The MTA Does It Again

[Mr Roxy]

The MTA wants to replace the metrocard by 2022. They hope to save 6 million dollars a year. The problem is the system will cost 450 million dollars , without the expected overruns, to implement. How many years will it take to just make up the investment? . Probably before that they will replace this system and the whole thing starts all over again. It appears the investment is not justified by the meager savings.

 

Really strategic thinking here. People wonder why fares continue to go up. Here is but one reason. They are plenty more

[javero]

The DC area version of MTA, WMATA, is in similar dire straits.  I'm with you, Roxy...I don't see the break-even point in the case of MTA's plans.  As an outsider I have to ask...is privatizing the entire MTA even feasible? 

[Call_me_jorge]

The CTA in Chicago is also planning on upgrading the entire fleet of vehicles. I don't see the need, but yet they do make the argument of how the public transportation system in the us compared to other 1st countries is lackluster. 

[Mr Roxy]

They did a wonderful job on a subway station near the Javits Center. The rest of the system is starved for money yet they lavish a ton on this and get a lemon which leaks like a sieve among other things and is,a big white elephant . Another one is big monstrosity by the old WTC. It is ugly as sin, went years and millions over budget and has no tenants in the business area. Talk about runaway government.

The unions would not allow privatization and no private company in their right mind would go near it if they could.It is the real version of the runaway train..Welcome to the real life Silver Streak.

[javero]

"Talk about runaway government."

 

I'm not some anti-government anarchist loon but infrastructure projects have to be funded, most often at taxpayer expense.  Therefore, ALL affected taxpayers are entitled to a say in how the projects are selected, approved, funded, managed, and closed down with complete & transparent accounting during the project's course and post-implementation.

 

States and municipalities across the nation are seeking ways to at least maintain status quo with less revenue thanks in part still to falling home values and offshore manufacturing.  This is why in a nutshell electing Bernie Sanders as POTUS would be an unmitigated national disaster.  He'd only add to their burden.  Wrong candidate, wrong time! 

[Mr Roxy]

I have no interest in politics anymore and could care less who wins as whoever does will not change the fact we are ******  no matter what.This is why I no longer post anything political in  nature . Bottom line is I no longer care plain and simple.

 

I am out of this thread as I know crap will now be thrown at me and I simply cannot be bothered anymore. See ya in another thread.

[javero]

Understood.

[RippedMan]

I'm offended that they made this huge lavish thing over by WTC that is the most expensive terminal in the country or something and yet no one needed it. we still don't have AC in the subway, like in DC. We still don't have countdown times in most stations. Or wifi, etc.

[Kad]

The train system is over a century out of date and is in constant need of repair, plus is becoming increasingly unable to handle the millions using it daily.

I like the WTC station, but I agree the focus needs to be on upgrading the existing trains and stations. Delays are increasing annually and the infrastructure gets creakier and creakier.

[Petralicious]

RippedMan said: "I'm offended that they made this huge lavish thing over by WTC that is the most expensive terminal in the country or something and yet no one needed it. we still don't have AC in the subway, like in DC. We still don't have countdown times in most stations. Or wifi, etc.

 

"This was budget for 2.2 million which was already way over the cost that it should have.  They went almost a BILLION over budget!!  Imagine if they used just 1/2 of that or 2/3 of thatto fix the rest of the subway instead. I guess that is what happens when Government is in charge of building. 

 

[Call_me_jorge]

^it may be the government financing it, but it's actually private contractors doing the actual construction work.

[javero]

The MTA board has oversight responsibility regardless of how the labor is sourced.  It's my understanding that the 19 board members are NOT elected officials and that neither organized labor nor the citizens advisory group gets a vote.  This strikes me as an example of yet another cabal of unelected quasi-government officials handpicked from a political party with a tax-and-spend bent.  That to me is the Achilles heel of the Democrats who tend to be fine folks otherwise.

 I like MD and my county but the Dems in power wake up each day with ideas for a new tax of some kind.

[Petralicious]

javero said: "The MTA board has oversight responsibility regardless of how the labor is sourced.  It's my understanding that the 19 board members are NOT elected officials and that neither organized labor nor the citizens advisory group gets a vote.  This strikes me as an example of yet another cabal of unelected quasi-government officials handpicked from a political party with a tax-and-spend bent.  That to me is the Achilles heel of the Democrats who tend to be fine folks otherwise.

 I like MD and my county but the Dems in power wake up each day with ideas for a new tax of some kind.

 

" That is why it went almost over a Billion $ of budget. They do not care, and they are not help responsible

 

[philly03]

Javero - you have to love Montgomery County/state MD officials (and throw in VA officials too). 

MD State: "Oh no we can't build extra lanes on the beltway because it will cause more pollution! People need to take the Metro!"

MontgoCO: "Please give us the funding we need for the purple line, our roads are too crowded and we need another solution."

MD State: "We can't afford it you need to pay for it!" ... Goes on for years and it will be done 5 years off schedule.

 

One big difference is Metro can actually be expensive for users, unlike NYC It is not a flat rate.

 

[willep]

Is this all because Hillary looked like...every other human being who swipes their metro card? She called the mayor out on it in the skit with Leslie Odom Jr. and asked what he was going to do about it. Seems like a bit of an overreaction.