Message to Governor Andrew Cuomo: you will NEVER be elected President of the USA. Give up that fantasy. Think about a job in the waste hauling business since everything you
touch does indeed turn to garbage.
109
Mr Byford needed to understand the governor’s role as an elected official most responsible for” transit..this is such a sad and distorted refrain stated unfortunately as a fact...what exactly IS the governor’s role? Let’s get this straight; the role is limited to what it is, which is to appoint a set number of people to the MTA board. The Governor’s role is NOT to manage the transit system. Nor should it be given the complexities which underlay the good reasons for MR Byford being brought on board as a professions manager.
Mr Byford, to his credit, publicly stewed over the governor’s intervention on the L-train renovation; Mr Byford had stated he would not fall into line and endorse the governor’s L-train move outright and instead said he would await third party review of the academics’ recommendation, adopted by Governor Cuomo, to avert the L shutdown...we kept waiting for that independent report..it now seems apparent instead that this NYT report provides the answer, to wit, there will never be a disinterested third party report on the L train shutdown; the Governor himself is managing and running the MTA.
Thank you for giving us a chance, Mr Byford and good luck going forward.
56
Cuomo needs to go....out of touch....no one wants to deal with him or work with him. A due arrogant dinosaur...both he and de Blasio....look at the Amazon / LIC debacle
48
Classic Cuomo. He doesn’t care — he doesn’t take it everyday. DeBlasio also does not and has not cared since elected. We need to show up to MTA board meetings to remind them they work for us, the people not politicians who swindle our money out of our hands and into the arms of big developers.
60
Just another way for Cuomo to stick it to DeBlasio.
13
Gov. Coumo let the man do his job. When he looks good, you will look good.
67
Working under Cuomo seems as difficult as working under Trump.
Two giant egos claiming "I am in charge here"
39
"Some of Mr. Byford’s colleagues said his rock star status ...may have irked Mr. Cuomo." The crux of the matter: Cuomo's famed megalomania will brook no competition. And the subway riders of NYC suffer. Byford is the best thing that has happened to this vital service that has been so shamefully neglected by the Gov. Now Cuomo's ego is going to blow it. Maybe Cuomo ought to run for president and leave NY alone.
58
Sounds like the citizens of New York understand the situation much better than the Governor.
36
Cuomo please keep your nose out of the operation of the MTA. you are not competent in this area, and your overblown ego makes you even less competent. Stick to the backroom politics that you seem to enjoy.
Let Byford do his job and you can take all the credit and grandstand later.
And try really smiling more. We have enough of an overgrown petulant child as a president.
50
@New Yorker
You say: "A sign of a good manager is staff that stays." Nonsense.
It is as much a sign-and perhaps an even stronger indicator-of "same old same old."
Business as usual.
Just employ some fancy jargon.
Move things around.
Put a few of "his" people in key posts.
Make some cosmetic and superficial changes to create an appearance of change.
Say we need time to effectuate needed change with the new management structures.
Employ new performance metrics.
You turn a ship at sea slowly, so too with the NYCTA culture, capital program, construction, etc.
Next thing you know, well, your lucrative contract is up. You have made mega-deals that will ensure an even more lucrative consulting career in NYCTA afterlife. You have created important contacts inside the organization to exploit going forward.
Want change?
Fire incompetent managers.
Prosecute when appropriate & take pensions.
Bring the Feds in to do a top to bottom investigation into the criminal aspects of the fraud, waste, and abuse. It is a house of cards and will fall rapidly, and take politicians, transit executives, construction companies, union officials, transit vendors, etc., down.
ONLY THEN, will there be a CHANCE to have a meaningful change.
Byford would be in his job while the Feds were investigating and prosecuting. He'd be a walking third rail, no one would touch him.
Then he would be out of the industry.
7
That makes zero sense with regard to people hired by a leader on his own watch. When many people *hired by you* are pushed out by you, you're either remarkably bad at selecting competent people to hire, or quite bad at retaining competent people.
25
Andrew Cuomo never changes. Always a control freak.
27
If some one can start an online Petition called “Cuomo leave Andy alone” I’m sure it will gain a lot of signatures
42
Good work, Times.
20
MTA needs to be moved under management of NYC instead of NYS. There are simply too many bosses so no one is responsible for the end result. Cuomo need to be out of picture here.
39
@Eric Wang
Agreed. But then the State might no longer pay part of it
There's for example a State wider fuel tax, paid by everyone, for the MTA.
4
I really don’t understand Cuomo. Why not just fix the transit system? What’s in it for him to allow it to remain broken?
26
Thank you Andy Byford. In the short time you've been here I've experienced improvements in quality of my subway life. Communication in the form of better notices and signage regarding reroutings have appeared online and posted in stations. There's clearer communication that explains the cause of delays. It's not perfect, but it's a start. Thank you.
71
@Kathy The problem is sort of like the speedometer on your car. There is a needle that you look at to estimate your speed. All you need is a number that tells you how fast you are driving. The inability to get rid of the speedometer with a needle is sort of like the subway problem. People cannot understand President Byford is using the number and has gotten rid of the outdated speedometer with a needle. Difficult to change thinking.
2
Gov, stick to what you are good at, photo opportunities, having hissy fits, back room deals and raising taxes. Let the professional that has run and improved transit systems around the world do his job. If he quits, it’s on your head and no one else.
56
'Mr. Byford appeared to be frustrated with “interference in his daily duties” from Mr. Cuomo and his aides, Mr. Albert said.'
This is a familiar refrain, and I can see why Byford might want to quit. He was hired to do a job, giving it his best and getting interference from a political hack who really knows nothing about the subway, only about polishing his ego and exercising power over others. I hope Byford stays. Seems like a good man doing youmans work.
48
I couldn’t agree more.
7
Toronto loves Andy!! We were sorry he moved onto New York. You're stupid to loose him. Our transit system service has not been the same since he left. If they don't want you in New York Andy come back to Toronto!
22
It was made accessible because of a lawsuit, not out of the kindness of your hearts
1
Andrew Cuomo is a politician with little to no managerial experience. He hires experts and then drives them to quit because he doesn’t respect their expertise and can’t keep his nose out of their business. Buford was hired less than 18 months ago to turn around a subway system that has been deteriorating for decades. Thoughts and prayers will not fix the NYC subways’ problems, neither will grandiose building schemes. Cash, time and thoughtful leadership are required - not histrionics.
37
It is of note that Toronto area public transportation is again in flux as the dead crack mayor's brother and Premier of the province Doug Ford exerts his power over the plans.
Who will get to spend the billions?
8
The governor, true to form, is behaving poorly and impulsively.
Andy Byford is an internationally acclaimed as a transit expert. New Yorkers should count their lucky stars that he is on the scene.
The governor isn't a transit expert. Rather, he is conducting himself imperiously.
Think of him as a micro-manager.
The governor is diminishing whatever social capital he still possesses.
We have enough of a problem with an impulsive and erratic president of the United States.
Governor Cuomo should take a few days off to reflect on his behavior.
He should ask himself the following question:
"Am I acting like him?"
35
Safety is the most important for the public transport. The authority needs reasonable cost to keep safe and comfortable subway system. The governor should not skip on citizens’ safety. It would be too late to regret after a serious accident occurred.
6
You could see this coming once the "experts" reviewed the L train plans. I've read that "East Side Access" is due to be reviewed by similar experts. As I have posted on here before, NY infrastructure/ transit is past its prime. Palliative care will ease some of the pain, but the story does not end well...
8
Cuomo is a tremendous micromanager and knows better than anyone about anything he wants to take credit for. More than the experts, more than those who have spent careers doing educated, highly skilled work. His controlling & vindictive nature & the henchmen he surrounds himself--hardly surprising it would drive off the highly capable.
32
Generally speaking, I'm a supporter of Governor Cuomo, but I was dismayed that it took until the beginning of this year to realize that he might have some input into the L Train shutdown and "save" the city from a nightmare. After reading this, I'm not surprised. That he hasn't spoken to Andy Byford since January is a disgrace. I've followed Mr. Byford's progress with the subway since he started his massive task of rehabilitating it and he's doing a fantastic job! Yet, the GOVERNOR is ultimately responsible for the MTA and it's his DUTY to oversee it's progress as a priority. How ridiculous for Cuomo's spokesperson to say "he's been tied up with the budget". Really? That's the excuse? As I said, generally speaking I think Cuomo has had some real achievements as governor (rebuilding the Tappan Zee and LGA being just 2) but I have to ask if he's been governor too long and perhaps this should be his last term. I mean if he's too busy doing the budget to worry about the MTA.....
15
Let the man do his job Mr. Cuomo. Stop micromanaging. As far as rock star status goes, who cares???? As long as the job gets done, that’s all that matters. You’re the governor for heavens sake. Stand on your own merits!!! Jealousy and envy are sins.
Stick to trying to get Amazon back to Queens. Leave Mr. Byford alone...
20
I have only one question for Prince Andrew: how do you overcome an undesired energized "A" wire? When you can answer that, you can criticize Andy Byford, but only if you have also learned to wear a safety vest when on the right of way.
7
CBTC is archaic? In any case ultra-wideband radio is a communications medium that could be used to implement CBTC rather than the microwave used in the current implementations. Cuomo obviously knows nothing about rapid transit technology and management. And when is he going to start wearing his PPE when he is on the tracks?
14
A sign of a good manager is staff that stays. Andrew Cuomo doesn't get it that when you have continuity in your workforce, treat your employees with decency, be nice to staff you get good results. Cuomo needs to ride the subways and not travel the state in his big SUV. Let's see him take Metro North to his city office from Mt.Kisco. Does he even know that there is a train station not far from where he resides?
7
@New Yorker
"A sign of a good manager is staff that stays."
Nonsense.
It is as much a sign-and perhaps an even stronger indicator-of "same old same old."
Business as usual.
Just employ some fancy jargon.
Move things around.
Put a few of "his" people in key posts.
Make some cosmetic and superficial changes to create an appearance of change.
Say we need time to effectuate needed change with the new management structures.
You turn a ship at sea slowly, so too with the NYCTA culture, capital program, construction, etc.
Next thing you know, well, your lucrative contract is up. You have made mega-deals that will ensure an even more lucrative consulting career in NYCTA afterlife.
You have created important contacts inside the organization to exploit going forward.
Want change?
Fire incompetent managers.
Prosecute when appropriate & take pensions.
Bring the Feds in to do a top to bottom investigation into the criminal aspects of the fraud, waste, and abuse.
It is a house of cards and will fall rapidly, and take politicians, transit executives, construction companies, union officials, transit vendors, etc., down.
ONLY THEN, will there be a CHANCE to have a meaningful change.
Byford would be in his job while the Feds were investigating and prosecuting. He'd be a walking third rail, no one would touch him.
Then he would be out of the industry.
Mr. Byford, please stay!!! Despite its flaws, the subway gets me where I need to go. Having grown up and lived in other US cities in the South and the Midwest, I'm amazed at the level of commitment that NYC and NY state has made to public transit, now for over a century or more. New Yorkers are so lucky to have the subway/railway system!!!
17
We need a world-class professional like Andy Byford. Things are improving. Please lay off governor. And as far as the L Train shutdown goes: it might be better to shut it down completely and get the project over with as quickly as possible rather than doing this partial shutdown which is going to feel like slow-drip water torture. Say it's closed and be done with it. If it's open partially, the frustration will be even greater.
24
The new system is safer, fast, and very well planned. Byford is excellent. Support him.
9
The subway system is the timber attic of New York City.
When it goes, it will go fast and the City will become totally non-functional. It will be the end of New York.
17
Does Andrew Cuomo get along with anybody? I never remember hearing about it if he does..
23
Does Cuomo get along with anyone?
57
Control freaks like Cuomo are the worst. They are thin skinned, can't delegate, and hate competence in their underlings. They're always afraid of being outshone and can't share credit. They get paranoid and drive independent people away. Because they need to do everything and own every idea there's a ceiling on innovation and reform. Bottom line: Byford is out and this is as good as the subways and mass transit are going to get as long as Cuomo is in office.
28
It’s simple:
Keep Byford
Dump Cuomo
97
Funny how Cuomo insists that he is not in charge of the MTA whenever people complain about the dismal state of our subways, but when it comes down to taking credit for any improvements, or when it comes down to flexing the muscles of his office, then he's the man in charge.
As long as Cuomo is governor, the MTA will remain a mess. He began this mess by raiding the MTA's coffers, and he neglected the subways until they reached crisis point. For Cuomo it's not about the welfare of New Yorkers, it's about political expediency - that's all he cares about. Byford seems like a competent guy, and it'll be to the city's detriment if he leaves, but honestly I can't blame him if he quits.
45
So I'm gonna hire an expert, then tell them what to do and stomp my feet when it doesn't go my way.
Solid plan.
42
Because of relatives living there, I have been coming to NYC my entire life--60 years--and riding the subway system. I was there this weekend. I saw, in two different subway stations, a nice sized rat on the platform where we people stand. Admittedly a little bit to the side of us, but there with us in plain sight. I had never ever in my life seen a rat on a subway platform. (I have seen them in the past on the tracks.) I've lived in London and ridden the tube everyday: no rats. I've never seen a rat on a DC metro platform. My spouse saw two other rats in subway stations and didn't tell me till later. This is Third World, not to mention a health hazard: there were kids in strollers waiting for trains with their parents where the big gray rats cavorted. I hope this is dealt with. Some of the stations were filthy too, but that is not news.
13
The rats at Solférino are the stuff of legends.
2
@Roger Reynolds Believe me Roger, rats are the least of our problems.
9
@Roger Reynolds. I saw a rat the very first time I was ever set foot on a NYC subway platform over 20 years ago. I have seen rats on the London Tube platform. I am shocked you have only seen a rat once.
5
Cuomo is politicizing "the fix". Mr Byford is not. he's seeking to fix what is severely broken, and in no small part due to Cuomo's lack of attention...or wrong attention.
Its simple. We need the guy with the better and bigger ideas, and the real experience in such matters aka; Mr Byford, to be allowed to do the job he was hired to do.
While Cuomo and his staff, need to back-away, do the least amount of oversight as is allowable and possible. Then when Byford fixes things, improves things (how much worse can it get? short of a complete cessation of service) Cuomo can take the credit...as most politicians do.
Let the professionals do their job Mr. Cuomo. You know nothing of what it takes to fix the archaic, crumbling NYC subway systems. No politician in this region, in this era seems capable of fixing infrastructure issues. Mucking them up? Oh yes.
56
If only Cuomo would quit.
69
Cuomo is like Trump. OK, perhaps Cuomo’s not a blatant racist and not mentally unhinged like Trump is.But both men are vindictive narcissists, who refuse to take the blame for anything, and retaliate if their wishes are thwarted. Think of Couomo’s response to these is even of the Amazon deal and how he threatened to take away leadership positions in the state senate to those that opposed him. If only he had shown half the passion and determination to getting the subways fixed.
No doubt, the expert, Byford was critical of Cuomo’s last minute change to the L train renovation, which was probably only done to please real estate interests or to lure Besos back to the area. But just like Trump, Cuomo doesn’t care what the expert might say. Their egos won’t allow that. Now most likely New York City residents will suffer the consequences if Byford quits. I used to think Chris Christie was bad, but Cuomo may be even worse.
28
@Miriam Cuomo is much better than Christie but he still sometimes makes himself a problem -- and in areas that are crucial to our well-being.
3
And now I am even more outraged than I was recently upon reading, in The New Yorker’s excellent profile of Mr. Byford, that his phone calls to Cuomo and De Blasio go unanswered. What a dirty game is New York politics!
30
He should quit and the governor should resign and take his place. After all he knows best.
8
Something is going on at the MTA. The NY Times should be telling us what is going on. The previous MTA Chairman Joe Lhota left unexpectedly. Strange. Go talk to Joe Lhota to find what is going on. Find out what it is really going to cost to tear out the old subway system and put a new one.
Apparently 1 in 5 people using the subway don't pay (according to recent NY Times article), sexual deviates continue to harass riders on the subway (according to article in the NY Times).
I may be mistaken, but the MTA is carrying $50 Billion in debt and the subway is falling apart. The cost of building the subway seems to be excessive (again, according to the NY Times).
What is going on? We learned from the administration of Chris Christi that the Port Authority is a place to park your friends for a big time salary.
NYC is more corrupt than Donald Trump.
24
Cuomo - a mini Trump.
9
Byford talks about how he has to manage politicians (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/09/can-andy-byford-save-the-subways):
"“My job is to make the politicians look good,” Byford says, cheerfully...But that seemingly simple goal requires keeping public officials committed to his initiatives. And the politicians can’t all look good at the same time, especially in New York.
Byford, who found himself in the middle of this squabble [between de Blasio & Cuomo], was amazed by the fractiousness and the lack of transparency, or even basic information, at the top of the M.T.A."
Clearly Byford has been failing to deliver system improvements that any politician wouldn't want to take credit for (and that's even after he changed the way they are measured, giving him a built-in advantage; OTP->CJTP).
He has failed to manage the politicians looking good and he knows that managing perception is as important as reality; he's a political appointee.
He has delivered a plan that cannot be paid for.
Yet, I suspect something else is at play here. Byford is coming to appreciate how intractable real change is in the NYCTA.
By leaking / spinning stories that he may leave not because of incompetence, but politicians vendettas, he can go on to that lucrative consulting gig (e.g., Tom Prendergast, https://www.stvinc.com/news-and-media/thomas-f-prendergast-joins-stv-chief-strategy-officer ; who now owns part of the company he sent business to for decades).
Byford is a failed manager.
3
Why must I plow through this article's extended overwritten prose to find out---- what is the basic difference between Cuomo and Byford's views on subway funding and reform? Where does the difference come from, what does it mean? What does each party think of it?
I stopped reading on ...and on ---it's too much.
There's so many issues, so much news, so little time. We need concise, direct information on issues affecting the public.
10
It seems like Byford was set up to fail. How can anyone take on this gargantuan task when faced with big egos impeding his progress, including that of the governor of New York? if I were Mr. Byford, I'd go where I would be appreciated, and it ain't New York folks.
8
I've said it before when I've read articles about your egomaniacal governor: he's the Democratic copy of Traitor Trump.
He is Governor due to the support of the real estate oligarchs and the Wall Street bankers.
$4.45 billion for a two mile subway on Second Avenue while the rest of the system falls apart. I'm surprised he hasn't named one of the three stations after himself.
17
Every two years we get the best and brightest public transportation manager from London or Toronto or wherever and then Cuomo doesn't let them do their job and they have to leave. Andy Byford is our last, best hope and he is truly, talented and dedicated and the perfect person for this really tough job for the NYC subway and bus system. He is amazing and we can't let Cuomo piss all over him with his noxious ego and drive him away too. Cuomo doesn't live and work in NYC and is a small-minded, toxic politician and we have to figure out a way of stopping him from doing this AGAIN.
30
Andy Byford is a transportation executive. He knows about development and management of public transportation systems. He has years of experience doing exactly that.
Andy Cuomo is a professional politician. He is the son of a professional politician (and brother of a complicit media presenter). He knows how to promote himself, how to raise money from people who will help him promote and how to message to the press in order to promote himself. He knows nothing about trains or subways or tunnels or engineering or science or construction.
42
So, the guy who’s been in office since 2011, and presided over the systems demise wants immediate results from the guy who been on the job for about a year.
The guys who says he’s responsible for the subway and thereby gives himself supreme authority is the guy who helped neglect it, and can’t find a way to fund it (funding it is his job as governor, not running it). The same guy diverted funds from the MTA to upstate ski resorts.
The guys who’s going to get 15b from congestion pricing can’t figure out how to get the remaining money to fix the transit system from a 165b budget. It’s just too much money. Better to just yell and intimidate the guy who’s in charge of the escalators.
Thus same guy runs virtually unopposed is us elected governor.
What do Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo have in common? Neither is held accountable by the electorate.
40
@S Great until the last, the president has not yet been re-elected. And the president tries to do what he has promised, Cuomo does not.
5
@S - While congestion pricing sounds good, I find it just another benefit for the rich.
Put your poor wife on the subway with the sexual deviates while the rich show up to work in their limonsines and big gas guzzling SUVs.
I say everybody goes or nobody goes.
1
I remember thinking when Byford accepted the job: how sad. Here was a seemingly earnest and competent person who had no idea what a mess he'd stepped into. Between the political egos and unions and deteriorating infrastructure and when-can-I-be-president governor and when-can-I-be-president mayor (who detest one another) it's a wonder Byford manages to make any progress at all.
Also, I noticed that most of the commenters here don't appreciate Cuomo's ongoing antics. So why, oh why, do you all continue to vote for him? New York City gets the politicians it votes for, and it deserves the politicians it gets.
22
@LJ Molière - What choice do you have? Get somebody like Chris Christi, the guy that killed the tunnel under the Hudson. They are all same, Cuomo is just the lesser of two evils.
5
Cuomo has this in common with his arch-foe Trump: everything they touch turns to garbage
10
Cuomo needs to do what is right for the city and state, not for his re-election campaign. This means not letting the construction unions get away with highway robbery. Keep labor reasonable like everywhere else in the world, not like the corrupt NY way!!
19
@Will Hogan I totally agree with you but sadly don't think I will live to see anyone in NY keep labor reasonable.
4
You gotta be nuts to accept the challenge to rescue the NYC subway system, it’s like being asked to re-edit Plan 9 from Outer Space.
11
When will New Yorkers get it. This governor is like the spoiled brat who inherited the family business and thinks he actually created something. Now he implements an outrageous new tax and calls it congestion pricing. He is s product of the Queens County Dems am organization that brought us some corrupt leaders. The guy was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.
19
First of all, andrew cuomo isnt a democrat, he is republican-lite. Second, cuomo is a thug, which is something he has in common with trump. Third, andrew doesn’t have even a small fraction of the smarts of his father. Fourth, a strong democrat needs to stand up to him and put him in his place. Deblasio isn’t the one to do it as he is a bit of a clod and a dullard. Fifth, the construction labor unions in nyc are criminal enterprises whose members are trump supporters. I am a strong unionman but these unions have to go. They are anti-democratic and they just don’t have the interests of the city at heart.
12
This is a microcosm of the whole country. Andy Byford is a brilliant man interested in good governance of the the things he’s tasked with governing. You can tell he is in it for the collective good, with an objective point of view, and without egotistical motives.
Cuomo, on the other hand, is the quintessential American politician. He’s hardly the worst available, but the stench of egotism and ulterior motives infect literally everything he does to the point that it sullies his genuine accomplishments.
If New York can’t make use of a dedicated civil servant like Byford at least as well as Toronto did, particularly for dubious motives like “accountability to the electorate” (as if robbing the MTA for decades passes as accountability but a necessary repair to a train tunnel doesn’t), then this whole country is over.
I’ve already written off the country at large, but still had some hope we could run things modestly better in our handful of square miles.
78
@HH Too may people miss the point that the new L-Tunnel plan saves 200,000 people any lost subway service. The L line will always have service, only a little slower at night. Focus on the good things. That doesn’t get the headlines.
@Murray It may save 200,000 people "any lost subway service," but as I understand it that's only if we have good weather and no more Sandy-type storms. I believe all bets are off if another Sandy-type storm hits the tunnel, but Cuomo will likely be long gone by then.
2
@HH You nailed it! Precisely.
2
What a mess! We have arrogant and likely corrupt and incompetent leadership in this state, including the governor, the mayor, and heads of the senate and assembly.
Add to this stew are over paid and under worked MTA employees and a public where too many expect too much but don't want to pay for anything. Our subway and bus system is actually pretty cheap when compared to other cities but too bad nothing seems to work very well.
I wonder why Mr. Byford decided to take the job in the first place.
7
As most writers see it, and very clearly, Andrew Cuomo has an ego problem. He doesn't think anyone knows more about anything than he does. He has that same Trump problem of inserting himself into everything. Having ridden the rails in Andy Byford's previously cities of London, Toronto and Sydney, there is no comparison. As an ex-New Yorker (Brighton Line) who still visits the often, the MTA is truly an embarrassment. Leave Byford alone for a couple of years and provide decent funding and see how it goes.
18
Hi
Why is the system run from Albany?
5
@John Mullowney Good question. I think it dates back to some period when NYC was deemed either too incompetent or too "poor" (like during 70s financial crisis) to manage the transit system. Am not sure. I also don't understand why none of our recent mayoral candidates has made getting control back to the city an issue. I think they're all too afraid of losing state $$.
3
“...did not appear at hearings with state lawmakers to lobby for congestion pricing, which will allow the state to raise $15 billion for the transit system.”
Cuomo has sold a bill of goods that congestion pricing will provide enough funding to fix the subways and buses, yet Byford claims to need $40-60 billion. Where is the remainder coming from, Governor Cuomo and the Times?
2
Cuomo needs to resign ASAP.
12
Many worried about this from the beginning and warned Byford what he was in for. He grinned and deflected, citing his success in Toronto with Rob Ford. But really, how long can you take not being allowed to do your job? Cuomo hasn't funded Fast Forward or even the previous Capital Plan. That's the Cuomo way--hire a star, then sabotage him.
16
"the $40billion price tag is an incredible sum to come by." fair point and worthy of discussion. but shouldn't the discussion include an analysis along these lines: $40 billion for NYC subways, the equivalent of 17 days in Iraq, 30 days in Afghanistan, etc.? whenever a new road or bridge is required (let alone bringing existing ones up to First World standards), shouldn't this be a required part of the analysis?
modernize LGA--$12 billion, the equivalent of 10 days in Iraq.
wouldn't this help the debate?
i hope Andy does quit; Cuomo is just sooooo effective, running around and shouting. what a pathetic "leader!"
11
I like to draw attention to these lines in the article, apparently stated by someone close to Cuomo ".. the governor’s role as the elected official most responsible for the performance of the subways". Indeed! Here we have it, it's official: the sorry state of our subway system, dirty and overcrowded trains, the many delays, not-working elevators. Who is the person most responsible for all that malarkey? Governor Andrew Cuomo. Maybe he could pay a little attention to the subway in between $ 15,000 a plate fundraisers? Just a thought.
11
This is outrageous. Byford is great. Cuomo has been Governor for years and seemingly only began to pay attention to the subway yesterday. If he drives Byford away it will be gross malpractice and incompetence on Cuomo’s part.
15
In the mud-pit of NYS/NYC politics and agency...
Either you have budget authority - or you don't...
If you don't have budget authority - you don't have any authority...
All else is commentary - or mud-slinging...
PS
Probably for the best...
When Indian Point shuts down, the MTA's electric bills are going to go through the roof...
2
Foundering and floundering. Call the Japanese who are the only ones capable of doing this right the first time.
6
Let me see if I understand what the Times is asserting (in yet another anti-Andrew Cuomo story). Cuomo is constantly interfering with subway management AND Cuomo and Byford haven’t spoken in months, presented as a sign of Cuomo’s neglect. Which is it?
Really, the Times needs another trope on a governor who gets budgets done on time, builds infrastructure, raised the minimum wage, protects women’s and reproductive rights, is described by the NRA as their worst enemy, pushed through gay marriage before the Supreme Court ok’ed it, etc. So he can be tough and abrasive? Ever tried to work in actual politics and policy as opposed to the fantasy world the Times seems to dwell in, at least when it comes to Cuomo.
2
Someone's huge ego, and it's not Byford, is jeopardizing progress. If the Governor doesn't show better sense, his name in relation to the City's subways and buses will be will be remembered in tandem with Governor Christie and the George Washington Bridge.
3
He seems like the one guy who gets it! And unlike our Mayor actually rides the subway. And who knows if Cuomo does. It would be terrible if he were to go.
7
It's not like he's made a single improvement. How much are we paying this guy? Too much I'm sure.
1
What does Cuomo know about subways? It is ridiculous for the governor to have control. He is a bigger disappointment as governor than his father was. What an achievement.
8
Really not surprised with this news. The governor had said he was reforming which normally means somebody (ies) is going to go. Obviously, he has a replacement in mind.
New lines need to be built to offset the subway congestion. All door bus boarding since people are doing it anyway which would mean WE all pay upfront whether in taxes or MTA collecting $ from city agencies/pension for low income.
The task is monumental. Thanks Andy for trying.
2
@Shakisha
Cuomo has controlled the MTA board for the entirety of nine years since he became Governor, and has discarded a number of MTA Chairmen and Transit Chiefs.
Maybe the problem lies with an ultimate boss with no idea how to manage the nuts and bolts, but who is convinced of his own superior knowledge? That Cuomo feigns that the MTA is beyond his control reveals his basic dishonesty.
9
@ shakiska
This will cost trillions of dollars
Why should I dip into my pension to pay others car fare you are dreaming
Bill has set up or is in the process of setting up special metrocards for those below a certain income threshold
@El Barto Because without a working public transit system in NYC, the entire economy of the region falls apart. Why should someone who doesn't own a car pay taxes for your roads? Why does someone who doesn't have kids have to pay for the public school system? Because all of these things benefit society as a whole and we don't get to pick and choose what we pay taxes for.
At least with congestion pricing, one has a choice: don't drive into lower Manhattan during rush hour and you don't have to "dip into your pension."
4
Why is it written that Richard Ravitch turned around the MTA? From what I read it was former Chairman and CEO of MTA, Robert Kiley who turned the system around. Much like the present Byford, Kiley worked in a multitude of agencies (Boston, New York, London) as a clean-up man, ultimately spearheading the congestion charge for which Ken Livingstone now receives credit.
To side with Byford, simply adding new technology does not guarantee success. For example, in 1990 The NYT had an article titled "Track the Subway: Outdated System Fails" in which the newspaper mentioned a new technology that MTA called a solution, fiber optic cables. Why was it a solution? They claimed it had more capabilities. Price Tag: $240 Million.
Seven years later, Paco Technologies was hired to rewire the entire system because MTA rushed the initial implementation. The result was essentially a spaghetti bowl of cables. Price Tag: $200 Million.
Total Cost: 1/2 Billion Dollars
With a sense of practical history, this is what Mr. Byford is trying to avoid; unnecessarily steering down an unchartered path that only leads to more problems.
18
byford is a credit - he knows what he's doing. cuomo may be well-meaning but he's spread too thin and should back off.
13
As a frequent user of the subway for 41 years (and since 1965 as a visitor when it cost a 15 cent token), I have been relieved and delighted with all the noticeable improvements since Mr. Byford arrived. "On time rates" for a system that delivers trains every seven minutes may mean a lot to statisticians, but are irrelevant to the person on the platform since whether the next train arrives in 3 minutes or 5 minutes is really of no concern. Rather, for the rider, the things that matter, and that have improved markedly since Mr. Byford arrived and took the reins, include improvement in station cleanliness (in every way, but especially the tile walls along the tracks), the on-site operation of the stations, management of the "no-win" scenario so that fewer people are left stranded on platforms watching the local or the express train they wanted to board pull away just as the train they are changing from opens the doors (this is a constant and admittedly intractable issue for a daily rider that is never mentioned but is make-or-break for an efficient and pleasant trip) and communication of upcoming service changes clearly and in a timely manner. Clearly Mr. Byford actually RIDES a subway and knows how important these seemingly little things are to his customers. Of course it makes no sense for the State to have complete power over a CITY system, but at least for the moment the man in charge has is priorities straight. Cuomo should just get out of the way and let him do his job.
53
Ms. Fitzsimmons, thanks for this article! Please follow up on this, also by asking the Democratic leaders of the Assembly and the Senate about their take on the whole subway restoration and update plan. Both Ms. Stewart-Cousins and Mr. Heastie have been allowed for too long to fly entirely under the radar on this, and yet they are (supposedly) two of the three leaders of New York State. If they would have "no comment", it'd speak volumes, mostly about how well Cuomo's obedience training of them is working. Thanks!
13
I knew this was coming. You have 18 months to 2 years with the Gov before he tires of you. After Byfords 60 Minutes appearance I knew he overextended his welcome. How long before you are thrown under the bus, run over, and run over again, before you give up. This is a game Byford will not win. Move on. Go somewhere where they care. NY is not the place. MTA will never change as long as the blue state Dems stay in power.
11
I'm fine if Byford leaves NYC....he's welcome back to Toronto. He did an amazing job here! Our transit became less congested, cleaner, better signage and when disruptions happened...heaven... clear announcements were made and personnel escorted patrons to waiting buses. We miss you!
15
@flaneur
Hey Andy be smart, don't come back. It's gonna be worse here - the province is taking the subways and you'd have to deal with a Ford!
Unfortunately, I am not surprised. I am more surprised that it took Andy Byford that long to realize that he, a highly respected mass transit expert, was merely serving as the figleaf for the incompetent and dishonest "leadership" provided by the Governor "Emperor" Andrew Cuomo. Note how Mr. Cuomo's interest in talking to Mr. Byford disappeared almost instantly after he was reelected. I actually hope Mr. Byford preserves his dignity and reputation and does quit, with the provision that he'll give some very lengthy interviews to the NYTimes and other news channels detailing his experiences with Emperor Cuomo.
20
How did this state ever elect this whining, incompetent Cuomo idiot who sent the country reeling into the housing and bank crises of a decade ago?
https://www.villagevoice.com/2008/08/05/andrew-cuomo-and-fannie-and-freddie/
For the State, as lousy as this guy is, (is Amazon in LIC yet? ), his Daddy, for whom he puts up needless bridges, was worse.
11
@MIKEinNYC
Endorsed by the Noo Yawk Times...
3
@Paul
Twice!
1
Articles in the Times over the last year or so have pointed out how expensive and inefficient the renovations are in NY, even compared to Paris, an expensive and inefficient place. So one can expect that whatever the plan the governor allows to proceed will guarantee a grossly corrupt operation mired in corruption. Get ready, New Yorkers, for a snail-paced, overpriced project guaranteed to pay off Cuomo coffers and screw the public purse.
6
@sftaxpayer Renovations in NYC are expensive compared to EVERY major city, including London., sometimes costing as much as 7 times a comparable job of comparable length (e.g., one mile, two miles)in one of those cities. Everything in NY costs more because of corruption and corrupt unions and union leaders.
4
Oh no, we need him! Give Cuomo the boot instead!
16
@Diva. New York blew that chance. Cynthia Nixon tried, but too many fellow New Yorkers either didn't bother voting, or bought themselves four more years of do-nothing Cuomo.
5
@ diva
The republicans in both the city and state are on life support
2
I trust Byford's judgment far more that Cuomo's. Andrew, stay out of Andy way!
21
Typically Gov. Coumo’s playbook. He’s in charge and only he can save the MTA. Hero complex for sure, even through he has no experience in running a mass agency like the MTA. He needs to be recalled or not re-elected.
15
@R
No recall provision in New York State.
Ask the Times why they continue to endorse him, despite wringing their hands over his dismantling of the Moreland Commission, and the corruption convictions of “the third Cuomo brother,” Joe Percoco?
8
I miss Cynthia Nixon. We could certainly use her intelligence now.
Andrew Cuomo learned politics from his father. Make bold progressive statements but then make the corrupt deals in the back room. I always wonder how many checks with all those zeros he has in his pocket whenever he makes a decision.
19
OMG Someone actually wrote and said they wish that Cynthia Nixon, an unqualified actor, was governor. I had earlier said some posters here were wishing for that but I meant it as a joke.
4
Does anyone honestly think Gov. Cuomo knows the first thing or anything about running the subway system. What an inflated ego Cuomo has.
28
@Jack. Oh, but Cuomo does know what to do at Subway. You ask for extra mayo on the side. That's the subway he knows.
4
@Jack Canada is not NY
At what point does a recall petition for Mr. Cuomo become viable. It seems to me that it's long past time. He is, indeed, New York's Trump.
19
@Larry Covey
We should send him to Boston, because he is what they call up there a “cawk sukkah”...
2
While it is not unusual for the Governor not to engage in regular talks with the NYCT President, Cuomo has been highly critical of Byford lately, particularly in his decision to remove the Canarsie Tubes work from NYCT’s plate of responsibilities and hand it over to the MTA under the guidance of his “experts”. Through appointments and hires, Cuomo very much has taken a hands on approach with the MTA. However, if he drives out Byford he will be tossing a hand grenade into NYCT, an agency already reeling from a series ill-informed Albany decisions which have already forced the exit of experienced personnel over the past several years.
28
@Charles Seaton AMEN
1
And while they engage in their lively discussions, fares rise yet again. The commuters would like a word with you, boys.
9
cuomo, the democratic trump.
byford is the best thing to happen to the subways in forever. and we might lose him.
60
If Cuomo isn’t sabotaging the MTA by misappropriating funds then he’s micro managing the expert who stands a chance to fix the MTA. Cuomo is a disgrace to New York State.
80
The governor's spokeswoman questioned The Time's "fixation with personal drama." But The Times is absolutely right in reporting this line of stories. Andrew Cuomo's personality quirks (we will leave it to professionals to weigh in on whether they constitute a disorder...) often seem to disrupt his ability to govern rationally and effectively. Reporting on the trajectory of his interpersonal relationships with other state and city officials is therefore not only relevant but necessary.
18
Any New Yorker who has caught a train in Sydney, Australia would be shocked. The trains are always clean, on time, safe (constant police patrols), the ride is smooth and train announcements are crisp, clear and often. It's like going to the future. If Andy Byford can replicate even a fraction of the success he had there, in NY, I would gladly pay double the current subway fare. And while on the subject, can someone please explain to me why the billions of dollars being spent on upgrading La Guardia airport do not include any form of public transportation to the airport?
106
@MartinC Unfortunately it does, but it’s not an extension of the subway from Astoria as experts advocate (and which the MTA planned and once began), but Cuomo's silly idea of an “AirTrain” from the Mets-CitiField stop on the #7. If built, millions will be wasted so a very few can ride it. How Cuomo, who loves to make much of being a “Queens boy” can think this is genuinely a good idea rather than a boondoggle is beyond me.
9
@Moshe Feder If they had built the air train from Astoria, the cost would have been $billions and I don't see how that would have attracted any more people than an Air Train from the #7 train. The #7 stops on both the east and west sides of Manhattan and connects with numerous other subway lines both in Manhattan and in Queens.
I live in Queens on the E and F lines and I see a ton of people getting on the train with luggage at Sutphin Blvd., which is where the AirTrain from JFK connects with the subway. Many would do the same from LGA. Obviously, the rich wouldn't, but that would be the case no matter what they built.
5
"Mr. Cuomo is known as a demanding boss."
That's putting it politely. Cuomo is past his expiration date. New York needs to put him on the street.
62
I applaud Andy Byford's accomplishments. At the same time, his emphasis on fare evasion avoids the fundamental fact that the fare system in NYC makes it impossible for even a middle class family to use public transit to get around the city affordably. The model stands out for its regressiveness. To see newly posted signs threatening arrest for fare evasion worries me deeply, as we know that the policy will not affect all New Yorkers equally. I would like to see Byford's team spend time on creating new fare plans that families and low-income households can use instead of relying on fare evasion to make ends meet.
6
@teacherusa "the fare system in NYC makes it impossible for even a middle class family to use public transit to get around the city affordably"
The fare system which is increasing to $127 for 30-days of unlimited bus and subway rides? Seriously? That's a little over eight hours of minimum wage salary now.
Yes, transit fares have been increasing beyond inflation for a while now, for a bunch of reasons (see: 18% of the operating budget going to debt service), but isn't the real affordability crisis here housing? $127 for 30-days of unlimited transit throughout the five boroughs is still an amazing deal.
12
Someone has to pay for the millions of free rides ever year. I applaud a crackdown including arrests because the honor system does not work.
12
As long as people who need help paying it, get it.....
Wait. Are you telling me that Andrew Cuomo is trying micro-manage? I'm shocked I tell you, SHOCKED. That man has such an ego, he can't just let the experts do their work. People who work in state government clearly experience this constantly as it trickles down and out through their work. Get out of the way Cuomo!
44
Even the recent NY Times subway reportage barely if ever mentions Andy Byford. The man has already done a herculean job - on a shoestring managed to do a review of subway lines where trains could be running faster, and has put together a workable plan to upgrade the subway system. And he is barely credited. The governor and mayor treat him as the riff raff. Is this because he's a nice, polite, honest guy - unlike both of them? Let us hope Andy Byford stays. But who would blame him if he didn't.
126
It is too bad Governor Cuomo puts his ego before the needs of New Yorkers. His father was a better Governor.
21
Cuomo at a basic level is a small person like Robert Moses.
18
@John
Ouch. Expound, please. Bulldozing entire neighborhoods? Making tunnels too low for “certain sized” school buses headed for beaches? How does Cuomo compare? (Yes, he seems to be a tough, egotistical, jealous boss, but … ?)
2
Why does it seem that every article about rehabilitating the subway tangents into Governor Cuomo's difficulty to work with as a boss?
I'm just sayin'........
13
So Cuomo *does* control the MTA. Got it. Unless it's a grudge match with DeBlasio, in which case, then whatever goes wrong is the mayor's fault.
16
Cuomo should retire. His ascent was due to nepotism, his fall will be his own.
38
Reading this I am reminded of a quote by Steve Jobs - “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
209
If one of them has to go, please let it be Cuomo. Just sayin'.
29
I am not a New Yorker, nor have I ever been. But it seems very clear that for some reason Andrew Cuomo got re-elected to the governorship in the last election...when his opponent, Cynthia Nixon, was running against him. Even if Ms. Nixon was new to politics, even if she was a famous actress, and even if she was a "woman," she was smart, honest, well-informed, and had no interest in doing anything in office other than serving her fellow New Yorkers, she lost the election to a typical politician who has been padding his pockets and self-esteem for years and whose ego surpasses belief. So what I have to say is short and sweet: Hey subway users, you helped re-elect this excuse for a public servant...so what's your next move!
20
Ms Nixon may have been smart but not in any way that related to governing. And she was certainly not well informed. She lost badly and deservedly so.
5
@GCWell You say "governing." How would you know...and if you are part of the governing class, and this is your answer, let me just say this: if Cuomo can do it, even badly....then anyone can!!!
NYC’s transit is a joke: archaic, dirty, confusing, crowded beyond reason. It makes the city harder to visit and enjoy, let alone the hardship on people who rely on the system to get to work. The math suggests Cuomo should just bite the bullet. $40 bn. in necessary spending / ~8.653 mm. people in NYC = ~$4623. Divide that by the ten years it will probably take? $462/yr. per person to invest in the city’s future. Sounds like a decent trade off. Cheaper than more cars.
29
Cuomo is a political hack who thinks he knows everything about everything (an anything). The MTA has nothing to do with political governance. It has everything to do with running a transit system. The meddler should keep his hands off and let those who know how to do the job do the job. That is good leadership.
39
@Richard Frauenglass " who thinks he knows everything about everything (an anything)"
sounds like Mr. Trump.
6
Mr Byford ran the TTC here and he did not do a good job; cost overruns, Chickering with politicians and bottom line, poor service on the subway system.
3
@Mark S Thats an over simplification. There were improvements under Byford but he was hemmed in by a City Council that was phobic of being seen to raise taxes even though they were low by greater Toronto area standards. The only real knock against him is that he followed the company line too much and repeated information about transit expansion that he knew were not true.
2
Byford has lived and worked around the world. The governor is a provincial by comparison. No wonder they clash. Cuomo needs to get out of his bubble and let the expert do his job.
33
How is it possible that Andy Byford has a plan to fix the subway but New York does not? Mr Byford is a battle-tested expert whom we hired to overhaul the creaking and outdated system. And he has developed a comprehensive plan to do that. But this is not our plan. We have no plan. Andrew Cuomo has balked at committing to it. Congestion pricing, by the way, is not a plan to fix the subway. Who knows if the money raised will even be used for the subway? It could be used to fix the ski resorts.
24
@Richard Kaplan:
Byford has a plan.
Cuomo just has no interest in paying for it, since it would involve reversing Pataki era upstate property tax cuts and reinstating the commuter tax on workers who commute into NYC.
The ski area, not resort, thing is a preposterous distraction--amounting to a few million of dollars one year out a more than one billion dollar annual MTA budget.
Byford also has to contend with the fact that Giuliani cut five hundred million dollars from the NY transit system in 1994--that annual NYC contribution hasn't be restored by the two later majors.
Byford and those who ride the NYC subways and buses have to contend with the fact that the NY Times didn't bother report on serious subway and bus failures for years--until 2017, but the big decline in service had started 4 years prior. Instead we got articles about wifi in stations.
21
Andy Byford is highly qualified and has a proven track record. Gov Cuomo needs to fully support him in his efforts to fix New York City transit infrastructure. Cuomo bears a lot of the responsibility for the current mess we are in so Governor Cuomo please get out of the way.
53
Question. One man has been around for about a year. The other has been around for 8 years and controls the purse. Who do you think is more responsible for the state of the NY transit system?
36
@Scott D. Simple, in the world according to Cuomo: for anything good, it's him. For everything else, it's the MTA (that Cuomo controls, but then disowns), New York City, especially De Blasio, and Andy Byford.
5
The Governor is intellectually incapable of stepping aside and allowing a technical expert who was thoroughly vetted to do a proper job. He constantly undermines people with technical expertise in the name of political expediency. It is only a matter of time before Mr. Byford leaves the MTA for an opportunity as a mass transit consultant. The fact that the Governor and Mr. Byford haven't spoken since January is not an example of a healthy working relationship, Mr. Foye's presence notwithstanding. But we shouldn't be surprised by the Governor's behavior. Aside from his other flaws, the Governor is a self-described "car guy" who has probably never had a job in his entire adult life where he was dependent on any form of mass transit.
153
@Mike Gera Describing Cuomo or Trump?
4
@Mike Gera You’ve nailed it. The only thing to add here is that the degree to which Cuomo will sacrifice actual work in service of an image (“tough leader taking care of business”) is shameless. All governors get in front of public projects when it suits them. Cuomo isn’t content to lead the parade, he has to reschedule it for a slow news week & have trombonists sit out to make room for photographers.
11
Byford is a great guy, I had a pleasure of meeting him in person as well as understanding a bit more about the unique work culture at the MTA. If anything gets in his way it will be the way of corrupt politiking in NY, but I'll actually hold my breath for his success. Onward!
42
To Governor Cuomo: Please focus your attention on streamlining the entire MTA, which a bloated, inefficient organization with little accountability or spending controls. There is great redundancy in the MTA organization and huge savings could be generated through organization consolidation and systems improvements. That money could be used to fund the massive improvements needed to the subway and bus networks.
And please stop standing on Andy Buford's chest. It doesn't make you any taller in the eyes of New Yorkers but it makes it hard for him to breath.
114
Excerpt from the article
“The two men had not spoken since January, she said, because Mr. Cuomo had been focused on the state budget”
“Focused”? Really? How focused was Cuomo when enriching his campaign coffers during lavish campaign dinners?
29
Cuomo fancies himself a master engineer he is not the ego is in the way. Andrew you are a Lawyer or in other words useless your role is to find the money to get the job done and let the professionals handle this because even the subway is in the hole these days.
16
I find the rock star status annoying and have not noticed any improvement with Byford. My rare weekend drive into the city, much needed because trains are always down, is now foiled by congestion pricing. Great job, gents.
9
How can your drive be “foiled” by congestion pricing? You mean you don’t want to pay for it - not the same thing. You can afford a car and NY parking but you can’t afford tolls? Congestion pricing is far and away the best and fairest way to pay for decent transit. I wish we had it here in Toronto but our last mayor (the stupendously incompetent, disgraceful cringe-inducing Rob Ford - Toronto’s greatest shame) invented the “war on cars” and made car drivers think they were being persecuted. I’m a driver, a transit user, a cyclist and a pedestrian and I’m all for tolls. Driving has a huge cost in so many ways: there is a responsibility for drivers to offset those costs- deal with it.
67
Congestion pricing won’t be implemented until 2021 so not sure what you’re talking about. From the NYT:
“New York will make history in 2021 when it becomes the first American city to charge drivers entering its busiest neighborhoods.”
20
@Brooklyn Andy Byford "rock Star" ? Thats hilarious. He is a nerd. I know he ran our system. Sorry that he hasnt fixed the system in one year. And if your drive is foiled, then it was necessary in the first place and the congestion charging has worked.
3
Off-topic, but would congestion pricing be eliminated once the subways were fixed?
8
Please, please, Mr Cuomo, be nice to Mr Byford. The subway system really needs him.
He saved the Toronto system, and that wasn't easy either.
141
@Linda
Well as someone who lives in Toronto, I would hesitate to say that he "saved" the system, but he did implement some improvements.
We have a huge crowding problem, winter icing slowdowns, and the lack of extra capacity is an argument against road tolls - if people leave their cars, then will there be room on the subways? Right now, no.
But on balance, he improved the system.
13
Governor Cuomo, with all due respect, the people of New York City ask you to get out of Mr. Byford's way and let him keep improving our transit system. You hired an expert, now let him do his job and tamp a down your ego.
330
Indeed. I highly doubt an elected official and career politician like Cuomo knows more about overhauling transit systems than Byford, who has dedicated much of his life toward solving problems like the MTA.
36
@Steen
Agreed. Well said. This is all about ego and a lack of vision on the Governor's part that is symptomatic of the same malaise that led to the divestment and decay of NYC's public transportation system.
The way forward is clear. Give Andy Byford the power and authority to move his plan forward. Period.
10
@Steen
I agree. If this Governor was as adept as he thinks he is at fixing the Subway system then it would have been fixed right after he took office. Having the Governor or the mayor responsible for this subway has not worked. Public transportation costs money, needs long term investment and pays for itself in tax revenues and tourist income.
13
The subway keep getting worse, for some reason New Yorkers re-elected a guy who is completely disinterested in fixing it if he can't exploit it for some sort of political gain, and he realizes he won't be the guy in office when it's fixed... so what's the rush?
It's shameful from a human perspective, but understandable from a political one. The only real losers are NY'ers, because Cuomo doesn't seem to have a problem being a Governor that'll be remembered for absolutely nothing.
81
Cuomo remembered for nothing? Higher minimum wage, protecting women’s rights, building infrastructure, on time budgets, effective battles against the gun lobby and NRA, etc. But you probably wish we had elected an unqualified actor to be governor.
1
Oh trust me, I didn't want Cuomo. Only reason I didn't write in the vastly saner Teachout (again) was because she was specifically not running this time. I did the time before, even after she (somehow) lost the primary.
That ballot line stayed nice and blank. (The others were far worse—especially the GOPer, but you knew that.)
3
Something has to give. The number of turnstile jumpers and other fare cheats is out of control.
39
@Amy
Yes, subway riders who follow the law and pay for their rides should not have to watch on a daily basis such prolific law breaking. This has a deleterious effect on society.
22
If Byford quits, WE WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE, Mr. Cuomo. You've dodged responsibility for the subway for years; where were you before? Please stop trying to act concerned now, and just let this man do his job. It's not all about shiny surface improvements, which seem to be your go-to (don't get me started on that ridiculous bridge lighting project), especially if you think you can take credit for it. Maybe show some concern for the greater good of your constituents rather than yourself, and let someone who's actually successfully done this kind of work before take the reins.
238
Andy Byford has an outstanding record and enormous promise in his plans to fix our broken subway system, which under Cuomo has degenerated to its worse state in decades. Byford is honestly, straightforwardly doing his best to fix the system while Cuomo grandstands, prevaricates, and plays political games -- he doesn't even acknowledge his de facto leadership of the MTA, eg, in his petty squabbles with de Blasio, except when it suits him. Enough games. New Yorkers stand squarely behind Byford's plans and have had enough of Cuomo's nonsense.
345
@Bob Exactly maybe the person who grabbed Gov. Cuomo by the lapels over the L train should go back to him and tell him to let Andy Byford do the job he was hired to do and knows more about than the Governor.
32