NY governor takes away dedicated #publictransit funds

Cuomo seals the deal for a $30 million transit raid :: Second Ave. Sagas: "For a little while, it appeared as though Albany would stop Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest raid on transit funding, but when the budgetary dust settled this past week, the status quo remained unchanged. Despite an initial plan to grab $40 million that didn’t pass the New York State Assembly or Senate, state legislators ultimately accepted a budget that diverted $30 million in transit funding the state had previously agreed to issue. With fare hikes on tap for 2015 (and every two years after that), the diversion is a stark reminder of the way Albany treats New York City’s transit riders."

Plenty of room in Rochester, if you get rid of cars

Parking Madness: Rochester, Streetsblog USA: "Submitter Matthew Denker describes the empty heart of this grotesque parking cluster: ”It’s an intersection with surface parking at all 4 corners. There is literally no reason to have a road here when it’s just a sea of parking. Even better (worse) you can see a massive parking garage on the left edge on the same block, and if you move just a hair north, you can see a park that was cut in half by a highway. And of course the area used to be the main square of Rochester and where the town Christmas tree was raised.”"

Why Did Police Beat an Elderly Man for Jaywalking?

truth-out.org : "84-year-old Kang Wong is recovering today from a brutal attack on the streets of New York City.
Wong’s attackers jumped him as he jaywalked across a busy street in Manhattan, threw him up against a wall, and left him with cuts all across his face that have since been sealed up with four metal staples.
The attackers then brought Wong to the nearest police station, where he was booked on charges of jaywalking and resisting arrest.
Kang Wong’s attackers, you see, were New York City cops."

There is a killer on the loose -- the private auto

De Blasio aims for zero traffic deaths with plan to halt pedestrian killings   - NY Daily News: "Eleven New Yorkers have been killed in auto crashes in 2014, including seven pedestrians. Last year, 173 pedestrians were killed in the city, and overall 286 people died in traffic accidents. The mayor’s push includes handing out more tickets to reckless drivers and lowering speed limits."

Bus Ridership on the Rise in Rochester, NY

WXXI Photo

Bus Ridership on the Rise | WXXI News: "More people are taking public transportation in Rochester, while the number of commuters traveling by car is down."

NYC Subway Ridership Reaches Its Highest Levels Since 1950

Skift: "The subway system served an average of 5.4 million riders on a typical weekday in 2013. This was the highest volume served since 1950. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has used some form of rider measurement since at least 1946.

In fact, subway ridership has been on the rise for several years. Annual ridership reached a 62-year high in 2012 with 1.654 billion trips."

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"we need to plan our cities for less cars and more public transit use" - @leahgolby

Credit CDTA

Ticket To Ride: Albany Keen On Public Transit | WAMC: "According to the study, 76 percent of Americans are open to taking public transportation instead of driving, up from 69 percent in 2010.

Albany 10th ward Council Member Leah Golby says alternatives make sense as the population continues to grow. "The writing is on the wall and we need to plan our cities for less cars and more public transit use, more people choosing to walk and ride bicycles.""

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Convenience of fare-free rides increases ridership in Ithaca, NY

Ithaca Public Transportation: Popular, Award-winning, and Under-funded - Ithaca Times : News: "Why is ridership growing? “That’s the question of the day at TCAT,” said Turcotte.
Fernando de Aragon, the executive director of the Tompkins County Transportation Council, can martial several criteria to explain why the system is so popular.
“Cornell employees and students apparently ride free,” he said. “Of course, that’s not true; the university pays, but it makes for easy on-easy off and it’s a tremendous service. Some kids jump on just to a couple of blocks.”"

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Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth

@ae911truth : "This November’s “New York Times Billboard Campaign” is the perfect opportunity to get outside and educate hundreds of Times reporters and thousands of New Yorkers about the destruction of Building 7 and the need for a new 9/11 investigation."

200+ Groups Call on Governor Cuomo to Sign the Transit Lockbox Bill

Mobilizing the Region: "The Lockbox Bill (S.3837/ A.5084), sponsored by State Senator Martin Golden and Assemblyman James F. Brennan, unanimously passed both houses of the New York State legislature in June 2013.  The bill helps to assure revenues dedicated to public transportation are spent on public transportation, not diverted to plug budgetary holes in the state’s general fund. The bill was introduced in response to the dramatic negative impacts to the economy after Governor David Paterson diverted $260 million of dedicated transit funds in 2010, at the height of the recession. This diversion contributed to the worst service cuts and fare hikes in recent memory, impacting transit riders, as well as employers and transit manufacturers across the state. This bill will protect the revenue streams of over 130 transit providers across the state."

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