Dozens of commuters packed the MTA’s July board meeting Wednesday, the first since the so-called Summer of Hell began, as Amtrak launched its plan to conduct emergency repairs at Penn Station.
Several of the more than 60 speakers signed up to speak at Wednesday’s meeting talked about declining service including crowded trains, extensive delays, and poor communication.
“I have seen platforms at 53rd Street get so crowded during evening rush hour that there is no room for passengers to get off the down escalators, creating total chaos,” said Clinton Hill resident Jessica Hollman. “And that’s when the escalators are working.”
Many also lambasted Access-a-Ride for inconsistent and often delayed service, saying it leaves many disabled commuters stranded and unable to get where they need to go on time.
And commuters aren’t the only ones frustrated. Station agent Vanessa Jones said it’s been a tough summer for transit workers, too, many of whom bear the brunt of commuters’ ire.
“We have the frustration from the riders, we have the assaults from the riders, and the physical and verbal abuse,” she said, addressing the board members.
Andrew Saul, a long-time MTA board member, called the state of the system the worst he’s seen.
“The board has had its oversight role and its independent authority basically stripped away so it is currently a rubber-stamp for the governor’s policies,” he said. “We have a governor who insists on micro-managing the MTA. The result is what you see now. We have constant confusion in direction, low morale, and the loss of many of our best employees.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have squabbled for weeks over who is responsible for the MTA’s governance. MTA Chairman Joe Lhota released his plan to fix the system Tuesday. But he said to put it in place, the city needs to kick in half the money – an ask the mayor has so far refused, saying the city has done its part.