Fundamental Fairness: Joint Statement to the MTA Board

Our buses, subways and rails are the lifeblood of this region.  Vital to our economy, our environment and our quality of life, this transit network moves more than nine million workers, customers, tourists and students each workday.  The MTA is in crisis but clearly the budget being voted on today must not stand.  If it does, the results threaten to propel our city and our region into an economic, social and environmental tailspin.  Now is the time for leadership that recognizes the enormity of our problem and inspires us all to be part of the solution to this crisis.
 
We applaud the Governor’s Commission on MTA Financing for their recommendations, which continue a 30-year tradition of asking those who benefit, whether directly or indirectly from our transit system, to contribute to the maintenance of this vital network.
 
The Commission’s recommendations are marked by a fundamental fairness:
 
  • All riders, commuters, drivers and businesses will contribute to the support of the region’s transit system, including the repair and maintenance of bridges and roads. 
  • The recommendations eliminate the fundamental unfairness of sharply raising transit fares and some tolls while allowing other drivers to not pay any tolls. 
  • The recommendations reduce the pressure to raise tolls even more at currently-tolled bridges and tunnels. 
  • Motorists will take on the burden of maintaining the bridges that they use, as part of the revenue from new tolls will be dedicated to bridge repair and maintenance.
 
We, the organizations that stand here today, support these fundamentally fair recommendations presented by the Governor’s Commission on MTA Financing. 
 
We acknowledge that it is a difficult choice for elected officials to approve and implement any changes that will spread the burden of helping to fund our transit system to some who benefit from our region’s transit network and are not accustomed to contributing.  But, we ask our leaders to consider the stark unfairness of placing a disproportionate burden on only some of the millions who benefit from our transit system, as well as the nightmare scenario of a transit network whose services and maintenance are drastically reduced due to a lack of support.
 
 
Campaign for New York’s Future
Citizens Committee for New York City
Environmental Defense Fund
General Contractors Association of New York
LDC of West Bronx
Natural Resources Defense Council
New York City Apollo Alliance
New York League of Conservation Voters
New YorkState Laborers
PrattCenter for Community Development
Regional Plan Association
Straphangers Campaign
Time2Improve Municipal Efficiency
Transportation Alternatives
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Urban Agenda
Women’s City Club of New York

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