MTA Has Been in a ‘State of Emergency’ For Four Years

By
Stephen Nessen
WNYC News | Jun 17, 2021

 

The governor gave the MTA state of emergency status in 2017—when things seemed dire. Regular signal problems disrupted the subways. There were broken train cars and three derailments. By signing the state of emergency, the MTA could bypass legal and oversight requirements for the sake of signing contracts for repairs, without all the bureaucracy. That’s been the status quo since.

Watchdogs and some MTA board members say Cuomo's order is no longer necessary because public transit has improved, and it's time to bring back transparency to the MTA's contract approvals and spending.

For more go to Gothamist.com. 

Profile Image
Stephen Nessen

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

America at 250: A View from Britain, with “The Rest Is History”

The historian-podcasters Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland explain why losing the thirteen colonies “annoyed” the British, but “it could have been a lot worse.”
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

NYC Rent Guidelines Board approves 2-year rent freeze, fulfilling Mamdani campaign pledge

About 1 million rent-stabilized apartments will be shielded from rent increases for the next two years after the historic vote.
Gothamist |

Are Carriage Horses a Thing of the Past?

Liam Quigley talks about the latest efforts to ban carriage horses in Central Park.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Feds indict former Mayor Adams adviser Frank Carone in migrant housing bribery scheme

One of former Mayor Eric Adams' oldest and closest allies was arrested Wednesday on federal corruption charges, joining a growing roster of Adams aides facing prosecution.
Gothamist |
YOU ARE ONLINE