Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas inrtoduces legislation the would
give the five boroughs a stronger voice in MTA decisions.
Courtesy of Simotas’ offi ce
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | FEB. 14-20, 2020 13
BY BILL PARRY
Two state lawmakers believe
that giving the five boroughs
a greater say in how the
MTA is run is the key to putting
the beleaguered agency
on the right track.
Astoria Assemblywoman
Aravella Simotas and Brooklyn
state Senator Andrew
Gounardes introduced legislation
on Jan. 24 that would add
borough representation on the
MTA board which critics believe
is too heavily influenced
by decision makers who live
outside New York City, and not
by the vast majority of people
who ride MTA buses and subways
who live within the city.
The legislation comes after
Councilman Costa Constantinides
called for MTA board
reforms that would give each
Borough President an appointee,
adding five more seats,
creating more of a partnership
between the city and state.
“Borough representation
on the MTA board gives riders
a voice in the choices that
affect them,” Simotas said.
“Riders across the city need
better transit. Each borough
faces unique challenges and
it’s time they all have a say in
the MTA’s decisions.”
New York State currently
has six appointees to the board,
including the MTA chair; New
York City has four members,
all of whom are recommended
by the Mayor; Westchester,
Suffolk and Nassau counties
each get an appointee,
all of whom have a full vote.
Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland,
and Orange counties split a
combined vote on MTA policy
decisions including the budget
and fare increases.
This system has long been
under fire because the city’s
four board members do not
equally represent the five boroughs
and there is nothing
in the Public Authority law,
which establishes the MTA
board, mandates the mayor’s
appointments must come from
a particular part of the city.
As the MTA’s service has deteriorated
in recent decades,
culminating in the “summer
of hell” in 2017, the lack of infrastructure
investment led to
failing signals, broken tracks,
and major transit stoppages
due to minor incidents.
“New York City and the
many riders here need a
fair say on the MTA board,”
Gounardes said. “We have
to make reforms that will
change the balance of power
within the MTA to increase
the influence of those most
affected by our mass transit
challenges, especially commuters
across the boroughs.
New York City needs a voice
in our own transit system.”
Though there have been
improvements in service and
on-time performance in the
past couple of years, delays
and systematic problems remain.
Malfunctions in the
subway’s aging signal system,
which has been in place
since the 1930s, accounting
for 78 percent of weekday
morning commute disruptions
last year, according to
a recently released report by
transit advocates.
This ongoing issue will
likely be exacerbated by the
recent resignations of Andy
Byford and the expert he recruited
to the MTA to oversee
the $7 billion mission to
replace and computerize the
ancients signal systems.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
Simotas calls for stronger borough
representation on MTA’s board
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