By Philip Newman
Thompson said in a report that the MTA had “short-changed” New York subways and buses by $673 million since 1982.”The MTA's efforts to bring the bus and subway system to a state of good repair have progressed slowly, raising concerns about rider safety and security. Service still has not reached the levels of reliability, safety and comfort New Yorkers require and deserve.”MTA officials said they would have no comment until they see the report.”From outmoded electrical equipment to faulty emergency signals to dilapidated stations, New York City Transit still has much to accomplish in order to reverse the damage from widespread maintenance and repair deferrals,” Thompson said.”City residents are much more mass transit-dependent than suburban residents and the cost of repairing and restoring the subway system is much greater than for the suburban railroads because the city's system is mostly underground,” the report said, adding that the MTA's target dates for upgrading signals is the year 2027 and for upgrading fans to remove smoke from tunnels is 2028.”We must demand our fair share in New York City,” Thompson said. “I understand the MTA's concerns about escalating costs but as it moves ahead and prioritizes core Capital projects, the MTA must acknowledge that New York City has waited long enough and we should not be set back even further.”Gene Russianoff, attorney for the transit activist agency Straphangers Campaign, said, “Do riders really have to wait until 2028 for tunnels fans to be brought up to a state of good repair? Or until 2027 for all the lines to have new signals?”
