Drivers Promise Civil Disobedience If They Lose Toll Rebate
10 days ago the MTA held its monthly board meeting. However this was not the typical meeting as this one featured budget proposals to help trim an over $1 billion dollar budget deficit. I outlined the specific proposals which included the elimination of the Cross Bay Bridge toll rebate program. The proposal has been met with outrage from local residents who promise civil disobedience if the proposal becomes a reality. Brendan Brosh of the New York Daily News has more in this report:
Motorists in Broad Channel and on the Rockaway Peninsula have a warning for the MTA: If you mess with our toll rebates, get ready for pandemonium.
The MTA has proposed rescinding the rebates for locals who use the Cross Bay Bridge – a move that could save the cash-strapped agency $3.6 million a year.
But residents are gearing up to fight the move with protests and acts of civil disobedience before an MTA board vote next month.
“This is the only interborough toll in the city,” said Lew Simon, a Democratic district leader who was vocal in implementing the rebate in the 1990s. “We’re going to protest and block traffic again. We’re planning to get arrested if necessary.”
Drivers from the communities with resident E-ZPasses are charged a $1.03 toll every time they cross the bridge. The fee is given back to them in a rebate.
The program was implemented in 1998 after decades of complaints by both communities.
Click here for the complete report.
Wow, those residents are serious about this toll rebate program. We usually don’t hear immediate calls for civil disobedience when something gets proposed. Lets hope it will not have to come to that.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Boy Falls Into Gap At Peekskill Station
This past Friday, a young boy fell into the gap at the Metro-North’s Peeksill station. Here is more from the Associated Press:
A Metro-North Railroad spokesman says a boy has fallen into a gap between a train and platform in Westchester County, but the child was quickly pulled out unhurt.
Railroad spokesman Dan Brucker says the boy’s parent or parents lifted him out after he stepped into the gap shortly after noon Friday in Peekskill. With no one injured, the family then left on the New York City-bound train.
The boy’s name and age were not available.
It was nice to know that the boy was not injured. Hopefully one day we will never have to hear about any gap accidents.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Metro-North May Cut 4 Trains
On Friday, word came out that the Metro-North may cut 4 trains. To be more specific, the Connecticut Department Of Transportation is considering the elimination of 4 off peak trains on the New Haven Line. The line is owned by the DOT which must approve any service changes or fare increases. Martin B. Cassidy of The Stamford Advocate has more in this report:
The state Department of Transportation is considering cutting four Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line trains and making other reductions because the Metropolitan Transit Authority faces a $1.2 billion budget gap next year, railroad officials said.
The railroad is working with the DOT to choose four off-peak trains that could be eliminated with the least disruption to commuters, said Marjorie Anders, a Metro-North spokeswoman.
Other belt-tightening proposals include cutting 88 jobs on the New Haven, Harlem and Hudson lines; decreasing the number of cars on some trains to reduce power costs; and cleaning trains less frequently, Anders said.
The railroad might eliminate its toll-free schedule information line at (800) METRO-INFO to save $200,000, Anders said.
“These are desperate times,” she said. “We’re looking for as many ways to eliminate costs throughout the system in ways that add up.”
The DOT owns the New Haven Line and must approve service changes or price increases, agency spokesman Kevin Nursick said.
The department will work with Metro-North and the MTA to limit service cuts, Nursick said.
“The budget process within the State of New York is ongoing and we will work hard with our regional partners to advocate equitable impacts for, and minimize hardships on, Connecticut commuters,” he said.
The MTA’s 2009 budget proposed last week included recommendations for cutting costs to reduce the deficit, which jumped from $900 million to $1.2 billion since September, officials said.
State Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said cutting service or shortening trains would undermine efforts to promote use of mass transit.
“This is really the wrong time to do that when we are seeing increased ridership,” Duff said. “We need the MTA to look a little deeper on how they can finance this rather than taking away seats from commuters who use them every day.”
The New Haven Line is 65 percent funded by the DOT, and the MTA provides the balance, Anders said.
Metro-North plans to cut five other trains on its Harlem and Hudson lines, with a goal of cutting 4.7 percent, or $35 million, from the overall budget, Anders said.
Click here for the complete report.
I rarely ride the Metro-North so I can’t really dive into how big a deal this might be. Riders never like to hear about service cuts. However in this day & age where financial situations are not strong for many, saving money where possible is a necessity.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Service Diversions 11/29
I apologize for not getting these up sooner. I have been extremely tied up with the holiday weekend.
I have just updated the service diversions page with the latest scheduled diversions for this weekend & next week (and beyond in some cases). Don’t forget to check in for any changes to the page. I also suggest printing out a copy of the page to use while riding the system. Have a safe & wonderful weekend!
P.S. Stay warm!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I would like to take this time to wish all of my readers a Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a safe, wonderful, & tasty day!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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