OPINION: Make New York City transit great again
Have you ridden the subway recently? If you have, you’ve probably had a less than stellar experience. If you think things have gotten worse for New York City’s subway riders, it’s because they have. Lines are frequently overcrowded and many train cars are more than 60 years old. Last month, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued a report that showed that New York City subway trains are running later than they ever have. This chronic tardiness is the symptom of many things: an aging system, damage from Superstorm Sandy and underfunding.
It is also, worryingly, a preview of things to come. With the population of the five boroughs at an all-time high and growing, the strain on the mass transit system is only likely to grow. This will radiate pressure on our other transit infrastructure, including our roads, bridges and tunnels as more are forced above ground. Unless we get serious about addressing our impending transportation crises, we will all suffer.
Luckily a serious plan, and accompanying legislation, to address our current dilemma already exists. The plan is the Move New York Fair Plan and its principles are advanced by legislation introduced by Assemblymember Robert Rodriguez. Implementing this plan is about three core ideas: treating all New Yorkers fairly regardless of how and where they travel in the city, funding the system for now and the future and ensuring community priorities are included in how we invest our infrastructure dollars.