By Philip Newman
In a somber board meeting, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed Thursday the bad news reported piecemeal for days – Draconian cuts in subway and bus service and a 23 percent fare hike are in store unless the state government comes up with major money.
The transit agency’s financial straits have worsened since the financial downturn to the point that the MTA’s budget gap now surpasses $1.2 billion.
The MTA’s final proposal for a financial plan would bring the end of the Z and W subway lines along with heavy cuts in subway and bus service throughout the system and thousands of layoffs. The Z runs between Jamaica Center and lower Manhattan, while the W runs from Astoria to Whitehall Street.
The 23 percent overall fare hike is three times the increase proposed in July. The changes in service and fares would not take effect until June.
“All this is anathema to us,” said MTA Executive Director Elliot Sander. “It’s going to very tough.”
At the same time, Sander held out the possibility that most, if not all, the diminution of the nation’s greatest mass transit system could be averted if New York state money was forthcoming.
Sander said that to head off the severe cuts in service recommendations from the Ravitz Commission as to how the MTA could raise money would have to be embraced by the governor and the Legislature.
The Ravitz Commission, appointed by Gov. David Paterson, is to issue its recommendations next Wednesday.
More than a dozen members of the public spoke out against the plan at the meeting and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer warned that the fare hike could force some New Yorkers to leave the city.
Sander said the cuts for subway and bus lines were chosen because of low ridership or when alternate service was available. The reductions are targeted at weekend and late night service on lines with light passenger traffic.
Subway cuts in Queens would include:
Elimination of the W and Z lines, shortening of the G by dropping the Forest Hills service, operating the N via the Manhattan Bridge on late nights, extension of the Q to Astoria, operating the M to Broad Street during rush hours and additional J local service.
During non-rush hours across the system, trains would run every 10 minutes instead of eight minutes on the A, D, E, F, G, J, M, N, Q and R on Saturdays and the A, D, E, F, G, N , Q and R on Sundays.
Trains would run every 30 minutes rather than 20 minutes between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.
The plan would eliminate or reduce service on low ridership routes, particularly on weekends and late nights and services that duplicate subway lines.
Long Island Rail Road changes would involve fewer administrative jobs, fewer ticket offices and ticket sellers and fewer train crews, as well as service reductions on special service trains and select weekend and off peak trains.
The Bridges and Tunnels agency would eliminate the Cross Bay Bridge Rebate program, reduce frequency of E-ZPass paper statements and tighten E-ZPass controls.
