Sick transit? I am Mr. Fixit
The NYC Transit chief claims to have the magic bullet to curb wasteful spending in the MTA.
“You now have fresh thinking,” Andy Byford told the City Council on Tuesday as he pressed for $40 billion to fund his grand vision for the subway and bus network. He convinced at least one key lawmaker.
Byford (photo) testified before the Council’s Transportation Committee for three hours, harping on better train performance while pitching his plan, called Fast Forward, that’s centered on re-signaling 11 subway lines over 10 years with modern tech called communications-based train control.
“The thing that’s holding us back is the signaling system,” Byford said.
He said he’ll soon announce a new hire to oversee installation of the new system.
With poor subway service plaguing riders, Byford assured the lawmakers that there’s a cultural shift at the MTA that can better manage public funding.
To pay for Fast Forward’s potential $40 billion price tag, Byford said he’d need city, state and federal funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is state-controlled.
He cautioned that congestion pricing for all motorists in Manhattan would fall short of what is needed.
Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (DManhattan), the chairman of the Transportation Committee, said he wants state lawmakers to pass congestion pricing plus a tax on high-earning New Yorkers that Mayor de Blasio has advocated.
“I personally will lead any initiative to make the voice loud and clear that the city should be open to increase the contribution, as the state should do the same thing,” Rodriguez said. “But that money should be dedicated only to the MTA and that money should only be used for maintenance and repair.”
But Councilman Carlos Menchaca (DBrooklyn) suggested that de Blasio’s transit priorities are not only misplaced in pushing a Brooklyn-Queens waterfront trolley, called the BQX, but hurting the chances of getting Byford’s plan funded.
“This is I think an example of where the emperor has no clothes,” Menchaca said. “I feel like the mayor just does not understand this is a terrible project.”
Menchaca emphasized that de Blasio’s interest in the BQX could “have a negative impact” on Byford’s proposal because of the amount of energy going into the mayor’s pet project.
“The Byford plan sets the right priorities, but the mayor believes we need a long-term revenue source such as a tax on the wealthiest millionaires in our city to help the trains run on time,” de Blasio spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg said.