| Issue 153 | December 8, 1997 |
Looking Ahead: NYC Transit Renaissance?
Today, Governor Pataki said that sweeping fare policy changes would "prepare the transit system for the 21st Century." Spurred by fare incentives, New Yorkers are coming back to the transit system in droves. It's likely that, coming on the heels of 15 years of system rebuilding, the institution of transit passes will bury forever the image of a decrepit subway as a symbol of a declining city. What policy challenges will political and transit leaders face in a new era of transit optimism? Short term
Keeping confidence in transit high requires strong subway law enforcement. Though still down from the early 1990s, subway crime has risen along with ridership this year. Although Mayor Giuliani recently assigned more police officers to the system, the demise of the Transit Police means there no longer is a career track in subway policing. NYPD's Transit Division should be restructured to provide opportunities for long-term specialization in subway law enforcement.New riders mean new demands for capacity -- in the short run, that means added off-peak subway runs and more buses. To minimize bus impacts, the TA should implement and expand the natural gas bus program that it's been stalling on all year. Longer term
More people are riding buses, but in many areas, bus service still operates at a crawl. The TA and NYC DOT must get serious about bus lanes and make buses an efficient form of travel. Complement rider incentives by shifting street space from cars to transit.Longer-term transit capacity issues include through-put capabilities of existing subways, which are limited by antiquated signals, and the extent of the system (see
