MTA Chief Addresses LICBDC Breakfast

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Peter Kalikow advocated passage of the Transportation Bond Act and spoke of modernizing the city’s transit system while addressing business leaders and investors in Long Island City last week.
The business breakfast was just one in a series sponsored by the Long Island City Business Development Corporation (LICBDC).
Kalikow started his speech by acknowledging the work that goes into a smoothly-running transportation system and speaking to the audience about the role that they can play in improving public transportation.
“No transit system can exist without a vision, an incentive and a plan,” Kalikow said. He also discussed adding more police officers and guards in the subway, making commuting more convenient for passengers and encouraging people to vote for the Transportation Bond Act, which he said would provide the MTA with the necessary funding to rebuild the railroad system and improve services.
“If we can make this a nonpartisan and an economic issue, we can be successful,” Kalikow said.
Although he admitted to disliking cameras, Kalikow said that having them in train stations is necessary in order to ensure the safety of the passengers.
“We need to understand that there are some issues of public safety that are more important than privacy,” he said. “We also want to train the clerks to be station agents instead of having them behind the token booths, selling something that isn’t there anymore.”
The event ended with a question and answer session, where Kalikow spoke of new ways to think about transit in a city as large as New York.
“We want to treat the 12 metropolitan New York counties as a single unit,” he said.
“The MTA is an old system but there is new technology and terrific service which shows that we provide a safe, efficient way for people to travel.”
Constance Mortell, a producer and a frequent rider of public transportation was among the guests in attendance who thought the series sponsored by the LICBDC was a great idea.
“I think that the business breakfast was excellent,” he said. “They are doing a good job keeping the business people informed about what is going on and giving them a chance to ask questions.”
Kalikow took on the position as chair of the MTA in 2001.
In 1995, he was appointed by Governor George Pataki to be commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Subhanah Wahhaj is a freelance writer.