Byford will discuss his “Fast Forward” modernization plan.
May 22, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
The MTA will host a community conversation next month to discuss its plan to modernize the city’s transit system.
The meeting, which will be held on Monday, June 10 at the Mainstage Theatre of LaGuardia Community College, will feature MTA President Andy Byford and other agency officials. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the two hour meeting officially beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Byford will discuss the agency’s “Fast Forward” plan. The plan, launched in May 2018, aims to completely modernize the transit system, including adding hundreds of new subway cars, new signal systems, station upgrades, and a complete redesign of the bus networks in each borough.
Byford’s “Fast Forward” plan comes with a $40 billion price tag and is still in need of funding even with the Albany’s approval of congestion pricing. The congestion pricing plan is expected to bring in $1.1 billion per year once enacted, which the MTA could bond against for up to $15 billion.
The June 10 meeting comes just months after the MTA completed the installation of the Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) system on the 7 train, which the MTA says has already led to dramatic increases in on-time performance and other metrics associated with good service.
The agency announced earlier this week that subways across the system were on time 79.8 percent of the time in April, a level that has not been recorded since October 2013.
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6 Comments
After the fare increase the MTA is still crying Poverty Mr. Byford.
So build first and let the people suffer for years and years. Then come up with an idea to fix the problem. STUPID !
I want to know if the MTA would ever conduct an independent forensic fiscal audit of the system and work rules. Also will it overall the corrupt pension system
I definitely want to attend and I hope that Mr. Buford will take questions. I want to know what the MTA is doing to improve Access-A-Ride and when. My wife used it and we’ve actually been in some dangerous situations. Cab drivers who speed, one driver who we swear was on drugs, and horrible on time performance. The MTA trays disabled people like they don’t exist or are an after thought. It’s time that they stepped up and changed it and now. It could actually make people ill and/or kill them. My wife once stood outside waiting for a car in sub-zero temperatures for an hour and they didn’t arrive. She took the subway which nearly killed her. She has End Stage Renal Disease with her kidney basically not functioning and she just started Dialysis. I worry about her seriously every time she takes Access-A-Ride and often interrupt my own busy schedule to go with her. Fix it MTA and fix it now. It’s urgent!
If we are going to create congestion pricing then bus service (especially SBS with designated bus lanes) need to be increased to help offset travel for people in areas farther from Manhattan. People will hate the bus lanes because they will lose parking or claim it will slow down the rest of traffic but it will create significant improvements that will reduce the need to own a car to get anywhere.
If we simply enact congestion pricing without doing anything else first then we will be hurting the working class families who have limited options for commuting.
I heard rumors he and Cuomo do not get along and Byford may resign. What is the point?