"A quick tribute to the Citizens Budget Commission....you're a great model of public policy institutions like this across the country; no more important time than today for this kind of work." Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner
This op-ed by CBC President Carol Kellermann and Research Director Charles Brecher proposes the most equitable division of responsibility for mass transit in the metro area.
This op-ed expresses support for an MTA fare hike. MTA riders are best served by a transit system that is affordable as well as reliable, safe and accessible. Freezing fares may be politically attractive, but it would do a disservice to riders by hurting service and threatening the MTA's future.
CBC commends the MTA for developing a transparent and essential preliminary financial plan for 2008-2011. The plan presents a realistic assessment of the budget gaps faced by the agency and identified multiple strategies to deal with them, including moderate and predictable fare increases.
CBC finds that the MTA's financing arrangements resulted in 1) repeated operating deficits and 2) capital investments that were insufficient in bringing its facilities to a state of good repair. In order for New York to maintain a strong and vibrant economy, its transportation system has to be kept up to par and expanded to meet future needs.
This is a summary of CBC's "How to Balance the MTA Budget" report, released in 2006. CBC finds that the MTA's financing arrangements resulted in 1) repeated operating deficits and 2) capital investments that were insufficient in bringing its facilities to a state of good repair.
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