Transportation Authority (MTA)” and to share the concerns of ATU Local 1056 regarding the

future policies, planning and finances of the MTA.

Local 1056 ATU requests the State Legislature incisively review the MTA capital budget,

its poor policy decisions such as the regional bus private lines take over coupling attempts and

general absence of oversight and accountability. All of these remains components of a recipe for

disaster and worked to undermine one of a very few growth industries in our economy – public

transportation.

The Current MTA Capital emphasizes expansion over preservation and maintenance of

existing service. New lines that may increase capacity or address other concerns ought to funded

by the beneficiaries of those services rather than existing sources of general capital funding.

take a back seat to capital needs that address existing service. This includes modernized bus

terminals to meet existing ridership capacities. It also includes a better bus replacement schedule

for Queens with too many old buses.

The MTA must focus on better use of its bus lines to serve intra-borough needs rather

than just funnelling riders to subways and rail. Better planning will increase utilization of some

undercapacity routes.

Emphasis on such schemes as Regional Bus which really provides cover for a subterfuge

to reduce overall bus services citywide and in Queens especially, when we need to improve, if

not expand service, takes precious time away from planning to improve services. Local 1056

strongly recommends that the State Legislature increase its MTA oversight in regard to Regional

Bus schemes, including a cost/ benefit analysis.

The MTA and legislators need to exercise more oversight over the capital program, and

also look at its reliance on outside consulting services.

The State needs to move on the Forensic Accounting review of the MTA operations.

The agency must seize this opportunity to review how it contracts out, including for

professional services.

MTA continues to handle it legal services in an unnecessarily costly and inefficient

manner. An example include its farming out of worker's compensation matters.

Similar wasteful practices exist elsewhere in the MTA and its subsidiaries.

The MTA must also re-think the megaprojects in the capital program before imposing any

cuts to existing bus and subway service. This includes adopting the City Council's proposal to

apply $90 million in unused federal stimulus monies to cover operations.

In addition, it makes sense, as the Council also recommended, to apply some $50 million

in funds currently allocated to pay-as-you-go capital to avert service cuts.

Many pundits and commentators often glossed over how transit was shortchanged, if not

outright robbed, by the city and state over the years.

ATU Local 1056 finds outrageous plans to impose cuts that so impact Queens. This

includes the eliminating the Q75, no overnight service on the Q30, and ending weekend service

on the Q31, Q76 and Q79. Other lines slated to be shut down or cut include the Q26, Q56, Q74

and Q84. This comes on top of the cut to weekend service which must be restored to the Q42.

Service increases should include extending the Q79 bus line to the Floral Park Long

Island Railroad station, increasing north-south bus service in Queens, adding Sunday service on

such lines as the Q79, Q77, Q76, and ceasing the practice of running Sunday and holiday

schedules on weekdays and Saturdays with little notice (if at all).

The ATU Local 1056 also urges the MTA, state and city to seek and obtain more federal

stimulus and other funding for transit. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made clear in

a recent television news appearance that the White House recognizes the need to increase support

for mass transit.