The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign is very concerned about the impact on service, safety and convenience of proposed cuts in the 2004 New York City Transit Preliminary budget.
The budget includes $129.3 million in reductions as part of New York City Transit¹s Program to Eliminate the Gap in 2003 and 2004, including service cuts in:
and removing graffiti.
We are particularly concerned about the reductions in cleaning and elevator operators.
Cleaners: Cuts in subway car cleaners in 1994 yielded a major increase in dirty subways, according to both New York City Transit surveys and our series of ³Shmutz² reports. This trend only turned around when cleaners were restored in the late 1990¹s. We are heartened by statements by Barry Feinstein ‹ the chair of the MTA committee which oversees city subways and buses ‹ urging the restoring of this funding. We urge transit officials to listen to him.
Elevator Operators: The Straphangers Campaign strongly objects to the proposal to cut 22 elevator operators at five Washington Heights subway stations. We are very concerned that this reduction will result in riders having to use unstaffed elevators, despite statements by transit officials that this will not happen.
As with station agents, elevator operators provide a wide range of services to riders. They keep riders safe and secure; are available to help if elevators fail; discourage panhandling, loitering and vandalism in and around the elevator cars; and provide information and convenience.
Transit officials have failed to provide meaningful detail on the impact of reducing elevator operator staffing. For example, they do not indicate what the current overall personnel level is, so we do not know what the percentage cut of 22 operators is in overall staffing. These are heavily used stations, with nearly 50,000 turnstile registrations on an average weekday.
In approving a 50-cent fare increase last March, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow said: ³Today¹s financial plan addresses the overriding concerns our customers expressed in our public outreach effort. Š. They were clear in terms of not wanting to see any service cuts. There are none.²
We urge Chairman Kalikow and the MTA to make good on this pledge and not move ahead with the cuts in elevator operators.
For more information, contact: Gene Russianoff (212) 349-6460
- List of Proposed Cuts
- SC Testimony on Service Cuts
- AM New York Column on Elevator Cuts
- Halloween Board Protest News Release on Service Cuts
- New York Times article
_____________________________________________________________
www.straphangers.org | www.nypirg.org
