About 110 bus routes will be eliminated or reduced and the W and V lines will vanish after the MTA board approved a massive slew of service cuts today, ushering in longer wait times and less options for millions of straphangers.
And Mayor Bloomberg said we haven’t seen anything yet.
The “painful” service cuts, approved 11-2 by the agency’s board, are only part of a package that will close half of the MTA’s $750 million budget gap in 2010 — the agency still has to work on nearly $400 million in cost savings by the end of the year.
“This is just the beginning,” Bloomberg said today. “The next round I would think would be much worse.”
“So save your anger for the next round. Just say thank you that it isn’t any worse with this one,” he added.
MTA chief Jay Walder said that closing the next budget gap won’t invovle services cuts on the mangnitude that were made today.
He also said he “intended” to not raise fares in 2010, and stick to raising them in 2011.
“This is a sad and disappointing day for straphangers,” said City Council speaker Christine Quinn.
Those service cuts, paired with reductions in paratransit service, more than 1,000 layoffs, and the elimination of free student MetroCards will save about $375 million of the overall gap.
“I don’t want to go on welfare; I want to go to work,” said Sabrina Greenwood, a mother of four, who is one of 450 station agents at risk of being fired.
There are also concerns about safety at station entrances that are losing agents.
“I wouldn’t mind having a pepper spray concession at some of the stations,” said board member Andrew Albert.
The layoff process has begun and the service cuts will go into effect in early summer. MTA chief Jay Walder called the slashes “painful.”
About 34 total bus lines will be eliminated. Dozens more will have routes shortened, hours cut, or be revised.
In all, 87 local routes and 23 express routes will be affected.
The V line will be eliminated, and the M will be rerouted on its old route in Manhattan and Queens to replace it.
The W is also eliminated, and the Q will replace it in Astoria. N service will switch to local stops in Manhattan.
The G will be cut to stop at Court Sq. at all times.
“Letter” subway lines and the 1 line will run about 2 minutes slower on the weekends.
As many as 18 more riders will have to cram onto trains, which will slow the 1, 7, A, L, F, and J lines.
“You have to wonder why your reputation is so shredded with the public when we go through this process,” said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign.
MTA officials and board members said they have no choice but to make the cuts.
The budget shortfall was caused by Gov. Paterson’s reductions in direct aid and state bean counters miscalculating how much tax revenues would come to the agency.
“I don’t think the extent of our financial situation leaves us any choice,” Walder said.
Board members also fired back at city and state elected officials for “trying to blame us for what is entirely their responsibility,” said board member Allen Cappelli.
“They wrote us a bad check,” Cappelli said of the legislature.
Other board members attacked “ridiculous” union work rules and raises as another reason for the shortfall.
“The burden shouldn’t just be on the riders,” said board member Nancy Shevell.
There’s also a renewed push among board members and advocates for MTA management to use some federal stimulus and capital dollars to save the service cuts.
“Maybe they’re saving it for the next $400 million problem,” said Albert.
For a full list of the service cuts and revisions, go to www.mta.info.