Albanese said he would like to see a "significant reduction" in NYC traffic, and seek to reduce fares to boost ridership. Albanese also pledged to crack down on reckless driving. Messinger said she would push innovation with fare policies, including a monthly fare pass.

Albanese said he would increase allocations to NYC Transit from the city budget, and try to drum up more funding from Albany and Washington. Messinger noted that state governments shoulder most of the financial burden of transit systems, and criticized Mayor Giuliani not only for cutting city contributions to transit, but also for remaining silent regarding Gov. Pataki's withdrawal of NY State transit capital funds.

Messinger advocated installation of bus lanes throughout the city, and said the station rehabilitation program could be brought under control with more use of contract incentives. 

Both candidates favor connecting the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal, constructing a freight rail connection across the harbor or Hudson and expanding transit capacity on Manhattan's East Side. Both candidates want better service at lower cost on the city sections of the LIRR and Metro-North railroads.

Both candidates call for the need for a one-seat ride from Manhattan to the airports. Albanese has written to newspapers opposing the Port Authority's JFK-Jamaica light rail plan as disruptive to communities and unlikely to win a large ridership. Messinger favors the light rail system to the extent it can be adapted to city and regional rail systems, and says she supports extension of the N or R trains to LaGuardia Airport.

Albanese favors renovation of the Farley Post Office building into a grand Amtrak station, though Messinger thought other projects were higher priorities for NYC. 

Albanese said his MTA board appointees would need to be "knowledgeable" about the transit system; Messinger pledged to "continue to be a transit user" and said her appointees would have to be actual transit riders, and that she would require them to show up for public hearings.

Both called for additional police patrol strength in the subways.