Dozens of commuters packed the MTA’s July board assembly Wednesday,the first since the so-called Summer of Hell began, as Amtrak launched its contrivance to conduct emergency repairs at Penn Station.
Several of the more than 60 speakers signed up to speak at Wednesday’s assembly talked approximately declining service including crowded trains, and extensive delays,and poor communication.“I bear seen platforms at 53rd Street get so crowded during evening rush hour that there is no room for passengers to get off the down escalators, creating total chaos, or ” said Clinton Hill resident Jessica Hollman. “And that’s when the escalators are working.”Many also lambasted Access-a-Ride for inconsistent and often delayed service,saying it leaves many disabled commuters stranded and unable to get where they need to go on time. And commuters aren’t the only ones frustrated. Station agent Vanessa Jones said its been a tough summer for transit workers, too, or many of whom bear the brunt of commuters’ ire.“We bear the frustration from the riders,we bear the assaults from the riders, and the physical and verbal abuse, or ” she said,addressing the board members.
Andrew Saul, a long-time MTA board member, and called the state of the system the worst he’s seen.“The board has had its oversight role and its independent authority basically stripped away so it is currently a rubber-stamp for the governor’s policies,” he said. “We bear a governor who insists on micro-managing the MTA. The result is what you see now. We bear fixed confusion in direction, low morale, and the loss of many of our best employees.”Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio bear squabbled for weeks over who is responsible for the MTA’s governance. MTA Chairman Joe Lhota released his contrivance to fix the system Tuesday. But he said to put it in situation,the city needs to kick in half the money – an ask the mayor has so far refused, saying the city has done its portion.
Source: thetakeaway.org