Comments on: Infrastructure Bigs: To Compete, NYC Needs Congestion Pricing, Tolls

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:12:33 +0000

Good point, Alon. Surely, this is not the first time that a corrupt government has misappropriated revenues and racked up huge debts in order to continue to provide services to the public. What’s worked in the past?

Let’s see. NOT the English Civil War. Not the French Revolution. What else?

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:34:46 +0000

Has any agency ever been improved by starving it of funds?

By: Nicole Gelinas

Nicole Gelinas — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:24:11 +0000

There’s a big difference between saying “we shouldn’t spend any money” and saying “we should just mindlessly *continue* to increase revenues because everything, of course, must be a problem of revenues and not a problem of costs.”

We have tried the latter solution. We’ve been increasing state and city revenues for years, and we haven’t gotten modern transit. And now we’ve increased revenue for the MTA, and the state has stolen a big chunk of it, and has used the new money as an excuse to continue to allow labor costs, at the MTA and elsewhere, to spiral out of control.

So maybe we should try the other approach. No?

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:46:19 +0000

So then, Cap’n Transit (whoever you might be!), we really need political reform first, not more money.

Exactly. In fact, we shouldn’t spend any money until we fix all the political problems. Some of it might go to someone who doesn’t deserve it! Of course, we can all do without the subway until we’ve stopped all the politicians from lying.

By: Nicole Gelinas

Nicole Gelinas — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:31:56 +0000

So then, Cap’n Transit (whoever you might be!), we really need political reform first, not more money.

Otherwise, how do taxpayers know when the money to fund “lies” — and backdoor Albany bailouts of itself via the MTA — stops, and when the money to fund transit begins?

The threshold certainly isn’t $1.8 billion in new funds a year. Is it $2.5 billion? $5 billion? Seems very expensive to find out this way.

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:42:37 +0000

I thought the new “cash register” was the $1.8 billion-plus MTA payroll tax and sundry other fees that downstate businesses and individuals are now shouldering.

I think you were the only one who thought that, Nicole. The politicians knew it was a lie to get the pressure off them, and so did we.

By: Nicole Gelinas

Nicole Gelinas — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:30:32 +0000

I thought the new “cash register” was the $1.8 billion-plus MTA payroll tax and sundry other fees that downstate businesses and individuals are now shouldering.

By: rick

rick — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:15:44 +0000

Higher tolls would work. Give incentives to leave the car at home.

By: Mark Abraham / DNH

Mark Abraham / DNH — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:14 +0000

Simple solutions: Raise the tolls. Raise the gas tax to $3.00 per gallon.

By: J:Lai

J:Lai — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:30:40 +0000

A much better process for allocating resources is needed. I agree that mega-projects like the 2nd ave subway, etc, are not the best uses for capital dollars. BRT is a good stopgap measure, but what would really be useful is repairing and upgrading all the existing subway track, signals, and stations. Improve service on existing subway lines first, then maybe think about adding new lines.

By: J

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:20:00 +0000

I find it infuriating that Mr. Pinsky argues that we should be rebuilding our infrastructure while at the same time he pushes through projects that serve to put additional strain on that same infrastructure.

Mr. Pinsky, why not try spending millions of EDC dollars on transit, ped, and bike improvements instead of on massive parking garages? If you want congestion pricing to fly, make it easy to get around without a car. This should be the TOP priority for EDC, not accommodating parking.

The global cities NYC competes with aren’t building 3,000 car parking garages. Maybe they did in the 1970s, but not anymore. Sure one agency can’t do it alone, but if you want things to change, be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:10:48 +0000

Another piece of the Connectivity puzzle has to be bike share programs to complement the transit network. That would be a huge boon to folks that have to walk more than 1/2 mile to the train/bus, especially in Brooklyn & Quuens.

This also has huge tourist benefits – for instance, this morning I helped direct 5 french-speaking tourists on the Broadway bike lane around 57th Street navigate their way to the Seaport.