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| MTA chief Joseph Lhota: We need to expand subway stations (1135142) | |||
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MTA chief Joseph Lhota: We need to expand subway stations |
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Posted by Gold_12TH on Thu Jan 26 21:16:38 2012 With the subways bursting at the seams, the MTA needs to expand stations in the century-old system, authority Chairman Joseph Lhota said Thursday.Lhota singled out the L line as an example of an overcrowded route that requires alterations to accommodate a meteoric rise in ridership due to industrial areas transforming into bustling residential neighborhoods. "Today, it's the fastest growing line," he said. Stations in neighborhoods like Williamsburg were built with just one or two entrances, "whereas if we knew it was going to be residential as it is today, we would have three or four entrances," Lhota said. "So, you're seeing tremendous crowding on stations that are unbelievably narrow. We're going to have to spend capital programs to expand those stations.” Since 1998, average weekday ridership on the L line has grown 93% while ridership systemwide has increased 30%, according to a NYC Transit division report released last year. Meanwhile, average weekend ridership on the L line skyrocketed 141% compared to 53% systemwide. Subway ridership was relatively flat last year compared to 2010 but remains at the highest level since the 1950s, Lhota said. Lhota made his comments during a hearing on Gov. Cuomo's proposed state budget held by Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. The state provided the MTA $770 million for the last three years of the current five-year capital program, which includes station overhauls, the purchase of new buses and upgrades to the subway's signal and communications systems. The budget also replaces MTA tax revenues that the agency will lose when a new law that goes into effect in April exempts small businesses and non-profits from the Payroll Mobility Tax. The current capital plan, which runs through 2014, doesn't include any specific station-expansion projects, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. During the hearing, Lhota said there would be no fare or toll hikes, service cuts or layoffs this year. --- http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/mta-chief-joseph-lhota-expand-subway-stations-article-1.1012560?localLinksEnabled=false |
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