Last Updated: 4:02 PM, December 17, 2009
Posted: 3:32 AM, December 17, 2009
Doomsday is here.
The MTA yesterday delivered a crushing blow to straphangers, students and disabled riders, approving a budget riddled with service cuts while blaming unions and lawmakers for the shortfall.
The dire measures include raising all free student fares to half fares for 2010 -- a widely unpopular move the agency blamed on Gov. Paterson, who withheld the state's share of those MetroCard costs, and the city, which kept its contribution the same.
By 2011, students will be paying their own way.
"This agency is in an abusive relationship with two deadbeat dads," MTA board member Doreen Frasca said of the state and city. "One of them has stopped support payments altogether, and the other one says, 'I'm going to go back to 1994 and I'm not going to pay you a nickel more.' "
The cuts include eliminating the W and Z lines, and shortening the G and M. Some bus routes will be cut entirely, and the hours on dozens of routes will be shortened.
Paratransit would be scaled back and there would be about 700 layoffs.
That will make up a $383 million funding gap, caused by Paterson's $192 million cut in direct MTA aid, $91 million in raises, and a $100 million payroll tax shortfall.
"These actions will change lives. They will affect people's well-being. This pain is real," MTA chairman Jay Walder said.
He also decried the high cost of labor at the agency, saying, "We need to take the place apart" -- noting that $500 million is spent each year on overtime.
"We must not be afraid to eliminate work that is no longer necessary," he said, adding that will likely mean "layoffs."
Board member Nancy Shevell set her sights on the transit union, saying this year's fare hikes will end up funding TWU Local 100's "unrealistic" 11 percent raises over the next three years.
"Where did the fare increase go? Where did that money go?" she said. "So much of it is going to our union members and the unrealistic work rules and unrealistic increases they've received.
"It is really unfair that one large group is not going to be affected by the economic downturn and another large group -- for example, our youth and our disabled and working people -- are having to pay the price," she said.
Bronx mom Caprice Corbett said eliminating free student MetroCards means drastic decisions for her household.
"This will impact me greatly," Corbett said. "I'll have to choose between my Con Ed bill, going on a job interview or sending my kids to school."
Paterson repeated a pledge yesterday to restore his $39 million cut to school fares if revenues "come in to the level that would allow me to do that."
Mayor Bloomberg said his four MTA appointees wouldn't vote to approve the cuts after public hearings in early 2010.
Incoming TWU president John Samuelsen shot back at Walder's comments, saying, "It's easy to talk about taking a pay cut when you're making a few hundred thousand a year."
Additional reporting by Laurie Kamens
tom.namako@nypost.com
Paratransit would be scaled back and there would be about 700 layoffs.
That will make up a $383 million funding gap, caused by Paterson's $192 million cut in direct MTA aid, $91 million in raises, and a $100 million payroll tax shortfall.
"These actions will change lives. They will affect people's well-being. This pain is real," MTA chairman Jay Walder said.
He also decried the high cost of labor at the agency, saying, "We need to take the place apart" -- noting that $500 million is spent each year on overtime.
"We must not be afraid to eliminate work that is no longer necessary," he said, adding that will likely mean "layoffs."
Board member Nancy Shevell set her sights on the transit union, saying this year's fare hikes will end up funding TWU Local 100's "unrealistic" 11 percent raises over the next three years.
"Where did the fare increase go? Where did that money go?" she said. "So much of it is going to our union members and the unrealistic work rules and unrealistic increases they've received.
"It is really unfair that one large group is not going to be affected by the economic downturn and another large group -- for example, our youth and our disabled and working people -- are having to pay the price," she said.
Bronx mom Caprice Corbett said eliminating free student MetroCards means drastic decisions for her household.
"This will impact me greatly," Corbett said. "I'll have to choose between my Con Ed bill, going on a job interview or sending my kids to school."
Paterson repeated a pledge yesterday to restore his $39 million cut to school fares if revenues "come in to the level that would allow me to do that."
Mayor Bloomberg said his four MTA appointees wouldn't vote to approve the cuts after public hearings in early 2010.
Incoming TWU president John Samuelsen shot back at Walder's comments, saying, "It's easy to talk about taking a pay cut when you're making a few hundred thousand a year."
Additional reporting by Laurie Kamens
tom.namako@nypost.com
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