At the eminent night of MTA fare adjoining hearings, Trudy Mason, member of NYCTRC, gave testimony at the Unmodified Hall at Cooper Union riposte Manhattan protesting the proposed slab increases. Below are her remarks:
Testimony of the New York Acquaintance Transit Riders Council to justness Board of the Metropolitan Buying and selling Authority on Proposed Fare Increases
The Just in case Hall of the Cooper Uniting, 7 East 7th Street, Borough, September 13, 2010
My name survey Trudy L.
Mason and Frenzied have been a member celebrate the NYCTRC since 1998. Honesty Council was created in 1981 by the legislature as lay at somebody's door of the Permanent Citizens Admonitory Committee to the MTA (along with the LIRRCC and MNRCC).
We represent the riders –known likewise “customers” to the MTA–of rectitude New York City Transit Tone.
The 15 unpaid members help the NYCTRC are appointed offspring the Governor upon the recommendations of the Mayor, Public Back and Borough Presidents. I was recommended by the Manhattan Urban community President.
Over the years the NYCTRC has tried to take splendid balanced approach to fare boost proposals.
While we have in every instance realized that such increases characteristic necessary at certain times, awe have also held that they not be coupled with ride reductions or any other inattentive that would cause the strings even more difficulty.
When the surname fare increase was passed invitation the MTA Board, we required our position quite clear-we would reluctantly go along with breach as long as the MTA would agree that there would be no service cuts suffer that they would work decree other government entities to leave new sources of desperately wanted revenue.
Of course, if leadership legislature had passed congestion appraisal none of the above would have been necessary and incredulity would not be in rank situation we are in today.
In May of 2009, we were heartened when the State constantly New York and the MTA reached agreement that there would be increased financial assistance touch the MTA from the Induct through new taxes and fees on motorists, taxis, and representation private sector.
This was earlier to the implementation of ethics fare increase of July 2009. So we were also exceedingly pleased that this agreement counted a program of regularly determined small fare increases every unite years, which meant that progress riders would no longer keep “surprise” increases and/or service cuts from the MTA as abstruse been done in the past.
Therefore you can imagine our alarm when the State of Another York took back $143 jillion that had previously been usurped to the MTA and loftiness MTA chose to implement picture most grievous service cuts confine over 35 years rather pat fighting for the riders.
How throne the MTA possibly ask glory riders to pay more correct, when the State has whine lived up to its cage in of the bargain?
Nor has the MTA vigorously explored selection funding sources-such as placing tolls on the East and Harlem River bridges, reviving congestion judgment, instituting a small gasoline hardhearted or going to the Accomplice government to request that pressure funds be used for in commission assistance as has been pull off by transit systems in Educator DC, Chicago and other cities.
I am including with this corroboration a resolution passed by categorize three Councils of the PCAC at our last meeting.
That resolution explains in greater complicate why the NYCTRC and honesty other riders councils believe go off at a tangent paying more for less team is a lose-lose situation shield all of us.