Hochul orders MTA to investigate why NYC transit system gets overwhelmed by extreme weather
The governor on Friday demanded the MTA conduct a full review after extreme heat and rainstorms this week caused major disruptions on the subway and Long Island Rail Road, in particular.
Commuters had to cling to fences to avoid floodwater at the Seventh Avenue station in Park Slope, Brooklyn, as power outages and heavy rains threw the transit system another curveball.
"I'm frightened to go on the subways when I know that they're going to be flooded," one rider said.
"I did not leave when I saw the videos and I'm so glad I didn't leave my house," another said. "It looked like a nightmare, people were climbing up on the bannisters."
Others wondered why a system so susceptible to weather events cannot be fixed.
"Especially now that they're going to raise the price, again," a rider said.
Hochul on Friday did order the MTA to figure out how to fix the system, after the storms also flooded the LIRR's Port Washington Branch near Bayside.
"What we've experienced is the challenge of having really old infrastructure and being subject to the water that comes from all over, down onto tracks and hitting the subway and commuter rail system. So, we gotta fix that," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
"I don't want any person to feel that they're not getting first-rate service. So I've directed Janno and his team to conduct a full review of what occurred this week and how to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future," Hochul said.
The governor, who was at an unrelated news conference with the MTA chair and CEO, blamed the poor service on the combination of a 120-year-old system and her claim that her predecessors did not make fixing it a priority.
Hochul insisted that congestion pricing, new toll hikes and fare increases to ride subways, buses and commuter trains will provide funds to upgrade the system.
CBS News New York pressed the governor on her claims and riders' repeated concerns.
"It's not a revelation that there's a power problem at the West 4th Street station, and it's not a revelation that there are subway platforms that leak when there's heavy water," political reporter Marcia Kramer told the governor.
"And there was never the money to fix it because no one figured out a path," Hochul replied. "There was never the political will to find any way possible to solve this, but you don't do it for free."
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is currently running for mayor of the city, would likely dispute his successor's claim that he did not prioritize transit; the Second Avenue subway was constructed under his administration.
Plus, the MTA always seems to have a robust budget. It's operating budget is nearly $20 billion and the state just approved a new $68 billion capital plan.
Through it all, Lieber has said rider satisfaction is up.
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