Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Richard Ravitch

Doomsday News: MTA Votes, Paterson Plays Chicken, Monserrate Indicted

By Brad Aaron | Mar 23, 2009 | 8 Comments

Photo: The Daily Politics The MTA’s doomsday scenario came closer to fruition today, as agency board members took a step toward implementing planned fare hikes and service reductions while state lawmakers appeared mired in stalemate. Here are a few tidbits. Newsday filed this report on the MTA Finance Committee meeting (as live-blogged by Second Avenue […]

The State Senate’s MTA Financing Plan Doesn’t Add Up

By Aaron Naparstek | Mar 17, 2009 | 5 Comments

Here’s one little problem with the Kruger, Diaz, Espada, Monserrate MTA financing plan: They got the math wrong. The State Senators (for convenience sake, let just refer to them "The Fare Hike Four" from now on) say they can satisfy the MTA’s short-term financing needs with a four percent fare and toll hike and a […]

Blame Game Continues: Smith Swipes at MTA, Monserrate Goes Anti-Toll

By Brad Aaron | Mar 12, 2009 | 10 Comments

There’s MTA rescue news today from the State Senate, and none of it good. Queens Senator Hiram Monserrate, who had considered new tolls on East and Harlem River bridges acceptable as a "last resort," has flip-flopped. The Daily Politics reports that Monserrate now opposes new tolls, and faults the MTA for "failing to explain ‘specifically’ […]

Beyond Ravitch: Still Time for a Bolder Plan

By Charles Komanoff | Mar 10, 2009 | 25 Comments

As Albany lawmakers ponder which of a half-dozen Ravitch plan variations they might support, the possibility looms that no solution may come in time. New Yorkers could see their fares rise 25 percent while service is cut back — a twin catastrophe in this tough economic time. Yet no big new ideas are being advanced […]

Paterson’s MTA Rescue Bill Now Online

By John Kaehny | Mar 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

Included on the State Senate’s "MTA Ideas" web site is a PDF of the governor’s proposed MTA bailout plan. It is a huge bill which generally seems to echo the proposals made by the Ravitch Commission. Streetsblog will summarize the proposal as soon as we can digest its 78 pages. In the meantime, please share […]

Shelly’s Toll Plan: Promise Beyond the Headlines

By John Kaehny | Mar 2, 2009 | 17 Comments

It’s too early to know if Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s answer to the Ravitch Commission MTA bailout plan, which includes $2 tolls on East and Harlem River bridges, will make it through the state legislature. But, despite raising less money and reducing traffic much less than congestion pricing or peak-hour tolling would, the plan is […]

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