So the federal government approved the reallocation of the remaining LMDC/Liberty Bond for the construction of the George Patakie Re-election Tunnel. $2 billion is left, and it is being handed over, with no detail on if that remaining sum is a current surplus, or if any other initiatives in progress will be defunded. One would assume at least that John Zuccotti isn’t getting his West Street tunnel. But beyond that, it’s a lot of rah rah about how Long Islanders can get to work easier. Those very same Long Islanders who have been exempt from the ‘commuter tax’ since Pataki entered office. And those same Long Islanders who will suffer a five (yes, five!) percent increase, thanks to fare increases rolled out by the MTA yesterday. Before you get too upset about this ‘give with one hand and take away with the other’ gesture, please note that unlimited weekly Metrocards are going up fifteen percent, and monthly, ten. This pales in comparison to the unlucky stiffs on Staten Island, who will get with a fifty percent uptick. Why is this increase necessary? Well, in part because the MTA is engaged in a capital campaign, part of which is crucial (continued station renovations and upgrades) and some of which is going to expanding that system. The two projects that are most extensively funded and developed are — wait for it — rail connections to Long Island. Even though subway riders already bear a greater portion of the cost of their ride through their fare(s), almost $5 billion (four of it the portion of the airport connector that isn’t funded by the Liberty Bond money, and the rest for the East River Access project connecting LIRR to Grand Central) from this new increase — which, it appears, will further extend that discrepancy — is being allocated to help the reddest, richest two counties in the state.
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All’s fare when courting the LIE vote.
So the federal government approved the reallocation of the remaining LMDC/Liberty Bond for the construction of the George Patakie Re-election Tunnel. $2 billion is left, and it is being handed over, with no detail on if that remaining sum is a current surplus, or if any other initiatives in progress will be defunded. One would assume at least that John Zuccotti isn’t getting his West Street tunnel. But beyond that, it’s a lot of rah rah about how Long Islanders can get to work easier. Those very same Long Islanders who have been exempt from the ‘commuter tax’ since Pataki entered office. And those same Long Islanders who will suffer a five (yes, five!) percent increase, thanks to fare increases rolled out by the MTA yesterday. Before you get too upset about this ‘give with one hand and take away with the other’ gesture, please note that unlimited weekly Metrocards are going up fifteen percent, and monthly, ten. This pales in comparison to the unlucky stiffs on Staten Island, who will get with a fifty percent uptick. Why is this increase necessary? Well, in part because the MTA is engaged in a capital campaign, part of which is crucial (continued station renovations and upgrades) and some of which is going to expanding that system. The two projects that are most extensively funded and developed are — wait for it — rail connections to Long Island. Even though subway riders already bear a greater portion of the cost of their ride through their fare(s), almost $5 billion (four of it the portion of the airport connector that isn’t funded by the Liberty Bond money, and the rest for the East River Access project connecting LIRR to Grand Central) from this new increase — which, it appears, will further extend that discrepancy — is being allocated to help the reddest, richest two counties in the state.