Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
B.P. Molinaro testifies at MTA hearing on fare and toll hikes
Borough President James P. Molinaro testified last night at the MTA hearing held at the College of Staten Island. His full testimony is below.
MTA Fare and Toll Hearing
January 26, 2009
Members of the MTA Board, Staten Island residents.
The MTA operates a vast mass transit system stretching from Connecticut to Tottenville, from Bayonne to Riverhead, Long Island, with state-of-the-art equipment. Yet, 22 percent of the MTA’s toll revenue comes from the Verrazano Bridge.
And then there’s Staten Island, which is the least served area by the MTA. We have no subways, we have one old train line, and most of our bus routes have had no significant route changes in the last 50 years.
We are again being told that the MTA’s $10 billion operating budget is facing a $3 billion deficit that needs to be balanced with our toll dollars.
Well, let me assure you, you are not going to do this on the backs of Staten Islanders.
A $14 toll on the Verrazano not only sounds like madness it is madness!
Let’s start by looking at the South Shore for example. The area south of Richmond Avenue covers over 14 square miles, and there are only 2 MTA bus routes serving the area, the fastest-developing area in the State of New York.
To put this in proper perspective, we are talking about an area 60% the size of Manhattan, again one of the fastest-growing regions in the State.
It has been confirmed by any measure that residents of the South Shore face the longest commute to work in the United States. There are parts of Pennsylvania where the commute is shorter.
Now let’s consider this: during weekends between midnight and 6AM, Brooklyn residents have more than 700 subway and bus connections into Manhattan. During that same time, Staten Islanders only have a choice of 33 links.
God help you if you miss the Ferry, you are stuck in Whitehall for an hour.
And let’s not forget, the X1 and X10, the only express buses back to Staten Island, stop running after midnight! But you do have a choice -- you can always take a cab home but unlike other New York City residents, expect to pay $75 dollars for the trip!
The question is very simple: Why is the MTA not providing alternatives to Staten Island?
New York might be the “City that never sleeps” but thanks to MTA Staten Island is the community “that can’t get home to sleep.”
Is it any wonder why Staten Islanders have 16% of all the registered vehicles in New York when we have only 5% of the population?
Even more alarming is the proposed increase for Access-A-Ride. This service provides transportation to residents who are disabled and unable to use public transit if it was available. This is the link that each day connects thousands of people to their jobs, their doctors, their community, and some sense of quality of life.
The MTA proposes to increase Access-A-Ride fees from $2 to $6. For many seniors who are barely getting by on Social Security, this increase will mean choosing between medications or food.
This increase will be especially felt on Staten Island where the largest percentage of any borough’s population uses Access-a-Ride, 2.6 percent.
Last year, between January and November, Staten Islanders took approximately half a million rides using this service. If MTA was successful in raising the fee from $2 to $6, they would generate an additional $2 million in revenue. The MTA loses $2 million on the way to the bank every morning.
Meanwhile, a patient who pays $4 round-trip to make his dialysis appointment will now have to pay $12 to see his doctor. That’s three trips per week at a cost of $36 per week for a grand total of $1,800 per year.
This is just plain wrong. We have a moral obligation to protect these citizens not take them for a ride.
Let me be clear. The Access-A-Ride fare must not be increased, for all the reasons given.
The resident discount on the Verrazano Bridge cannot and must not be increased.
If the MTA plans to raise Staten Island’s fares and tolls, then I support putting tolls on the East River Bridges so the rest of the City can share the pain of Staten Islanders.
If the MTA plans to raise Staten Island’s fares and tolls, bring Albany to the table to re-instate the commuter tax so that commuters can share the pain of Staten Islanders.
I would like to end by acknowledging that, under the leadership of Executive Director Lee Sander, the MTA has been a lot more cooperative. After nearly 10 years of effort by my office, the MTA established the S89, a new local bus service to take commuters over the Bayonne Bridge to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. It has been a great success, transporting more than 1,100 commuters daily.
It just goes to show that when we all work together, anything is possible. When the MTA hears what Staten Islanders endure, they must come to the table to cooperate.
Now I am asking the MTA to recognize the burden we carry. Treat us fairly. Give us back the toll revenues you collect by investing in mass transit for the people of Staten Island.
January 27, 2009