City-Appointed MTA Board Members Block State Subway Improvement Plan
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- In another quarrel between Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, city representatives on the state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board blocked Cuomo's state improvement initiative.
As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, the city-appointed MTA Board members argue that the governor's list of station improvements focuses on cosmetics such as lighting, station finishes, signing, and wi-fi.
The city put forward a different list of station fix-ups based on ridership, platform crowding, geographic locations undergoing significant growth, and adding elevators.
"Doesn't it make sense when you're talking about a million dollars to put those dollars in the stations that need them most – and to, as you've heard, many of you have heard month after month in this boardroom, do more to install elevators and improve accessibility?" said MTA Board Member Polly Trottenberg, who is also the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation.
The city board members plan to negotiate with the MTA about the station repair list over the next month.