Washington, DC is in need of a new transportation commissioner, and Greater Greater Washington is looking for signatures on a letter urging Mayor Fenty to find a visionary like New York City's Jeanette Sadik-Kahn. I signed.
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Looking for a Visionary
24 Jul 2008 03:31 pm
Comments (8)
Washington, DC is in need of a new transportation commissioner, and Greater Greater Washington is looking for signatures on a letter urging Mayor Fenty to find a visionary like New York City's Jeanette Sadik-Kahn. I signed.
New York, you say. I noticed that the MTA is seeking yet another increase in NYC transit fares. Following on the heels of the increase in March of this year, and the one it already has planned for next year. According to the New York Times, "the new plan would lead to three fare and toll increases in about three years." That's never happened before in the 100-year history of the New York subway. Apparently, the MTA is in a fiscal crisis and is facing a budget shortfall of almost $1 billion, thanks to rising fuel costs and lower tax revenue from real estate transactions. Subway delays have also increased by 24% over the past year. Sounds like "visionary" Janette's got her work cut out for her.
What's your point, troll?
Are you proposing to eliminate NYC transit?
City (or District) transportation departments are separate from multi-jurisdiction transit boards. So Sadik-Khan isn't in charge of MTA and the new DDOT commissioner wouldn't be in charge of Metro. What DDOT is in charge of is prioritizing street repair projects, choosing if / where to install infrastructure for bike lanes, bus lanes, delayed stop lights for buses, trolly lines, etc.
Yes, I know she isn't in charge of the MTA, but presumably it would be a good idea for the city's "transportation commissioner," especially one who is supposedly a "visionary," to at least be involved in trying to address the MTA's (very serious) financial and operational problems.
Sounds like Mixner has been sticking pins in an effigy of the NY transit system.
Matt, if you and your fellow petition signers were taking this seriously, you'd be signing a petition to Speaker Pelosi demanding a visionary Chair of the House Oversight Committee and a massive new HOMELAND DEFENSE AND MOBILITY ACT, a large piece of which would consist mostly of new transportation expenditures focused on enhancing -- for national security reasons, don'tcha know -- the mobility of first-responders and national security personnel during an attack on the Capitol. It would double as economic stimulus. It would pass 434-1 (1=Ron Paul).
I wouldn't write off Mixner as a troll just yet. Here in NYC, we're all pretty pissed-off at the MTA---the service is decent (certainly better than it was a few years ago), and the Metrocards are great, but the constant fare hikes and poorly-timed line shutdowns are frustrating, especially in the face of the MTA's legendary corruption and self-aggrandizement (they have an office that would be the envy of a white-shoe law firm).
I understand that to those of you outside NYC, our subway system looks like the greatest thing ever built by human hands. Like everything in our fair city. But praising the current head of the MTA will get you only slightly further than wearing a Red Sox shirt.
Comments closed August 07, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Matt: Please explain why Janette Sadik-Kahn is a visionary. After all, most of your readers don't know who she is. Citations to actual accomplishments would be helpful.
Thanks!
Posted by laborlibert | July 24, 2008 3:51 PM