Local Groups Hit Atlantic Station to Push Ravitch Plan
Faced with a $1.2 billion deficit, the MTA has threatened to hike fares from $2.00 to $2.50 and institute severe cutbacks to outer-borough service; in Brooklyn, which would be particularly hard hit, the M train would lose 28 rush hour trains and the Z train would be eliminated altogether. In the face of this crisis,…
Faced with a $1.2 billion deficit, the MTA has threatened to hike fares from $2.00 to $2.50 and institute severe cutbacks to outer-borough service; in Brooklyn, which would be particularly hard hit, the M train would lose 28 rush hour trains and the Z train would be eliminated altogether. In the face of this crisis, several groups set up shop in the Atlantic-Pacific station to urge riders to let Governor Paterson know that they support the recommendations of the Ravitch Commission (which include a toll on East River bridges). Citywide groups NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign, Environmental Defense Fund, Regional Plan Association, Transportation Alternatives and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign joined the Brooklyn-based UPROSE, Pratt Center and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in handing out fliers and collecting signatures on a giant plea to the governor.
Putnam, I was merely aping your immaturity. You criticized my suggestion by telling me I’m “silly”, did not articulate why, and then acted incredulous at the figure I stated, for which I cited at least some support, and to which your response is “really”. I’m assuming your longer in the tooth than your posts suggest, and that your not a What or one of the random drive-by insult posters.
Rob, you are 32 now. It’s time to shed that loopy, “oops, did I say that with my mouth?” tweener posture. It’s not cute. It’s not clever or witty to write whatever streams forth from your mind. It’s time to think about what you say, and how you say it.
Your “point” is not valid, but it was nasty. You know very well that most of the poor work, most of the poor have jobs, crappy jobs that you would go “eewww” to in a heartbeat, that someone has to do. Ever look at the people stuffed in the 4/5/6 before it gets to 86th St? The working poor going to work at hospitals, nursing homes, janitorial jobs, messengers, maids, nannies, laborers and factory workers. Methadone clinics are located in communities that need them, yes, but they are also tucked away disproportionately in communities that don’t have the political power, money or influence to refuse them. I know first hand that if your community has one social service, they figure you can have them all, what difference does it make? Methadone clinics are hardly the measure of a large and varied community such as East Harlem.
Since you ask, infrastructure should benefit everyone. But it has a special purpose in benefitting those who don’t have the choice to get around any other way. For most people that is the subway and bus system. The working poor, lower middle, and middle class people who make this city run have been pushed farther and farther away from their jobs, and public transportation is the best, cheapest, and for most, the only way to get to work, and get around. The “leeches” are few and far between, in comparison to those tax and fare paying people who depend on it in order to live.
I did not find your comments to be witty, cutting edge, typical Robian irony from off the top of your head. Statements like the above do nothing to show that you understand or empathize with the multitudes of people who know quite well that they may never be in the right line for wealth, opportunity, or a bettering of their situation. I can’t stop you from thinking or believing whatever you choose. I would hope, however, that you could think about some of it before you feel the need to say it.
this is the garbage that makes me want to smack you, rob. You have no clue. The majority of people in poor, black neighborhoods are hardworking, not on drugs and even- gasp!- married. I have no idea where you get some of your crap from but grow the hell up. The only point you made is that you’re immature and a lousy social analyst.
quote:
“Please don’t throw out a sop to morality by touting how much this new line will help poor people in Harlem. The second Ave. line is about wealthy UES folk – don’t kid yourself.”
im PRO poor, but c’mon PLEASE. if they got jobs to begin with it WOULD service people in that area just as much. oh yeah oops. too bad most of the methadone clinics are centrally located in east harlem. oh well. who do you think infrastructure SHOULD cater to more? leeches or productive members of society. oooh i just made a nasty post i think but maybe not, i think i made a point, and it’s somewhat valid.
*r*
putnamdenizen- I’m really interested in the new light rail systems. I understand one manufacturer or advocate has been trying to get the city to look at them. From what I understand, they are quite successul in the cities that use them,. and less expensive to set up than the traditional underground line.
Here’s a link to population density maps by census tract for New York City’s five boroughs: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/census/mappl1.pdf (based on the 2000 census). Manhattan is the most densely populated county in the U.S.; Brooklyn is the second most densely populated.
Dittoburg – I’ve never heard of someone so upset to NOT be equated to a monkey. Are you saying that one quarter of bus riders are scofflaws? Really?
And if subway maps are distorted they are distorted in that they show Manhattan wider than it actually is – i.e exagerating the walk to the Lexington Avenue subway. Ban cars, run high speed buses down the avenues.
“ENY- can you provide stats to back that up? More than on the WestSide? Or Lower Manhattan?”
Nope, I’m just figuring, based on my 30+ years of riding the subway, and taking West Side and East Side trains to work at different periods. But there HAS to be more activity on the East Side vs. the West Side, considering that there are so many more businesses and subway lines on the East Side vs. the West Side. Lower Manhattan might be irrelevant in terms of this comparison, because both sides of town are served by multiple subways when it comes to lower Manhattan. I’ll see if I can’t look this info up and get some real stats.
ENY- can you provide stats to back that up? More than on the WestSide? Or Lower Manhattan?