The announcement by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week that it would reorganize its operating agencies to reduce administrative costs may not have big consequences for transit riders.

Presumably, the MTA will retain two separate operating divisions to run the Long Island and Metro-North railroads, even if human resources and other office functions are merged.  Legal formulas and watching legislators are likely to ensure that resources are not unduly shifted between the two systems.  It’s unclear whether smart policies may cross-pollinate.  Metro-North, for example, offers discounted “reverse commute” fares from the Bronx to destinations north and east that are not mirrored by LIRR fares from Queens to Long Island.

The main issues facing the railroads will remain: adding capacity to cope with ridership growth — including reverse commuting — improving reliability and grappling with better station access.  Closer integration may help scheduling when the day comes that both Metro-North and LIRR trains serve both Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal.

Connecticut’s problems will remain — much of the New Haven line’s budget comes from CT Transit.

While the to-be-conjoined railroads are roughly equivalent in scale entering the management merger, Nassau County’s Long Island Bus is in a different situation.  It will be dwarfed by its partner – NYC Transit’s bus division – within the new NY Bus agency.  We hope that local service planning and standards, and the agency’s push toward an all-CNG bus fleet, will be retained.  It’s possible that Long Island Bus may find itself with additional resources, if the cost efficiencies of the merger are indeed passed on to riders via additional service.  Perhaps too, the NYC portion of the operating budget can be made to pick up some of the tab for the vigorous Nassau-Queens service currently run by L.I. Bus.

Diesel Purchase Linked to Express Buses (Sept. 30, 2002)

EPA Study Supports Diesel-Lung Cancer Link (Sept. 9, 2002)

New Trains for NY, but CT Still Waiting (Sept. 9, 2002)

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