Comments
TheClassyEngineer t1_jaav8oc wrote
Need to fire half of middle management
Shawn_NYC t1_jaba225 wrote
Ironically, the MTA needs more middle management.
One of the top drivers of the cost overruns is they constantly hire expensive "consultants" to do everything at twice the cost of a normal 9-5 city worker.
harlemtechie t1_jabah2d wrote
I remember being at a company where they sent me to help with a contract. I showed up to sit there with like 20 other people to watch 5 of them discuss the color of a binder for a month. They had to decide on this before we were able to start our work....I never got paid to do so much nothing for so long until the MTA...
-Tony t1_jac52dh wrote
Tell me more about these “consultants”?
b1argg t1_jabbw8a wrote
It is funded properly. It needs to get its house in order.
LittleKitty235 t1_jacg55u wrote
You mean NY State needs to stop using the MTA budget as a piggybank for other State projects?
b1argg t1_jacqx28 wrote
Negligible compared to the MTA waste and corruption
DelTeaz t1_jab9eii wrote
It’s already funded properly…
Stefan_Harper t1_jaba9ey wrote
It definitely isn’t, there’s no way the stations would look the way they do if it was.
New York has the most disgusting stations of any metro I’ve ever been to. I’m sure there are worse out there, but I’ve never seen any worse with my own eyes.
DelTeaz t1_jabafe4 wrote
23 billion isn’t enough? What are you smoking?
Stefan_Harper t1_jabb20b wrote
Montreal (STM) has the best run subway system in North America and it costs about 2 billion per year. So let’s use it as an example of value for money.
MTA is about 399km STM is about 70km
MTA has about 500 stations STM has about 60
MTA operates more types of trains, has longer service hours, and runs on older more expensive tracks.
MTA’s budget should be FAR larger.
23 billion for a system that large is fucking embarrassing. And that’s why the stations are embarrassing.
Everyone complains until math gets involved.
glazor t1_jac7tyv wrote
Do you have the numbers on how much is spent on servicing the debt?
Stefan_Harper t1_jackrx8 wrote
I wish, I’m sure it’s huge
glazor t1_jacmioj wrote
Just looked it up. $2.1B in 2021 and growing.
Stefan_Harper t1_jaco07p wrote
Insanity.
Don’t get me wrong, the MTA is mismanaged, but their budget is low for their circumstances. It just is.
It’s why it looks so insanely shitty all the time.
[deleted] t1_jacltq6 wrote
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DelTeaz t1_jacow00 wrote
For STM it’s 1.7B CAD or 1.25B USD. So NYC has 20x the budget.
Are you on the MTAs payroll or something? How are you defending a higher budget? People like you are why taxes are so fucked in this city. You probably don’t even pay income taxes which would explain why you’re not mad about this.
Stefan_Harper t1_jacpw0i wrote
Have you tried giving the MTA even less money to see if it makes the stations cleaner? You should try that next
DelTeaz t1_jacsnxm wrote
Has the MTA ever tried not to light money on fire? I’m not advocating for lowering the budget, just don’t fucking ask for more when you wasted what you already get.
Stefan_Harper t1_jacwe2z wrote
If I was king for a day I’d audit them into oblivion and rebuild the corp from scratch, I’m with you
harlemtechie t1_jabb6bu wrote
I think you two are confusing 'funded' for 'managed'.
Stefan_Harper t1_jabbqcf wrote
Oh there’s substantial failures in both categories
CuratorPatrick t1_jab2chj wrote
Kronos keeps the overtime in check for regular MTA employees. Gotta cut the fat and get rid of the bloated management and office stock and cut the LIRR out.
[deleted] t1_jac7rhx wrote
“more aggressive with toll evaders”
y’all shouldn’t even HAVE those tolls the prices are ridiculous and eve asking police to be more aggressive on anything means you are an enemy of the people
greenerdoc t1_jaceqaz wrote
Why shouldn't there be tolls?
Should we be aggressive against violent criminals? Rapists? Pedophiles? Or should we just let then break laws to their liking? If you feel that's different it's not, it's just your tolerance for illegal activity is different. If you don't feel like thr laws are fare, fix the laws.
Workaphobia t1_jachbtt wrote
> If you don't feel like thr laws are fare, fix the laws.
I see what you (probably unintentionally) did there.
Regularjoe42 t1_jacihv9 wrote
LMAO, going straight from talking about toll evasion to rape like you were in a SNL skit.
_Maxolotl t1_jaala0e wrote
if congress won't send us money, how about Biden sends the DOJ to investigate all the damn graft, so we don't have to spend as much money?
Awkward-Use-7229 t1_jab2sy0 wrote
Because he’d want his 10%
watupmynameisx t1_jac8um4 wrote
He is the big guy after all
what_mustache t1_jadnqd3 wrote
Yeah, Biden is def super rich despite not really owning much and living a modest life in public for 60 years.
watupmynameisx t1_jadu57y wrote
I know don't we all own BEACHFRONT COMPOUNDS and get 10% of our sons' bribes
what_mustache t1_jae0yyl wrote
Lol, the home was bought for 2.75 million in 2017. That's totally affordable for a PHD teacher and a former senator/VP. And also, we know he made money on the book because he shared his taxes.
And seriously bro, it's a compound? It's 0.34 acres. Where do you gullibles come up with this stuff? Do you just read junk on facebook and believe it? You can literally look it up on Zillow bro.
[deleted] t1_jae3ogk wrote
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what_mustache t1_jae9021 wrote
>The guys worth $10mm
Lol, do you know know how mortgages work, stupid? Let me teach you a "pro tip", you can get a mortgage to buy a home that is worth more than your current net worth.
>And no it isn't affordable for sone9ne on that salary
Biden and his wife made around 350k combined per year for decades. She's a PHD, makes around 100k per year. And again....MORTGAGES!
And they bought the beach home AFTER they made 16,596,979 on their book deal. So yeah, not only is that home affordable as a senator who isn't bad with money, it's easily affordable after his book earnings.
He also bought a place for 185,000 in the 70s and sold it in 1995 for 1.2 million after fixing it up.
His other home he bought for 350k, and then built on the land.
So serious question, are you stupid or just really, really gullible? How is it you think he's stealing billions? What is he spending it on? You literally called his 0.34 acre beach house a "compound" when I could walk the entire property in 30 seconds and look it up on Zillow. How did you get this gullible? Was it facebook?
ripstep1 t1_jac6l61 wrote
Why is this the federal taxpayers problem?
dekalbavenue t1_jacb3q5 wrote
Because NYC alone contributes 8% of the entire country's GDP, far higher than any other city and higher than every state except California and Texas. It's in the Fed's interest that NYC is up and running.
CactusBoyScout t1_jacsa14 wrote
I remember reading years ago that NYC transit actually gets relatively little of its funding from the federal government compared to other global cities.
Supposedly other global cities have national governments that recognize how much of a return on investment their largest cities generate economically and so they support their infrastructure more. And other countries are more likely to have their seat of government in their largest city so the lawmakers are more keenly aware of its infrastructure.
But our federal government is sharply skewed in favor of rural states who don’t want to support big cities while taking huge subsidies for themselves.
Endofunctor t1_jadd3ck wrote
You think any of that would stop if they couldn't make it to the office on time? Doubt it, especially in a post-covid world.
dekalbavenue t1_jadmo49 wrote
It's not about going from 1.6 trillion to zero. It's about going from 1.6 trillion to 1.3 trillion (a loss of $300 billion) because the government couldn't bother to invest $3 billion. That's plausible if the MTA is dysfunctional to the point where economic decisions are made to account for it. To put it in perspective, the MTA strike in 2005 cost the city economy about $400 million a day. In 2023 dollars, that number would be closer to $615 million. Imagine if you will, a non functioning MTA that lasted a year. Or, a sub par functional MTA over a few years, say, over a presidential cycle.
Do you think hyperpartisanship for the benefit of Fox News viewers is worth $300 billion in lost public revenue?
_Maxolotl t1_jaceqyp wrote
Why would it not be when the bridges and tunnels clearly are?
LittleKitty235 t1_jacfggr wrote
Federal tax dollars going toward infrastructure improvements in the MTA seems like something the federal government should be doing. The idea it shouldn't is just Republican conditioning and that rejecting federal money is some noble principle.
I'm going to guess the argument is that only interstate bridges and tunnels should we paid for by federal tax dollars, or some other Republican nonsense
ripstep1 t1_jacs9p7 wrote
Absolutely. Why is the federal taxpayer paying for roads in Brooklyn.
LittleKitty235 t1_jactynb wrote
https://usafacts.org/state-of-the-union/transportation-infrastructure/
Because the Federal government provides funding for that and it has bi-partisan support. Probably not the hill Republicans want to die on as that aid disproportionately goes to rural areas when you account for where the tax money comes from. Your question should really be why are your federal taxes paying for bridges and roads in rural Arkansas.
Neither political party wants the type of policy you seem to want.
ripstep1 t1_jacudtb wrote
Would be fine with less aid going to rural areas too.
LittleKitty235 t1_jacviuw wrote
Well neither political party does and I question the economic benefit and short sightedness of reducing spending on infrastructure as it has tremendous long term returns. Building roads and bridges has been a core part of successful governments that predates the Romans.
dekalbavenue t1_jaddaiz wrote
As I already explained, and which you ignored, the government gets way more money out of NYC in taxes than the money it invests into it. So it's in the government's interest to pay for roads in Brooklyn so that we can get around and be productive.
FalseParticular9162 t1_jaaen3o wrote
Rescue from what? Your own employees stealing time? Handle your shit and stop trying to pass the problem on to your own damn customers.
ultradoublerainbow88 t1_jabhzni wrote
Don’t you get it? Fare evaders is a bigger problem than their own stealing time
Commercial_Trouble43 t1_jad1kgt wrote
I'm sure 90% of the fare evaders can't afford the fare as it is. You go after them you're only sticking them in an already over taxed judicial system where nothing will get back to MTA. They need to stop giving contracts to the lowest bidder and give it to the ones that guarantee the work is done on time at fair prices. They need to be more on top of who they are using, what their contractors are using, and the time that these contractors are actually putting into the project and not just what they're billing MTA for.
Sams_Butter_Sock t1_jadheb1 wrote
Nah most fare evader are like you and me. Just regular people who have jobs and aren’t in poverty. They just run in while the door is opento save a buck. I do agree with you that the mta needs to stop complaining about us without taking a look in the mirror
ultradoublerainbow88 t1_jaezos1 wrote
Or you have people who was paying $1500+ a year in fares and don’t see any benefit to it when they’re constantly running late, having service issues etc so you no longer tolerate their b.s
LunacyNow t1_jaazd5v wrote
The MTA has been way too comfortable for way too long and as a result get away with way too much. There needs to be a serious shake up. There can't be this looming threat of service cuts every time the MTA doesn't get its way financially. Voters need to raise holy hell and send the message to the politicians that this is NOT acceptable and certainly not sustainable. If any private business were run like this it would have gone bankrupt and the execs would have all bent sent to jail.
woodcider t1_jabe8yu wrote
They did send a message. They voted for Cuomo who ran out the best manager the MTA ever had. And Hochul is like him in the mirror-verse.
greenerdoc t1_jacfaxu wrote
If MTA admin expects want to be compensated like private industry why aren't they held to their standards? Would shareholders tolerate going over budget by billions? Why not sign up for performance based compensation? You do well you get rewarded? You do a shit job and you get 20$ an hour.
The MTA runs the way it does the same reason the 2008 financial crisis happened.. there is no accountability.
[deleted] t1_ja9x5hf wrote
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ZA44 t1_jaarf39 wrote
One of the benefits of a two party system is if you aren’t in power you can just blame the other party for all your shortcomings.
fit_nerd_ro t1_jab6cu8 wrote
That’s what I was getting at in a comment here but you said it WAY better. Thank you
someone_whoisthat t1_jaafk9u wrote
A Democrat House wouldn't do another MTA bailout either, or else they would've already done it in the $1.7T December spending bill.
yasth t1_jaaj4vc wrote
I mean they sent billions in money to the MTA, but of course it all went to new stuff that they can stand in front of with giant scissors.
Barebacking_Bernanke t1_jabctkh wrote
Democrats in the House, Senate, and White House have not forgotten about NYC public transit at all. Aside from the typical Annual Federal Budget distributions, NYC received $2 Billion in the Infrastructure Bill and $6 billion in the COVID relief package.
Grass8989 t1_jaa43me wrote
Can’t wait for the service cuts and increase in fare.
1600hazenstreet t1_jaaatmk wrote
Bring back the 80s, when the MTA slashed their maintenance budget, and trains starts failing. It’s not the cuts in service you need to worry about. It’s the service disruptions. Train stalled on the track during rush hour, good luck getting home in the next hour.
Grass8989 t1_jaabwy3 wrote
Yup, just going to continue to push more people to use cars. The current level of service probably isn’t sustainable with the 60-70% ridership that’s been going on since the pandemic.
Workaphobia t1_jaci5ez wrote
And yet if you look at the megathread about the new LIRR timetable everyone is saying the trains are packed (except the Grand Central ones) and they don't have enough cars.
Grass8989 t1_jad1soe wrote
The LIRR is not representative of the NYC subway system.
Generoh t1_jaanfz3 wrote
It’s okay they’ll just enact congestion tolls to compensate
1600hazenstreet t1_jaaw6ex wrote
Only poor folks will be stuck using MTA.
Traditional-List-421 t1_jacf8vp wrote
Lol that’s what it is now. most tristate area boomers in the top 50th percentile of income drive to the city and drive around the city
Jerund t1_jaacb72 wrote
Actually issue tickets to fare hoppers. Pretty sure they can save 200 million dollars there annually.
yasth t1_jaaio1j wrote
Eh, even if they managed to clear $200 million as profit, they'd still be 2.8 billion dollars in the hole.
I don't think people realize just how insanely large the issue is.
Jerund t1_jac38u5 wrote
200 million is still 200 million
fukwhutuheard t1_jaapwa9 wrote
clean house from the top not from the bottom. poor people getting to work is not the issue.
Jerund t1_jac5kf7 wrote
How about we do both? If Farebeating isn’t stopped the problem will get bigger. People seeing other people not face any accountability for farebeating will cause more people to farebeat
bruhyouokay t1_jacrj3v wrote
how do you propose we do that? cuomo already hired a bunch of police officers in 2020 for this exact reason and clearly that hasn’t helped. go into the average station and the officers are standing around on their phones or harassing unhoused people. the goal should be moving away from reliance of ticket revenue to keep the mta afloat. public transportation is a public service and should ultimately be free. there are much more effective ways for the mta to address its budgeting problems.
hortence1234 t1_jadgoaq wrote
Sharks with laser beams is the solution
bruhyouokay t1_jaehhz1 wrote
that would probably be more effective than the nypd. low bar to clear though
Jerund t1_jaczsqp wrote
Well, it’s either gonna be a tax on everyone and make it free or NYPD will actually enforce it. I don’t see how it’s a problem with the NYPD actually enforcing the rules by ticketing and the courts actually collecting the fine. No dropping of the fine provided there is enough evidence.
How come fare evasion wasn’t that big of a problem when it was during Bloomberg’s administration?
bruhyouokay t1_jaehfm0 wrote
there’s a pretty easy answer as to why fare evasion has increased since bloomberg, no? the wealth disparity between the rich and poor has vastly increased in the last few years. fewer people can afford the cost of a metrocard swipe so fare evasion increases. public transit is a public service and should be free.
Jerund t1_jaei872 wrote
Fare went up .50 cents (22%) since Bloomberg was in office. Median individual income went up by 26% since then. The rate of change is fairly proportional, so why can’t people afford to pay the fare? I mean it’s either those who use it pay for it partially or a tax on everyone to pay for it. You can say it should be free all you want, the money to fund it should come from somewhere.
bruhyouokay t1_jaeivrn wrote
and rent has gone up at a wildly disproportionate rate, as well as food and utility costs. have you seen what coned is charging lately? have you tried to buy eggs? it’s more expensive to live even if we’re making more money. of course the money has to come from somewhere but this is true of any public service that is provided “for free” (through taxes) to the public. ticketing people who can’t afford $2.75 is not an effective method of revenue and it fundamentally misconstrues the purpose of a public service.
edit because i hit send too fast lol: my overall point is that putting the mta’s budget crisis on its constituents won’t solve the problem and it isn’t really the issue in the first place.
Jerund t1_jaekycl wrote
So because they can’t afford other necessities means they get a pass on fare evading? I see plenty of people wearing nice clothings and are still farebeating. Let’s be realistic here, most people who are fare beating are not poor. You see them just walking through the emergency gates at time square with AirPods in their ears. Those who are struggling have either half off or free metro ride from the MTA fair fare program. But keep trying to label everyone is poor in nyc.
bruhyouokay t1_jaemh3s wrote
lol not only are you willfully misconstruing everything i’m saying you’re also putting words in my mouth. obviously the logical result of someone not being able to afford necessities is not being able to afford other things (like subway fares). of course not everyone who is evading fares is poor, nor is everyone in nyc poor. i never said that. but to ignore the economic elements that impact fare evasion is not only ignorant but stupid. here’s a report on fare evasion statistics:
“Among the five boroughs, residents in the Bronx— the borough with the city’s highest poverty rate— reported the highest levels of transit hardship in 2021: 21 percent said that they often struggled to pay subway and bus fares.”
again, my main point is that the mta’s financial hardships do not derive themselves from its constituents and attacking fare evasion is not the most effective approach for solving these issues.
SmurfsNeverDie t1_jaals3v wrote
Let me see some jail time for the corruption before you ask
sonoma890 t1_jabk2t3 wrote
Can the MTA produce some viable accounting reports that show where the money is? No reason to throw money down a bottomless pit.
creativepositioning t1_jabo0l1 wrote
NY Dems really fucked up this past congressional race
NetQuarterLatte t1_jaahi1f wrote
Ask for federal money? Grab money from drivers? Raise the fare prices? Cut down on services?
The amount of gymnastics to avoid tackling the obvious is staggering:
$500 million per year lost because of unpaid fares. Any decent effort could recover half of that.
The ideology doesn’t serve anyone.
PurpleCopper t1_jabby3y wrote
The MTA is a blackhole money pit. Throwing more federal money at it will only make the hole bigger.
DLFiii t1_jaaoch2 wrote
Nor should they. Decades of MTA financial mismanagement has only worsened since Covid. How about new leadership and board from the top down? That’s a good start.
Shreddersaurusrex t1_jab2y98 wrote
The agency is greedy and wasteful
slosh_co t1_jaand78 wrote
Is there a good article that sums up everything that’s going on with the MTA?
harlemtechie t1_jab8zbz wrote
It's messed up bc I understand. They mismanage...a lot...
No_Cap_3837 t1_jabdsk4 wrote
It's disappointing to see politics getting in the way of funding for vital services like public transportation. We need to prioritize investing in infrastructure for the good of everyone.
gh234ip t1_jablc29 wrote
When are you going to realize that the MTA generates revenue and since it does that the state can have the MTA float bonds to get more money? The MTA is the state's piggy bank, no one will be held accountable for any misspending because then the whole states bookkeeping would be exposed
LOVE2FUKWITHPP t1_jaas08g wrote
Dame guess rates hike
atari_Pro t1_jacsyhr wrote
Where’s all the congestion pricing cheerleaders? Been pretty quiet lately as the MTA gets exposed for its offensive mismanagement.
atari_Pro t1_jact2cf wrote
Lmao imagine thinking congestion pricing is the magic bullet we need.
BlindTiger86 t1_jacvjs8 wrote
Feds shouldn't have to. Figure out how to be sustainable.
drpvn t1_jaa3asy wrote
Gee who could have foreseen this.
VinnyDaBoi t1_jaa8yl0 wrote
surprised Pikachu face
TheLastHotBoy t1_jac0zfs wrote
Good, as the first fucking good news I’ve ever heard in a long while fuck the MTA. Let them 🪦
Jimmy_kong253 t1_jac53n6 wrote
The MTA has more management than it needs
[deleted] t1_jaczua4 wrote
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fit_nerd_ro t1_jab64tz wrote
Then if that’s true, shame on the GOP for not doing it, and shame on Schumer for not finding a solution. He’s one of two Senators who claim to be the best of all the millions of us here, THE qualified problem solver who can find creative solutions, fix the impossible, fight for our rights. Not today - today he gives up.
Makes me wonder if he ever intended to work for us
Chaminade64 t1_jabfgj2 wrote
Why should 49 other States citizens pay for problems in our city? You’re the goddamn leadership, aren’t you? You play up your city street cred, you promise us the world every election cycle, you have the ear of our Governor & Mayor, you have been in control for decades s All I see is problems piling up, and getting worse. Why is that?
[deleted] t1_jae7ucg wrote
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wsj t1_jaez9ne wrote
Kathy Hochul is proposing giving the MTA an extra $1.3 billion a year via higher payroll taxes on downstate businesses and revenue from new casinos.
From our reporter Jimmy Vielkind:
>The MTA proposals would generate enough cash to help cover a budget gap caused by a loss in fare revenue from lower ridership since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, officials said. The new funding also would help foot the bill for additional police patrols on the subway system that started in October amid concerns about crime.
>
>MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Janno Lieber, who has been lobbying lawmakers for additional funding, said in an interview that the governor’s proposal would allow the authority to avoid service cuts but not a 5.5% fare hike that the MTA assumed in its 2023 budget.
...Under Ms. Hochul’s proposal, that tax would increase to 0.5%, generating around $800 million a year in additional revenue. For example, an employer would pay an additional $160 a year for each employee with a $100,000 annual salary.
-mc
TheProcess316 t1_jab7ixr wrote
Good, fuck em. Spend less.
blixt141 t1_jaci3of wrote
Time for dems to stop funding red states altogether. See what happens.
azspeedbullet t1_jaa4tj0 wrote
>Schumer says that further expanded funding for mass transit is dead in the water for the time being not for economic reasons but political ones
this is why we cant have nice things. why does everything have be political?
TheNormalAlternative t1_jaaball wrote
No, sometimes it's just economics
jgalt5042 t1_jaasfsy wrote
Good. Why should the country bail out the MTA? Let it fail. It’s not serving New Yorkers
westsidejeff t1_jaabzlq wrote
New York had a native who was a builder as president. They declared war on him, impeached him, took his property, took his name off buildings, went after his children, disrespected his wife. Screw them. They don’t deserve a single penny from the people.
fukwhutuheard t1_jaaq6ij wrote
damn how’d you let his cock slip from your hands long enough to type that
secretactorian t1_jaahrlp wrote
He disrespected his wives first, lmao.
supremeMilo t1_jaar1l0 wrote
New York is in the financial shape it is in precisely due to grifters like Trump.
djn24 t1_jaaehsv wrote
You think that New York impeached Trump?
I'm sorry that a family of criminal grifters facing the consequences of their actions makes you so sad. We prefer people that actually pay their taxes in New York, rather than leaches.
hortence1234 t1_jadh1r7 wrote
Libs were all over him back in the day, you all need to make your mind up
djn24 t1_jadhgcd wrote
Can you try being coherent? It's hard to understand you.
defcon1000 t1_jaagcqj wrote
Someone check on r/Pyongyang - I think it's leaking blind fanatics again.
harmlessdjango t1_jaafo1d wrote
Hahaha 😂 put the crack pipe down sonny
RedOrca-15483 t1_jaa6qbj wrote
continuous overtime abuse. multiple capital projects going over budget and over time due to inept project management and design. Penalizing toll-evaders only after racking up 3k and more in unpaid dues. And just years of chronic financial mismanagement and wasteful spending.
I want the MTA to be funded properly, but I'm also tired of the corruption and incompetence to be more fiscally responsible, and they can start by getting the police agencies to be more aggressive with toll evaders and reigning in the overtime abuse and wasteful spending, building utilitarian railway designs instead of these grand underground concourses like GCM and 2nd ave.