PATH fare hike petition
December 6th 2007 07:28 am
From Hoboken Councilman Peter Cammarano: http://www.stopthepathhike.com
One Response to “PATH fare hike petition”
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Joe Versaggi responded on 17 Dec 2007 at 4:58 pm #
This is my testimony that I mailed. Remember the disclaimer of the Blog: it does not necessarily reflect the position of NJ-ARP.
COMMENTS: PATH FARE HIKE
Of all the asinine, stupid reasons to impose a 33% fare hike: a boondoggle called ARC, based on engineering and marketing myths, and Port Authority’s own wasteful ways and miserable service.
The only reason you need to cough up another $1 billion for the ARC mess is the low confidence you have in getting much FTA funding for this fatally flawed project under NJT’s stewardship that is out of control and has lost sight its original goals: enhance rail access and market share between New Jersey and the EAST SIDE of Manhattan. Yet the dollars from this increase amount to a pittance compared to what is required. Rather doing something simple and cheap like extending the Flushing line to Secaucus, you want wet-dreams for contractors:
· A new ditch in Manhattan’s bedrock that will be an inefficient 175’ deep bunker next to Macy’s that will cost riders even more time as they make connections to anywhere, including the Manhattan’s east side,
· The myth that a AC/dual-mode locomotive will ever be procured and run reliably,
· The myth that eliminating a transfer at Secaucus will enough Cruiser bus riders onto NJT trains to the Bunker that is worth $7.5 Billion,
· Does absolutely NOTHING for the Jersey Gold Coast nor PATH riders
You money-wasting shenanigans don’t end there:
· New PA5 cars, could have been had years ago as an option order to the NYCTA’s R160’s,
· Unnecessary scrapping of 21 year old PA4 cars that compose 40% of your fleet,
· An improved signal/switch system to allegedly increase capacity 25%; yet you have no intention of increasing service, or even running 8 car trains on the WTC line, and especially on weekends when IRT cattle-car conditions on the 33rd Street line are the norm, while running the same antiquated 2-route system the PRR ran since the 1930’s,
· No integration of fares between the Port Authority and the MTA when the technology is there to do it.
· Restoring WTC station as it was prior to 9/11/01 with moving sidewalks and a stupid arc for an entrance façade when you had the chance to integrate your operation with a thru-routed PATH-Lex operation with the #6 and blew it to preserve your divine kingdom and sovereignty.
Due to the irresponsibility and stupidity of 2 governors, 2 state legislators, and your keen political skills at bamboozling politicians and environmental fanatics at bad ideas, you get away with this.
For the public record: You deserve NO INCREASE unless and until Port Authority is drastically and structurally reformed. PATH operations should be contracted out to professionals like the TA.