Last Tuesday, New Yorkers held their breaths as FDNY workers spent four hours rescuing a 2nd Avenue subway construction worker stuck in the mud up to his chest under 2nd Avenue and 95th Street. The good news is, the worker, Joseph Barone, a 27-year construction veteran from the Local 731 union, survived with only a few bruises and a night in the hospital to recover from a bout of hypothermia. Since then, MTA has shut down the work area, pending an investigation into the incident.

But just how safe is it to dig in the dark, cavernous tunnels under the city? According to the MTA, since the construction of the 2nd Avenue subway began in 1929, there have been zero deaths.

“It’s a miracle that more workers don’t get hurt, because a lot of what we do is very dangerous,” said Richard Fitzsimmons, the business manager of Local 147 Union, the main union for the sandhogs, the nickname for underground construction workers. “Each individual removes so much earth. Just by knowing the work that’s been done, and the history, it’s astounding.”

The danger of the sandhog profession felt real that night, as around 8:30 p.m., Joseph Barone got his foot caught in a welding machine, and stepped off of the wooden platforms protecting workers from the quicksand-like mud. As soon as Barone got stuck, his fellow sandhogs worked to stop him from sinking. Authorities came shortly thereafter, and used a crane to lift Barone out of the mud.

Sometime after midnight, he was freed, and a crisis was averted.

Charles Cannon, who has been a sandhog for 42 years, and worked on the 2nd Avenue subway line a year and a half ago, said that he remembered a similar incident when he was working underground in Brooklyn some years ago, when his co-worker had gotten stuck in the mud.

“You’re talking to the man one second and the next he got buried, and you’re not sure where he might even be,” recalled Cannon of the terrifying situation. “When you have a situation like that, there’s a case of suffocation, there’s weight around your body alone everytime you breathe in and exhale it wont let you breathe in as much, your lungs can’t expand.”

Cannon explained that in a situation like Barone’s, you have to stand very still, because panicking and moving around will only make the body sink faster. During that accident years ago in Brooklyn, he and his fellow sandhogs were able to dig the victim out, but that doesn’t always happen.

“I’ve seen too many accidents occur. I don’t want to see anymore; I’ve even seen people pass away right in front of me,” said Cannon.

In fact, the underground construction work of sandhogs is considered to be the heaviest, and therefore the most dangerous of all the types of construction work, said Richard Fitzsimmons. Despite the inherent dangers of the profession, the 2nd Avenue Subway work has had a good record. In addition to the clean fatality record, only 2.1 accidents occur per 200,000 man hours, which is well below the Department of Labor standards, according to the MTA.

Fitzsimmons said that this is most likely due to better technology, better insurance incentives and tighter safety requirements. He said that, for instance, after several workers had their legs severed on the job, the union implemented the job of a brakee, who would stay with the machinery, to turn on the brakes in case something went wrong. Plus, he said, insurance companies give premium discounts to companies that work without accidents, so the union holds a lot of safety classes and medical training for their workers.

“In the long run, simply, it’s going to save lives, and save us a lot of money,” said Fitzsimmons.

Cannon said that he attributes the lack of fatalities to newer and better safety technology, like harnesses with bungee cords on the back. If you fall, he says, the harness will not only catch you, but will ease you down so that you don’t throw your back out.

Construction workers are decked out in protection gear: hard hats, ear plugs, work boots, barrier creams and harness belts.

“There’s danger everywhere,” said Cannon. “We all watch out for each other; you have to do that.”

But even with a slew of safety precautions and backups, Cannon said that going down into the darkness as a rookie can be terrifying. There’s always a danger of falling, being crushed, or even breathing in dangerous particles. Plus, Cannon said, the primal fear of claustrophobia is often present.

“It’s very tight quarters,” he said. “I’ve seen people take the elevator ride down 600-900 feet down when they get down they won’t get out of the elevator. They say ‘take me back up’; it’s overpowering.”

The invisible grueling work by sandhogs on the 2nd Avenue subway is expected to be completed by 2016. At which time, “the subway line that time forgot” will finally open to the public.

“When I go into those tunnels, it’s nothing short of majestic, and when it’s finally done, it’s really going to be something,” said Richard Fitzsimmons.

 The introduction of the Select Bus Service on the Upper East Side was a welcome new transportation option for those looking to get uptown or downtown quickly. But one of the additions to the special buses, the flashing blue lights designed to alert passengers to be ready with their tickets to board the bus, were determined to be illegal, and now riders are left without a way to know when a bus is approaching.

The flashing blue lights of the SBS lines on 1st and 2nd Avenue have been turned off since they were deemed illegal over a month ago for clashing with emergency vehicle lights. The DMV had originally released a statement that said: “the use of blue lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only by a volunteer firefighter.” Since that time, SBS bus riders have been kept in the dark and new colored lights have yet to be installed.

“I stopped waiting for the SBS now that I cannot identify an oncoming one at a distance,” wrote Dave Rosenstein, the co-chair of Community Board 8’s Communications committee. “It’s just too cold to wait, with no ability to make a rational decision as to what’s coming, and thus too much of a crapshoot.”

SBS riders have to purchase tickets for the bus ahead of time, but without the blue lights, said Rosenstein, it is impossible to distinguish one from another at a distance. He said that the likely color that the MTA will choose will be green, since other colors are already being used for different type of vehicles.

“MTA is reviewing alternatives to the flashing blue lights that were recently removed from our SBS bus fleet.  No decision has been made as yet,” said MTA representative Deirdre Parker. “We are being deliberate about our choice to ensure that we come up with an appropriate alternative.”

  However, Assemblyman Micah Kellner is searching for other solutions. He wants to amend the law to allow for blue flashing lights on buses, because as he says, most drivers have common sense and will know the difference between an emergency vehicle and a bus.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants answers after a recent spike in deaths, injuries

By Caroline Lewis

A man jumped onto the subway tracks as an R train came hurtling toward the platform at the Fourth Avenue-Ninth Street Station in Park Slope on Sunday morning. The man was taken to the hospital and remained in critical condition after his apparent suicide attempt, and the NYPD reported him dead the next day.

This was the sixth death on the tracks in January, and the news is beginning to feel eerily commonplace. The incident prompted Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to renew last week’s call for the MTA to conduct an in-depth investigation into the cause of deaths in the subway and an analysis of the cost and effectiveness of measures that could be taken to prevent them.

“Another attempted suicide cannot become a commonplace occurrence in one of the largest transit systems in the world,” Stringer said.

A PSA that the MTA placed in subway cars informs riders that an average of 140 people get struck by trains each year. In 2012, 55 of those incidents resulted in death, up from 47 in 2011. Stringer claims that the upswing in subway deaths in December and January puts the city on track to reach 100 fatalities in 2013.

Suicide is the most common cause of death on the subway, but even within the last two months, the incidents have run the gamut from a man being pushed, to a woman falling, to a guy wandering around drunk on the tracks.

“The bad spike in being struck by trains is something that’s on the minds of hundreds of thousands of riders who would like to see something done about this tragic and frightening problem,” said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign.

But given the varied nature of subway tragedies, including many that are intentional, how realistic is it to try to prevent them?

More frequent audio warnings, barriers on the platform’s edge, motion sensors on trains and better mental health services have all been mentioned as possible ways to prevent death and injury on the subway.

But Stringer, Russianoff and other transit safety advocates want to avoid jumping to conclusions about how to solve the problem, especially if the solution has a hefty price tag. In December, the MTA publicly considered the idea of placing sliding doors between the platform edge and the train tracks to prevent deaths and injuries, starting with the L train as a pilot program. The agency estimated that installing sliding doors system-wide would cost over $1 billion.

For now, transit safety advocates just want as much information as possible as to why people die on the subway and what safety measures have worked for public transit systems in other cities.
“Deaths and injuries in the subway worry everyone, and there’s very little information available about the best way to prevent them,” said John Raskin of the Riders Alliance.

Stringer specifically called on MTA Inspector General Barry Kluger to conduct the investigation. He responded to Stringer’s letter by saying that a state agency—not the MTA—will lead the investigation.

“As the MTA inspector general, I am coordinating our efforts regarding subway fatalities with the New York State Public Transportation Safety Board, which has primary responsibility for the investigation of accidents and fatalities on the facilities of the MTA, and of which I am a member,” Kluger said in an official statement.

By Caroline Lewis

Whether from the news, the subway carolers or your vocal office mate, you’ve probably heard: The MTA pushed through another fare hike last month, which will take effect in March. Highlights include raising the regular fare from $2.25 to $2.50 and charging a $1 surcharge for the purchase of a new MetroCard. The MTA plans to help set off its deficit with “moderate” biannual fare increases, which means another hike will roll around in 2015. Truly, they’re in a bad way. Before incurring an estimated $5 billion in damages from Hurricane Sandy, the MTA was already dealing with a huge deficit and had reached an impasse with MTA workers, who are still working without a contract.In other words, the MTA is that guy running around pantsless on the subway. Will New Yorkers finally look up? Some are quietly playing with their smartphones, others are shaking their heads in resignation, and still others are chuckling, “It’s all part of that subway charm!”

We spoke to people near the Union Square station to see what (if anything) they think of the new fare hike and how they think the subway could improve.

OTDT: What do you think of the upcoming MTA fare hike?
“I’m a longtime NYC resident. I grew up here, and I feel that people are really being pushed to the limits as far as finances are concerned, and an MTA hike is just outrageous. I mean, really I think it’s just mismanagement of money and finances and people really cannot afford to have to pay more.”—Sheri Chard

“Well, I grew up here, but I don’t live here anymore, but I heard about the fare hike and I think we shouldn’t have to pay more for what we get, for the service that’s provided here.”—Davida Scretchings

“Why, is it going up to $2.50? I’m sure the trains will be 25 cents better. And that’s sarcasm.”—Rufus X.

“I think it’s worth it. You can go a long way for $2.25 now. They had a lot of damage with the storm, it costs a lot to remedy it, and for me to pick up a quarter, I mean, it’s not that much.”—Pique Buford

“It’s going up 25 cents? I’m walking everywhere. But I guess $2.50 to get all these different places is worth it. People need to get to work and go to school, so obviously people are going to spend the money. There’s nothing we can really do about it. But it’s going to add up really quickly.”
—Emma Buford

“Oh yeah, I think it’s disgusting. Well, listen, I mean if you see the economic situation of not only our city, but also the United States—the economic situation is chaotic. I think raising taxes and the fares on trains and ferries is disgusting.”
—Germano Riviera

OTDT: What does the MTA need to improve?
“I feel that the services as far as the timeliness of the subways should be better. I’ve had so many issues where I can’t physically fit my body onto a subway because it’s so crowded during rush hour. And I live on Roosevelt Island, and the F train is just absurd with the crowdedness of the subways.”—Sheri Chard

“I feel that there should be more security in the subways.”—Davida Scretchings

“Infrastructure. So when [a storm] happens, it’s not as debilitating. We’re due to have storms, I’m assuming, in the next 10 years, and the subway’s very old. The infrastructure’s very antiquated. It’s like the gas lines. They break because they’re old and they’re worn and there’s no detecting when it’s going to happen. So we need to rebuild all over the city and in all of those areas, so if it costs me a quarter, I think we can all afford a quarter.”
—Pique Buford

“If you get a $20 MetroCard, they give you the added bonus [of $1.40], and so then you have a weird balance and you end up with an uneven amount. It’s just annoying because you have an insufficient fare, but it’s a significant amount of money.”—Emma Buford

“I think they should start thinking of trying to save a little bit of money for the people that don’t have it, particularly after Sandy. People got displaced, there’s no jobs—I think it’s terrible.”
—Germano Riviera

MTA TO RAISE FARES
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority unanimously voted to raise fares on the city’s trains, buses, bridges and tunnels last Wednesday, Dec. 19. The new rates, which will go into effect in March, include a 25-cent increase on base subway and bus fares (up to $2.50), an $8 spike on 30-day MetroCards (to $112) and an extra $1 for a seven day pass (to $30).

Bridge and tunnel tolls all will increase, many by 53 cents to $5.33 for E-ZPass holders and by $1 to $7.50 for cash users. Metro-North and Long Island Railroad fares, which vary by time and distance, will go up on average 8.19 to 9.31 percent per ticket.

The bonus on pay-per-ride MetroCards also will decrease to 5 percent from 7 percent. A bonus will be applied to purchases of $5 or more, however, instead of the current $10 minimum.

To determine the fare changes, MTA accepted feedback from customers on four different proposals for increases earlier in the year. The price hike is the authority’s fourth in five years, and it is expected to generate $450 million annually.

CITY SEEKS TO EXTEND EAST RIVER FERRY SERVICE
Major Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and NYC Economic Development Corp. President Seth Pinsky announced their search for a long-term operator for the East River Ferry service. Launched in June 2011, the ferry this year already surpassed its projected 1.3 million passengers for the entirety of its three-year pilot program.

According to Bloomberg, “We now have the opportunity to build upon this success and sustain this essential part of our transportation vision well into the future. Expanding transportation options along the waterfront will better serve communities and spur new housing and economic development.”

A major success of this service was proven in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, in that it was one of the first forms of mass transportation that got back on its feet.

“This ferry has not only proved to be a reliable and efficient form of transportation in a time of crisis, but New Yorkers also really love taking it the rest of the year,” Quinn said.

BillyBey Ferry Co. operated the ferry for the pilot program, which will expire in June 2014. The new Request for Proposals seeks an operator to maintain, improve and possibly expand this system for the following five years. Responses to the request will be collected through March 2013.

KRUEGER ENDORSES LAPPIN FOR BOROUGH PRESIDENT
Last week, state Sen. Liz Krueger has announced her endorsement of Jessica Lappin in the Democratic primary of Manhattan borough president for next year. Krueger, who noted that she had worked with Lappin for almost 10 years, said she had no doubt about Lappin’s ability to lead and make a difference.

“She shares my commitment to reform and has a proven record getting results for all New Yorkers,” Krueger said, listing results such as limited power of big money, three new Manhattan waterfronts, regulation of crisis pregnancy centers and the building of additional schools.

Lappin, in turn, praised Krueger for her tenacity. “I am equal parts excited and honored to have Liz’s support in my campaign for borough president,” she said. “No one has done more to advance the cause of reform and good government in New York over the past decade than she has.”

RED HOOK WORKERS STAFF NEW FAIRWAY IN KIPS BAY
Workers from the Hurricane Sandy-ravaged branch of Fairway Market in Red Hook relocated to Manhattan last week to staff the company’s newly opened grocery store in Kips Bay. The Red Hook branch, which is right on the water in Brooklyn, remains temporarily closed, and the company has been working to place workers in its other locations and provide free shuttle services to transport them there. The new 40,119-square-foot branch, located in the Kips Bay Shopping Center at 550 Second Ave. (at East 30th Street), is the market’s fourth Manhattan store, and 12th overall. The market has opened nine of its locations in the past six years.

Fast-forward to today, and you can see how MTA public transportation is still one of the best bargains in town.
—Larry Penner

DEFYING COMMON SENSE
To the Editor:
It defies common sense that any municipality would place a transfer station of this scope in a densely populated residential neighborhood. The number of garbage trucks alone will overwhelm the narrow streets. No other facility of this kind is anywhere near a New York City neighborhood, especially one with so many children and schools. This area of Yorkville is a beautiful, quiet corner of the city with Carl Schurz Park and Gracie Mansion only a few blocks away. Has the mayor or Christine Quinn ever really spent any time here? The existing facility has been closed for years because of its negative impact on the community. No amount of modernization can deflect its impact. I feel that the community is actually being victimized because there are no powerful development interests here. Can you imagine the mayor trying to place this facility in the “hot” Tribeca area or near the new West Side developments? In addition, trying to paint this neighborhood as part of the elite Upper East Side is disingenuous. This is a working-class Manhattan neighborhood. Not that it matters. This does not belong near anyone’s home or school. Everyone needs to continue to remind our mayor that this facility is unacceptable, and to remind Quinn that we vote.
—Sharon Wolf Horowitz

“Grading buses is an easy way to let commuters know what they’re getting, and let the MTA know where they need to improve,” Lappin said in a statement. “For the past two years I’ve issued a report card on Select Bus Service, and it’s been a great transparency tool. Why not extend it to all bus lines?”

Earlier this year, Lappin issued a report card that gave Select Bus Service a “B” for its quality of service. MTA itself conducts customer satisfaction surveys for its overall service on buses, but does not rate individual bus lines.

VANDERBILT YMCA HOLDS CLOTHING DRIVE, FREE DINNER
Vanderbilt YMCA at 224 East 47th Street is conducting a clothing drive throughout the month to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. The organization is seeking donations of coats, thermals, gloves, scarves, hats and socks, which they will bundle and distribute to needy families and individuals who attend their free Christmas dinner on Dec. 25. Clothing collection runs through Dec. 21.

STRINGER SEEKS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is selecting next year’s class of Community Board members. Manhattan is divided geographically into 12 communities, each of which has its own board of up to 50 unpaid local members appointed by Stringer. The boards have no administrative rights, but present requests to the city’s administration that address neighborhood quality of life, business and residential issues. Stringer is holding information sessions about the application process on Thursday, Dec. 13, and Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the Municipal Building at 1 Centre St., 6:30 to 8 p.m. RSVP to cbinfo@manhattanbp.org.

EAST RIVER C.R.E.W. HOPES TO FUND BOAT REPAIRS
East River CREW (Community Recreation and Education on the Water) is wrapping gifts this month to raise repair funds for its two 25-foot boats. The nonprofit, which provides free non-competitive rowing to educate New Yorkers about the East River, will be at the Barnes & Noble at 150 E. 86th Street on Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m.

According to the organization, one of its boats was punctured during Hurricane Sandy. The second boat was damaged while being wheeled to the East River Esplanade at East 96th Street. The nonprofit uses the boats to promote stewardship of the city’s waters, and runs many programs for schoolchildren.

The organization is also seeking tax-deductible donations. More details can be found at East River CREW’s website, www.eastrivercrew.org.

FREE CHRISTMAS GALA
Arts at the Park, a component of the Park Avenue Christian Church, is holding a free Christmas Gala on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The show will feature a program of choral and instrumental music and readings, with a focus on female composers. Works include organ pieces, a medieval English carol and an African-American spiritual. The concert will conclude with sing-along Christmas tunes and a hot chocolate toast. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at 1010 Park Ave.

APPLE SEEDS HOLDS WINTER CONCERT
Apple Seeds, an indoor children’s playground and development center, is hosting a winter concert on Sunday, Dec. 16, at Stage 72. According to the company, the show—which it says will be “highly interactive” with dance- and sing-alongs—will feature original music by Mr. Ray, popular kids’ songs, top 40 hits and Christmas classics. The event promotes Apple Seeds’ “Songs for Seeds” program, a group music class for children up to 5 years old that introduces them to music basics by focusing on different international music cultures. The show begins at 11 a.m. at 158 West 72nd St., and tickets can be purchased online at www.stage72.com.

LAPPIN PROPOSES GRADES FOR CITY BUSES
City Council Member Jessica Lappin introduced a resolution to the Council on Monday that calls for a letter-grading system for buses. Like restaurant grading, Lappin’s measure would rate individual bus lines from A (excellent) to F (terrible) based on criteria like cleanliness, timeliness and seat availability. The idea for bus ratings was inspired by Susan Giles, an Upper East Side resident who suggested it to Lappin over the summer.

“Grading buses is an easy way to let commuters know what they’re getting, and let the MTA know where they need to improve,” Lappin said in a statement. “For the past two years, I’ve issued a report card on Select Bus Service, and it’s been a great transparency tool. Why not extend it to all bus lines?”

Earlier this year, Lappin issued a report card that gave Select Bus Service (SBS) a “B” for its quality of service. MTA itself conducts customer satisfaction surveys for its overall service on buses, but does not rate individual bus lines.

STRINGER SEEKS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is selecting next year’s class of Community Board members. Manhattan is divided geographically into 12 communities, each of which has its own board of up to 50 unpaid local members appointed by Stringer. The boards have no administrative rights, but present requests to the city’s administration that address neighborhood quality of life, business and residential issues. Stringer is holding information sessions about the application process on Thursday, Dec. 13, and Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the Municipal Building at 1 Centre St., and on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 163 W. 125th St. All sessions are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. RSVP to cbinfo@manhattanbp.org.

Frankie Quinney puts the finishing touches on raising the Big Top tent for the Big Apple Circus in Lincoln Center. Tickets go on sale this week for the circus’s all-new, 34th season production, Legendarium!

LAPPIN DEMANDS RETURN OF TRASH CANS
A month ago, the MTA brought a pilot program intended to curb trash and litter in the subway to the East 57th Street F station. The program, which removed trash cans at eight stations around the city in an effort to reduce the frequency of refuse pick-ups and deter the rodent population, is supposed to last for six months, but Council Member Jessica Lappin is demanding the trash cans returned to the Upper East Side spot. Armed with the results of a constituent survey, Lappin insists that one month is enough time to tell that the program isn’t working.

“As you might expect, taking away the trash cans doesn’t mean people magically stop producing garbage,” said Lappin in a statement.

The survey, to which 218 people responded, found that 66 percent of subway riders said they’ve noticed more trash at the F station in the past month, and that 93 percent of people just don’t like the plan.

EAST SIDE TOWN HALL
Upper East Siders are invited to schmooze with their elected officials and get the chance to air their grievances and share their ideas at a town hall meeting next Tuesday. The meeting is sponsored by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer along with U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velázquez, state Sens. Tom Duane, Liz Krueger, Jose Serrano and Daniel Squadron, Assembly Members Richard Gottfried, Brian Kavanagh, Micah Kellner, Dan Quart and Sheldon Silver, and Council Members Margaret Chin, Dan Garodnick, Jessica Lappin and Rosie Mendez, as well as Community Boards 3, 5, 6 and 8. Representatives from government agencies will also be attending. Tuesday, Oct. 23, 6 to 8 p.m. Lighthouse International, 111 E. 59th St. RSVP by calling 212-669-4451 or email RSVP@manhattanbp.org.

OLD U.E.S. DRUGSTORE OPEN FOR NEW RETAIL
The former home of Lascoff Drugs, 1209 Lexington Ave., is on the market. The owners closed the iconic store, which has been operating since 1899, this past July, deciding to retire and sell the building. Winick Realty Group is marketing the space, which has 1,600 square feet on the main floor and 600 feet each in the mezzanine and basement. It’s available for $36,000 a month, which they note is a substantial discount when compared to rents around the corner on East 86th Street, where storefronts are going for $500 a square foot. The building boasts cathedral-style 20-foot ceilings, 20-foot arched windows, 115 feet of frontage and the ability to co-opt the giant, iconic blade sign out front for a new display. The marketing agents emphasized that the space could work for restaurants or for high-end apparel or cosmetics.

LES Residents Sue City Over Carrying Charges
Masaryk Towers, a Lower East Side co-op, offer hundreds of New Yorkers affordable housing in its six high-rises. All of its residents are low- to middle-income, and almost half of them are senior citizens. So it came as a shock to many when the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) raised the building’s carrying charges by 11 percent in March 2011, and then 15 months later by an additional 18 percent. New York housing law states that there must be a two-year gap between increases in carrying charges.

According to the Urban Justice Center, nearly 200 residents have now filed a suit against the HPD, saying that not only was the hike illegal, but it occurred without notifying residents or allowing them to partake in a public hearing, to which they have a legal right.

“Masaryk Towers is supposed to be affordable housing. If HPD won’t follow its own laws, what protections do residents have against arbitrary increases?” resident Maria Muentes said in a statement. Under the announced hikes, shareholders of two-bedroom apartments will have to pay $150 more a month, on top of last year’s 11 percent increase.
Attorneys from the Urban Justice Center’s Community Development Project filed the suit last week in the Manhattan Supreme Court, aided by housing advocates from the Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES). GOLES is a local housing and preservation organization founded in 1977. Members of the Community Development Project (CDP) have come out strongly in defense of the residents.

“The Mitchell-Lama corporation flagrantly violated the city’s rules that are supposed to protect certain due process rights,” said Shafaq Islam, a member of the CDP. Shareholders explained in a statement that such hikes were particularly unwelcome amid a recession.

Report on MTA Shows Tough Fare Hikes Planned
The New York State comptroller released a report last week showing that while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s finances are in better shape than they were two years ago, there’s still a long way to go; unfortunately, the MTA’s prospective path to fiscal sustainability will include more fare hikes. In 2010, fares went up by 7.5 percent. The report announced that over the next three years, fares are expected to increase by 14 percent. That means MetroCard prices will reportedly rise at three times the rate of inflation.

The first increase is planned for March of next year, and is expected to bring in an additional $450 million a year. But just to keep the transit system in safe condition, the MTA will need to raise an estimated minimum of $20 billion between 2015 and 2019, the report detailed.

The transit authority will also be cutting expenses by charging one dollar for each new MetroCard, which they hope will be an incentive to refill used cards and waste less material. While the report suggests that the MTA’s budget may require such hikes, it seems many New Yorkers will soon be tightening their own wallets to adapt to the higher costs.

City Celebrates Warship
On Saturday, Oct. 6, the USS Michael Murphy became the Navy’s newest commissioned warship, and the occasion was marked with a week of celebrations including parachute jumps over the Hudson River, cannon salutes at Pier 88 and bell ringing at the New York Stock Exchange.

According to the commissioning committee’s website, the festivities bring the ship to life and mark the entrance of a new man-of-war into the nation’s naval forces.

The name of the warship honors a Navy SEAL who died in 2005 while serving in Afghanistan. Murphy, the first winner of the Medal of Honor for the war in Afghanistan, was shot while trying to transmit a call for help. The crew of the newly launched guided missile destroyer paid respects on Oct. 2 by visiting commemorative sites in Smithtown, Murphy’s hometown.

Murphy is also honored with the name of a park and post office on Long Island, a combat training pool in Newport and a veterans’ plaza at Penn State University, his alma mater.

Redistricting Could Divide Minority Communities
By Nick Powell for City and State
A controversial proposal to redraw New York City Council district lines could violate the city charter and split African-American and Latino communities, critics say.

Community Voices Heard—an organization that advocates for low-income New Yorkers—warned that the proposed redistricting map would create smaller council districts in the Bronx and Queens in favor of larger ones in Manhattan and possibly disenfranchise some voting blocs, such as East Harlem. Under the proposal, East Harlem would be divided roughly in half, with part of it falling in Council District 8, and part in Council District 9.

“When you look at communities of interest and keeping the Latino vote together and the African-American vote together, it seems like the Latino vote here, while on paper it would hit the 50 percent-plus-one mark that meets the Department of Justice standards, it would break up the community in East Harlem,” the organization said in a statement.
Hearings will be held all month, allowing the public to comment on the proposed changes, followed by an up-or-down vote by the City Council in November. If approved, the maps will first be used in the 2013 citywide elections, when many council seats will be up for grabs because of term limits.