ALBANY — Republican state lawmakers need the pinnacle of the MTA to resign after dismissing the New Yorker’s issues about subway crime — as questions swirl in regards to the shaky company’s chaotic monetary image.
Eleven state senators mentioned Wednesday they need Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber to step down. If he does not wish to go on his personal, then Governor Kathy Hochul ought to step in and forcibly take away him.
“Jano Lieber has misplaced the belief of commuters,” Lengthy Island state Sen. Steven Rhoades (R-Nassau) mentioned at a press convention on the state Capitol.
“Jano Leber has misplaced the arrogance of our convention,” Rhodes continued. “General, Lieber has misplaced the belief of New Yorkers and the individuals who reside, work and lift households right here.”
Lieber is going through elevated scrutiny after Sunday’s introduction of an unpopular $9 congestion cost to drive by means of midtown Manhattan as state lawmakers return to Albany, anticipated to debate much more taxes and costs to fund the large capital plan of the MTA.
Lieber angered many Huge Apple residents with an look Monday on “Bloomberg Surveillance,” the place he trumpeted that transit crime is down 12.5 % in 2024. in comparison with 5 years earlier, earlier than the COVID-19 shutdown.
The feedback got here regardless of a spate of horrific subway crimes that had been surprising — and random — in nature, together with an incident during which a sleeping girl was set on hearth and burned to dying on a Brooklyn F prepare in entrance of horrified commuters.
However Lieber known as the general “statistics” optimistic.
“A few of these high-profile incidents, , horrible assaults, have gotten into individuals’s heads and made the entire system really feel insecure,” he mentioned.
Regardless of among the different numbers, homicides hit a 25-year excessive final yr with 10 in 12 months, whereas there have been 579 aggravated assaults, based on NYPD figures.
Rhoades mentioned at Wednesday’s information convention that Lieber thinks “we’ve a notion drawback.”
“We do not have a notion drawback,” Rhoades mentioned. “Our vacationers haven’t any notion drawback. We now have a fraud drawback. Dishonest drawback by the governor, dishonest drawback by Jano Lieber.
State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) mentioned calling for somebody to resign isn’t one thing he or his colleagues take flippantly.
“We’re asking for one thing that we expect could be very essential for the well-being of the individuals of New York State, particularly those that reside within the MTA area,” Lanza mentioned. “We imagine that underneath the circumstances it is rather a lot justified.”
A number of of these metaphorically calling for Gianno’s head cited a New 12 months’s Eve publicity stunt marking the implementation of the congestion cost imposed on motorists getting into Manhattan under sixtieth Road.
“The tone-deaf celebration of the congestion pricing cash seize was the nail within the coffin so far as I am involved and so far as my residents in Rockland are involved,” mentioned Hudson Valley state Sen. Invoice Weber. “Congestion pricing is flawed. It needs to be cancelled.”
Different senators calling for Lieber’s removing embody Sens. Mario Matera (R-Suffolk), Dean Murray (R-Suffolk), Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (R-Nassau), Jack Martins (R-Nassau), Rob Rolison (R- Dutchess) ), Alexis Wake (R-Suffolk), Steve Chan (R-Brooklyn) and Anthony Palumbo (R-Suffolk). All of those are within the area of the state served by the MTA.
An MTA spokesman scoffed on the lawmakers’ name.
“Underneath Chair Lieber’s management, the MTA has added service, opened new terminals and delivered file on-time efficiency for its Lengthy Island and Hudson Valley constituents whereas delivering probably the most dependable subway service in a dozen years,” mentioned John McCarthy, Chief of MTA, politics and international relations. “However apparently none of that stops out-of-touch politicians from torturing themselves.”
The state is combating the MTA proposal $68 billion five-year capital plan. The company accepted the plan final fall, though it stays to be seen how the $33 billion shall be funded.
Meeting Speaker Carl Hastie (D-Bronx) was the most recent to acknowledge that Albany would doubtless have to think about elevating taxes or charges to pay for the hole, one thing Hochul’s funds director recognized in November.
“My guess is that the income enhance shall be selected the desk,” Hastie instructed Spectrum Information’ Susan Arbeterinterview on Tuesday.
However the unpopular governor herself is like that refuses to admit the identical. On Monday, she mentioned it was as much as the Legislature to suggest easy methods to fill the $33 billion funding shortfall.
Her workplace declined to say whether or not she would even make a plan public earlier than state funds talks, the place a deal is most probably to be reached.
Sources tell The Post that Hochul is contemplating behind the scenes to suggest a rise within the payroll tax for mobility.
