Brooklyn Borough President

STATEMENT OF BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARKOWITZ AT MTA BOARD MEETING ON THE TRANSIT FARE, PROPOSED BOOTH CLOSURES AND TBTA TOLL INCREASES

As you’ve heard, again and again, New Yorkers are outraged, and so am I.

Compromising security in today’s environment is mind-boggling. But the MTA’s proposal to close token booths is a dangerous trip in the wrong direction. My office inspected nearly all of the 50 Brooklyn locations where booths are slated to be closed, and we were shocked by what we found. I sent NYC Transit a list of 24 locations where closures would have an especially devastating impact on safety and security.

The High Street station on the A-line, for example, would become a major security risk. Without somebody manning that booth, I certainly wouldn’t feel safe entering late at night or early in the morning. As you see here, MetroCard vending machines frequently malfunction. Even when working, they will never replace a set of eyes and a pair of ears. Our subways’ success, from increasing safety to customer satisfaction, depends heavily on our token booth clerks. Given the relatively small amount of money this proposal is projected to save – just $25 million – it should be immediately taken off the table.

It also makes absolutely no sense to even consider a fare increase. Our City is still struggling to recover economically from 9/11 and the huge stock market plunge. Our unemployment rates are soaring. A fare increase, Governor Pataki, is not fair because it taxes those who can least afford it.

After all these months, the State and the City comptrollers both strongly believe that the MTA still hasn’t made a compelling case for an increase. You must not rush these critical decisions until they have finished their audits.

The MTA needs to go through its budget with a fine tooth comb, just like every public, private and not-for-profit organization is doing today, and eliminate absolutely everything that isn’t essential to ensuring that our transit system runs safely and smoothly. You certainly have the power and authority to be an efficient and innovative operation, and the public expects you to act that way. For far too long, New York City transit riders have been paying more for less. If additional funding is needed, it should come from Albany or Washington. New Yorkers have suffered enough, and we don’t need another cross to bear. Brooklyn says fuhggedabout closing our token booths. Brooklyn says fuhggedabout raising fares. But never fuhggedabout the millions of riders who depend on the MTA every day.