Goodbye W and Z lines! Riders will miss you.
The cash-strapped MTA proposed to cut several bus routes and subway lines in the midst of a massive budget deficit; a plan that will be implemented if an MTA committee approves the plan Monday.
Earlier this year, the transit system was faced with executing the same service cuts, which never happened after the authority successfully lobbied for a bailout from the state.
But the threats are back with the state being forced to cut transit spending by $143 million. The state is facing budget problems of its own after estimated state payroll taxes came in short.
The MTA still will need to find other ways to bridge the gap after service cuts are made.
"We're not going to rely on anyone else to do anything for us. We're going to rely on ourselves," MTA board member Mitchell Pally told the Daily News.
MTA chairman Jay Walder has made it clear he does not want to increase tolls or fares.
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But that means riders will have to expect longer waits, rides and more pack trains.
Gene Russianoff from the Straphangers Campaign said the transit authority should move funds allocated for capital construction and maintenance to close the gap.
The authority’s spokesman, Jeremy Soffin, had no comment for the News. He did say earlier this week that the system must upgrade the system with projects to refurbish stations, modernize track signals and purchasing news subway cars.
TWU Local 100 President-elect John Samuelsen told the Daily News that the MTA should have been more aggressive in finding ways to be cost-efficient, saying many projects have overrun their budgets.
"Before the MTA takes any action that adversely affects riders or workers, they should look to cut their own wasteful spending," Samuelsen told the paper.
