Commuters blasting slow rate of progress on NYC subways
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- It has been more than a year since Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the New York City subway system.
Cuomo also announced a subway action plan to stabilize the system, but some say this has not helped.
On Sunday, commuter advocacy groups took aim at the governor, saying he needs to put the money where his mouth is.
At a news conference in Brooklyn, the Riders Alliance released the MTA's own data, which shows that for the month of August, there were delay alerts because of signal problems every single day except August 23rd. They say this underscores the root problem of the transit system - decaying infrastructure and a desperate need for a transfusion of billions of dollars to make capital improvements.
"Evidence from August shows you can't fix with band-aids and short term plans. Need to upgrade signal system and buy new cars, and there is no way to do that without spending billions of dollars," says John Raskin of Riders Alliance.
The MTA said Sunday saying they have eliminated 10,000 subway delays per month, and that they are moving forward. They say they do need a sustainable source of funding.
A spokesman for Governor Cuomo released a statement Sunday evening saying,
"The governor singlehandedly revived the idea of congestion pricing, has been leading the charge to pass it and succeeded in securing the first phase this year. The Riders Alliance time would be better spent convincing those who need convincing -- members of the Legislature and City Hall."
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