How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
Appointments to government bureaucracies usually don't excite us; however, the WSN Editorial Board was excited to learn over that the summer that Gov. David Paterson had nominated Jay Walder to be the new chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. After tying up loose ends in London, where, among other ventures, he spent six years as managing director for finance and planning at Transport for London, Walder returned this month to his native New York and has produced plans that have rewarded some of our optimism.
Walder has proposed several major changes that promise to permanently alter the way people use the MTA's many transport options. These proposed changes include swipe-free "smart cards," similar to London's Oyster card; real-time, GPS-based information showing approximate arrival times of trains and buses; cheaper fares at off-peak hours (like on the MetroNorth); and no rate hikes during peak hours.
Even the most cynical straphanger would have to look hard to find anything wrong with these plans. We certainly cannot. New York is a wonderful city, but those of us not fortunate enough to be able to walk to class or work often find ourselves dreading city transit. If our bus isn't 20 minutes late after sitting in traffic, then a signal failure has caused our crowded train to be delayed for who knows how long. Late-night travelers face long waits if they don't have impeccable timing. (Not to mention the famously inaudible subway PA systems.)
By contrast, those who have experienced the London transport system can't help but admit that while New York's transit system has its merits, London's is by far more convenient.
It would be nice if all the MTA's problems could be fixed with these changes. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The organization still faces a massive budget shortfall, which has prompted it to raise fares — an unpopular move, even in the best of economic times. Furthermore, ongoing labor unrest threatens to disrupt service as it did in late 2005.
Walder has a lot to handle in his homecoming, and likely only a year in which to handle it before Paterson departs, at which point Walder will be at the mercy of a new governor. Nevertheless, we hope that Walder's proposals are given a chance. We have no doubt they will change city transit for the better.
