White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Bradley Chides Bloomberg MTA Derailing Effort

WPCNR CAPITOL DISTRICT. From The Press Office of Adam T. Bradley. March 5, 2004: Assemblyman Adam Bradley (D-White Plains) reinforced his support of Westchester commuters and criticized New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for interfering in the MTA’s plan to purchase 120 new railway cars. Bradley also called on the MTA to immediately release more details regarding their capital plan so this important issue is quickly resolved. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these cars are desperately needed – we can’t take another winter of constant breakdowns. We pay fares, we pay taxes, and we contribute to the city’s economy – we deserve to have safe, reliable transportation,” Bradley said. “Mayor Bloomberg and everyone else have to realize how important these cars are to the city’s workforce and support their purchase.”

Bradley noted that the New York City mayor had threatened to sue to block the purchase of the cars in order to pressure the MTA to take over more than 80 city-funded bus routes. “The mayor is playing political football with the health, safety and well-being of commuters. Westchester residents contribute a sizeable amount to the city’s economy and should not be punished because of greed by the mayor, the two issues should not be connected,” Bradley said. Keeping the MTA accountable to taxpayers Earlier this week, the Assembly’s representative on the Capital Program Review Board raised questions regarding the lack of details in the MTA’s capital plan. Bradley noted that last year the MTA also pushed through fare hikes and service cuts without public input or oversight. “State authority and public benefit corporation officials are not elected and operate with little outside control. It is essential that they are held accountable for their decisions,” Bradley said. “Given the questions about the MTA’s procedures – including a $500,000 phone call by former-senator-turned-lobbyist Al D’Amato, the Assembly is exercising proper legislative oversight in the purchase of these cars,” Bradley said. “Commuters and taxpayers should know that their tax dollars are being wisely spent.” To protect Westchester residents from a more expensive commute, Bradley sponsored legislation requiring more oversight of and public input into MTA service changes (A.7998-E) and fought the city’s effort to reinstate the “commuter tax.”


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