David Paterson Can Help Fight The Fare Hike

Today, the news broke that Governor Cuomo will appoint former Governor David Paterson to the Board of the MTA.

"With another planned fare hike looming in January 2013, Paterson's experience as a governor and state senator will prove critical to working with Albany lawmakers to find new funding for our transit system, sparing overburdened New Yorkers yet another fare hike," said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "Paterson knows well that straphangers can't handle another hit to their wallets--as Governor, he saw New Yorkers endure back to back fare hikes and reap service cuts in return. He also created new funding for our transit system. If anyone knows New Yorkers are tired of paying more for less and how to find fairer ways to invest in transit, it's David Paterson."

Since 2007, New York City's transit riders have been hit with three fare hikes. For their part, state elected officials stole a total of $260 million from dedicated transit funding since 2009. These budget raids caused the worst service cuts in a generation: the loss of two subway lines, 32 bus routes and 570 bus stops. Albany's scheme to finance the MTA Capital Plan, which makes necessary station and track repairs, with massive debt will only increase pressure to raise the fare.

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