioactive? Perhaps you could be an advocate for the City. If that advocacy results in a confrontation with Cuomo, at least it would be about substance instead of the pettiness the two of you exhibit. I know. I agree that Cuomo probably started this feud. Now please get over it.
23
i read the fine article about mr byford in the new yorker, and was flabbergasted that we finally have someone clear-sighted, knowledgeable, creative, diplomatic, practical and experienced enough to get this project of immense neglect and stupidity rectified.
i wonder if he'd consider becoming our next president....
14
Both the Mayor and the Governor are outerboro/suburban car guys who are clueless when it comes to public transit.
This week's piece in The New Yorker says that when Andy Byford goes on vacation he tries out/checks out the public transit wherever he goes. When was the last time Their Royal Highnesses used public transit to get around abroad (actually, when was the last time they used it in NYC)?
32
Yes, the Governor should bear the responsibility to fix the MTA, but the Mayor is capable of doing a lot to improve people's commutes. He could direct NYPD to finally start enforcing bus lanes and keep them clear for hundreds of thousands of commuters who rely on them, and he could rein in the placard class of people who illegally park all over the city, choking traffic.
Never elect politicans who won't take the bus.
22
Yes. Enforce bus lanes, stopping allowing flagrant double-parking on main thoroughfares in the outer boroughs, and figure out how to Reduce the number of cars on our streets in general. Why on earth people think they need so many cars (SUVs??!!) even when they are in perfect health, within walking distance of a subway station, etc., is beyond me. Yet, 'car people' typically have a litany of excuses as to why they, and every single member of their families, each need 'their own' vehicle. It is positively stupefying, and selfish.
8
One word: 'Privatize" I'd pay double, maybe more for clean, efficient transportation to work, not held hostage or held up by vagrants and stations with no attendants. Why have rules of conduct with no enforcement? You can't even mind your own business and get yourself to work. Pathetic.
5
Doubling the cost of tickets would be prohibitively expensive for a lot of New Yorkers. I don't think that's a real solution for the huge range of people who depend on affordable public transportation.
2
Privatize? The IRT and BMT were private and failed. If the system were privatized nobody would be able to afford using it or if they were willing to fork over $5/ride, they would discover it no longer ran 24/7.
This is a political problem about social policy involving the "skells", and the allocation of scant resources. Both the Mayor and Governor share the blame, but DeBlasio is far worse. He has never rolled up his sleeves and fixed anything from DOE to NYCHA.
4
Just back from vacation in the UK, where the privatized rail system continues to be a disaster -- bottom line is that public systems can be run well or badly, and so can private ones -- but at least you can vote out elected officials responsible for public messes.
2
I habe serious issues with this article implying that it's the mayor at fault for not reaching out to a governor's appointee serving in the city. No, it's not. This article sounds like a fox news report blaming anyone but the president. The riders and the city fund the system and the state but simehiw inept Cuomo is onky good to serve upstate constituents abd the writer ignores that.
3
Yeah, I can't blame DeBlasio on this one. Byford ultimately works for Cuomo. He reports to him, and gets his funding from him. If he wants funding from the city, it's on him to reach out to DeBlasio who then has to make a decision about what existing services to cut in order to fund the subway that keeps roads less traveled for rich suburbanites that drive into the city for work.
DeBlasio has proposed a new tax to pay for it. Unfortunately, he can't impose it himself, he needs the legislature, and more importantly, the governor to back that proposal - which they do not. It's pretty clear that if we want subway improvements it's going to cost money. So why is Cuomo so against raising those funds?
2
The man running the State's subway system for which the governor is responsible finally, after 1/2 year, meets the mayor of the City which is serviced by the aforesaid subway system.
Is this the epitome of dysfunction?
It's a joke that the governor thinks that he's worthy of re-election.
12
Our mayor is interested only in promoting what he defines as progressive causes. Freeze rents, promote affordable housing, give teachers raises without asking for productivity gains. Those are the things that put a gleam in his eye. Not encouraging people to get to work faster and more comfortably. Not building alliances with the business and arts communities. That’s all too elitist.
Never mind that New York has been a city of ambition since it’s founding.
18
Dont forget discriminating against asians and other high testing students.
6
For all the complaining about the subways today, finally an acknowledgement that it was far worse in the 1980s! At least now you know how long you might have to wait for your train, which allows you to decide whether to walk or wait. The new cars from the 1980s are still in good condition, Bombardier did a good job building them. The stations I've seen are pretty clean. My only complaint is the ridiculous fare system and the failure to retain tokens and cash payments. It is horrible for visitors, and they should be welcomed to the city, not treated like outsiders.
4
Does this article refer to the same Mayor Koch that neglected bridge maintenance to the point where some where nearly condemned? The same Gov. who is rebuilding La Guardia Airport without needing the Mayor of NYC's input? The same mayor Bloomberg who used his own wealth to put in bikeways and their affiliated death and injury? Lets hope Mr. Byford can mind the gap and remain calm to get the job done.
3
Always liked the mayor until now.
2
Never linked the mayor and still don't.
8
I feel like if they want to continue to approve over development of the city via huge high rises for residential and office use they should tax the developers of these projects and the new residents within some kind of displacement fee that should be used to improve the nearby systems. If these people are getting approval from the city to build in ways that make them money and add stress to the system, charging a fee upfront could ensure that local stations will be ready for the influx of new people when they arrive. Case in point: Long Island City. A lesser request: please make psa materials in the form of subway posters that are instructions to the massive influx of new-in-towners around these buildings that describe subway etiquette - take your back pack OFF, give your seat to that pregnant lady, move IN, don't stand in wide stance with your crossfit bag digging into the person behind you, etc.
24
City revenues are booming, from property and income taxes. The development in LIC is contributing to that. This was an area with significant transportation infrastructure already in place and minimal population. Just the kind of place where the city should encourage development. Next: keep an eye on East New York.
4
That's exactly my point. If revenue if booming, why is service still bad and efforts being focused on cosmetic improvement along those lines. LIC is an excellent example - it did previously have a smaller population but this is the ultimate stop before entering manhattan on many lines that collect people throughout more populous areas of Queens before arriving in LIC. There was no more room on a Manhattan bound Vernon-Jackson 7 train during rush hour *five years ago*. Factor in the opening of new developments in LIC, the massive amount of people from North Brooklyn that will be rerouted north to Queens during the L shut down and the signal malfunction mentioned in this article and I would say the infrastructure is dated at best. With the city gaining revenue from these properties, the benefits should be passed along to previous residents and citizens that live deeper in the buroughs in the form of more reliable transport. So far, all I see is higher deli prices, more crowded platforms, and newer light up signs to tell me how bad delays are. Next: Keep an eye on where the displaced citizens of East New York will be going as they are forced to sell to accommodate rising rents.
1
Amazing, we have two of the most inept politicians in the country. Both democrats. Constantly fighting with each other. They are so concerned about themselves, and, their political ambitions. They have little time for their constituents.
The Mayor! I am surprised he is able to take time from his busy vacation schedule to meet with Mr. Byford.
I guess, he can fly in, on the taxpayers dollar. Then he can have his SUV convoy deposit him, at the appropriate time and place. Then he can, once again, on the taxpayers dollar, fly back out.
How many of us New Yorker's wish he would not come back?
45
You think it would be any better with a Republican in terms of the subway? According to the GOP mass transit is socialism, the car is freedom, and we had fatso, our recently departed governor, kill a new rail tunnel under the Hudson because he thought that would mean jobs moving to NJ (and tried to use 500 million the feds gave for the project to fix NJ roads...).
Cuomo and Diblasio are clowns, but I would rather have 2 clowns who pretend to care about the subway then a republican politician hell bent on destroying it in the name of 'private enterprise' or whatnot.
It is kind of tragic when NYC is thriving, when it has some of the most expensive real estate around, where money is flowing around like water, that there isn't money to fix the subways, something stinks in the state of Denmark. My guess is Cuomo is taking all the tax revenue coming from the city and using it to bride the upstate boobs into voting for him, with the kind of real estate and income taxes coming out of NYC that is the only explanation that makes sense.
27
In the short time that he's been here, Mr. Byford seems like the real deal. He has a good CV and he is saying the right things (the man has NEVER owned a car). When asked the political question, he answer has always been "I need to know that the transit system is getting guaranteed money from a source in the future." It is shameful that the mayor has not met with him.
56
The on-going hostility between the Governor and the Mayor are pretty pathetic and counterproductive. Their inability to work together will hurt their chances of election to higher office, and underscores their poor leadership qualities.
Both approve one high raise office and residential tower after another, without corresponding improvements in infrastructure; and the improvements (Fulton transit hub, 2nd Ave extension, #7 line, anything else?) that have been made were extravagantly expensive. An efficient transit system is essential for NYC and the greater Metropolitan area. How can NYC bill itself as the Capital of the World with such a decrepit transit system?
Andy Byford does come with strong credentials, albeit from much smaller and newer subway systems. As a leader, he should know how to get funding for proposed plans, and navigate conflicting interests. The Governor is not the only Stakeholder. Andy ought to appoint an Advisory Board, that includes Citizen (aka strap hangers), Business leaders, and City and State representatives to prioritize projects, and reduce the influence and political grandstanding of the Governor and the Mayor.
13
Unfortunately, he can’t reduce the influence of the governor as the governor has control over funding and has the final authority.
What John Raskin said...
2
Based on the tome of the article, it would seem that the onus has been placed on the mayor to have reached out for the meeting. Why hasn't Mr. Byford, who is the new kid on the block, already made any outreach to the mayor's office? This strikes me as having Gov. Cuomo's silent hand at work here ("Don't reach out to the Mayor. Let him come to you").
Additionally, the article mentions no effort from Mr. Byford to meet with Richard Ravitch either. It seems to me like Mr. Byford does not care about dealing with local individuals. Hos concern is dealing with that DINO in Albany since he is the one in charge of the bloody system!
I am also not necessarily convinced about Mr. Byford's sincerity with regards to fixing the entire system. His past suggestions about shutting down entire lines for the sake of expediency obviously does not understand the plight of residents in the outer boroughs who may only have one line to service them. As I have mentioned before, Mr. Byford should live somewhere other than Manhattan and commute to work to truly understand how the system [doesn't] work and then come up with a viable plan.
7
On the political side sanity once prevailed with Koch and Bloomberg but now ignorance is hard @ work!
7
He is way to busy trying to ferment the socialist revolution than to worry about real working people trying to get to their job on time.
30
If you read the recent New Yorker article on Byford he comes across as a real gift to the city who actually cares and can perhaps finally accomplish some improvements, if de blasio and cuomo don't stop him. Byford for mayor! De Blasio is awful, we all know this.
59
BdB is like a right wing caricature of a liberal. His ideas are poorly thought out. He’s petty. He’s imperious. He acts rashly without heed for the consequences. He’s like a left wing trump. I was disappointed that he wasn’t primaried out of office.
50
Yeah, Concur I didn't vote for either of them recently the neglect of certain portions of the transit system in a deliberately disparate fashion means that if I vote in a Dem primary I would vote for the ivy league lightweight instead of Cuomo and De blasio is as counterfeit as Trump. We're cursed
4
So what will Byford learn from his meeting with the Mayor? First, he will learn that de Blasio is an empty suit. Second, he will learn that de Blasio is more interested in passing the buck to someone else than actually rolling up his sleeves to do any work. In this case, de Blasio will pass the buck to Byford and Cuomo, while opposing any solution that involves raising fares or taxes to pay for capital improvements.
32
His journey to meet the Mayor began six months ago on the F train.
45
Andy Byford transformed Toronto’s TTC in the 6 or 7 years that defined his tenure. The subway, in particular, was clean, ran mostly without interruption, and improved signage - an inexpensive & common sense solution - made navigating the subway system a breeze. I was disappointed to learn that Mr. Byford was quitting his job to take on NYC’s subway issues. This article lays bare that the vision and efforts of a highly accomplished person committed to improving public transit can be thwarted by politicians, their egos, and blame-gaming. Wake up, NY state & NYC. You have a most excellent champion of public transit in Andy Byford. He deserves a meeting! Otherwise, pay out his contract and send him back to Toronto. The TTC is in decline.
44
What the subway system needs is money for upgrades and system modernization to improve capacity and speed delivery. Unfortunately no one wants to pay higher taxes and/or fees or higher rates per ride, and the unions certainly don’t want to give up anything either. So no matter if we bring in, Superman, Spider-Man, or the Hulk, we’re not going to change a system that taken years to get so complex and difficult to untangle in just a few years. So to my fellow riders, I just have two words borrowed from somewhere: adapt yourself!
6
He will be late if he took the 4,5, 6 line. Signal issues caused big delays.
7
Dick Ravitch summarizes the problem: "No politician likes to enact taxes". Unfortunately, the only way to improve the subway is to spend the many tens of billions of dollars that are necessary to upgrade a system that is about 100 years old in many locations. So unless we (as taxpayers and citizens) are willing to step forward and pay the higher fares and taxes necessary to upgrade the system, I just don't see the system improving much. Politicians are not alchemists. They can't rebuild a subway unless we (and that includes all taxpayers, including corporate taxpayers) provide the necessary resources.
4
You're mostly wrong. The main impediment to bringing our transit system out of the third world is not funding; it's the TWU. This union has a stranglehold on the city and they have no incentive to change their ways. Unless the state can find a way to oust the TWU and start over, this situation will never improve.
17
Even if it were a good idea, given the reality of New York politics, the TWU is not being replaced anytime soon. Any and all improvements will have to be made with the TWU in place.
1
We have been "stepping up" and paying higher fares. And for what? A system that continues to crumble around us. It is time for politicians to step up and ensure that NYC gets the funding it requires to keep it the most important city in New York. I am not adept enough to decipher all the financial reports out there, but I would be surprised if NYC did not support the rest of the state only to be vilified. Get the funding from the Buffalo Billion boondoogle and other "initiatives" Cuomo has used as bribes to get votes from upstate residents.
4
The Mayor spends his days being driven around in an SUV (a size of automobile that should not be allowed to operate in NYC). Right now he is probably spending most of his time trying to figure out how he can circumvent the law and run for a third term.
57
What do we expect from a mayor who puts politics over efficiently running a city? De Blasio has put far more effort into changing the admissions criteria of a New York specialized schools than he has in helping make sure that our public transportation system works for all New Yorkers. Unfortunately, this is what New York gets when it votes for a political hack over someone who has ever had any experience running anything.
62
There are two forms of child abuse: 1) active abuse and overcontrol and 2) pathological neglect. The NYC transportation system suffers from the former by the Governor and the latter by the Mayor. Neither care that we have a transportation crisis -- you can't get from point A to point B without loads of problems whether you take public transportation, hired cars, or your own car. The Gov. doesn't have the expertise to dictate technologies but is doing that anyway. The Mayor won't get involved in something messy, difficult, and politically risky.
24
Unimpressed by either one's performance 6 months or 4 1/2 yrs. into their jobs. Both seem intent on removing rights, quality of life and fairness under the pretext of fairness for all. Huge disappoinment having to keep hearing about their undelivered big ideas, while more and more of us suffer through their empty words and continuous disruption. Actions and lack of it speaks louder than words. Absolute disappointment in both of them thus far and nothing in all the presentations and talks I've seen has proven to advancing all New Yorkers.
9
The delay in meeting personally to 'fix' public transportation in NYC may be of concern, as it reflects a lack of interest in seeking, and finding, solutions demanding a team effort. Perhaps the distance between the mayor and the subway leader is a bit more complex than the few steps away in physical terms. Do we have the "ganas" to solve things as comprehensibly as possibly, provided our competency is beyond doubt?
4