Following the news of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to raise revenue needed to fix our struggling subway system and support lower-income New Yorkers with subsidized fares, Harlem Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez released the following statement.
“Nearly one million New Yorkers struggle to pay for transit, effectively cutting them off from eveything our city has to offer. I commend Mayor de Blasio for seeing the need to support our less fortunate neighbors working hard to make it to the middle class. Getting behind Fair Fares reaffirms the values that have marked his administration from the start. With this new revenue stream we can provide relief and put the cost of transit closer in reach to so many. This was my top priority during budget negotiations so it is welcome news to hear we have the mayor’s support. This is a testament to the hard work of advocates like Riders Alliance, Community Service Society and my Council colleagues over the past year.
At the same time, any and all efforts to implement a sustainable dedicated revenue stream for the MTA are vital. While the short term plan offered by Chair Lhota is a good first step to solving the problems of our subway system, we won’t solve them permanently until a long term, fully funded plan is put in place. The potential support from our wealthiest neighbors is a good option, as are Move NY, a renewed commuter tax and others mentioned in recent weeks. I look forward to taking a deeper dive into these ideas at our transportation committee hearing on Tuesday, where Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, my colleagues and I will discuss with the MTA, de Blasio administration, transit experts and riders how best to move forward toward the 21st century century New York City deserves.”
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