WNYC - Brian Lehrer radio show 10:20 AM: Interviewing MTA Chair Joe Lhota:

MTA Chair Joe Lhota answered my question about including bicycle / pedestrian paths on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge: Lhota's answer: "the bridge was NOT designed for a bike path, and cyclists will have to get over this."

This question was included in Lhota's discussion of raising the VNB tolls, and driver's complaints. Lhota noted that SI drivers get an exclusive resident toll discount. SI is the only borough you can't walk or bike between on a free bridge path, another answer to beating high tolls.

VNB Design: "Technically" it's true that no path was formally documented during the VNB's 1950's - 1964 design process, not in public documents. However, the TBTA and their bridge engineers, Ammann & Whitney, completed sufficient designs to produce a cost estimate that $2.5 million would build two paths, as part of the bridge's $350 million total construction cost. This has been discussed with reliable sources, but there is nothing on the written record.
To the point, the Dept of City Planning's 1997 VNB Bike/Ped Path Study included Ammann and Whitney engineers confirming that installing the paths was fully feasible, and would cost $26 million to install. Repeat, the bridge CAN be fitted with two paths at low cost. Link to City Planning VNB Study and Ammann and Whitney's engineering report:
http://www.transalt.org/files/resources/bridges/verrazano.html

You can transfer balances off expired card for a grace period, I think it's 90 days or maybe 6 months. If the card is older than that, you have to send it in someplace to get the balance transferred.

My question is about unlimited cards & charging $1 for new cards. Do you have to wait until your card is expired to renew it for another month? If you renew it a day or two before it expires, do you lose those days? There have been enough times that the morning I needed to get a new card there were no working machines at my stop, so I have taken to getting a new card a couple of days before my old one expires, but I don't want to be charged for a new one.

Joe Lhota was misinformed. The VNB can accept a pair of bicycle/pedestrian paths. The 1997 City Planning Study of the VNB includes engineering analysis by Ammann and Whitney, the bridge's original engineers, that the two paths can be installed, for about $26 million.

This should be corrected. The paths can be built, the question is whether we want them.

Peter - usually organizations would count future pension and healthcare obligations for workers as "debt". Those things don't get help by interest rates. In fact the pension costs will probably balloon more.

RE: Maria Levitsky from brooklyn

Thanks for the info though!

RE: Maria Levitsky from brooklyn

No I didn't! I don't think the people working in the booth know this either since they continuously tell me I must send in expired cards for a refund. I'm skeptical to say the least.

Only in a city with such cowed and resigned residents would the MTA be able to constantly dump their incompetence onto the public coffers like this. If NYers actually fought against these continual fare hikes instead of sighing like sheep, there is no way that the MTA would be able to behave this way.

Do you know that you can turn in your metro card and have the fractional amount transferred to a new card, at the booths! I did it yesterday.

Good points from the WNYC reporter about NYC voting dynamics.

A question: If numbers voting have declined, has there been a decline in potential voters in NYC? A proportionate increase in residents not eligible to vote?

What percentage of their health insurance cost do MTA employees pay? Retirees?

The MTA cites increased cost of debt service as a main reason for the budget shortfall. But interest rates have never been lower than they are now, so this appears to make no sense.

I would not vote for Mr. Lhota. The MTA has been notoriously bad at running itself for a variety of reasons. I think the MTA should be publicly held and the public should take more responsibility for its success or failure.

I will actively campaign against anyone who used to run the MTA, and now had the AUDACITY to run for mayor.

PS I live in Staten Island, and it is not possible to drive off the borough without paying. To your guest, your suggestion to take the ferry is ignorant. It would take you between two and three even four hours to take the ferry if you were trying to get to Brooklyn, or Queens, or the Bronx. And you cannot bring a car on the ferry. I would like to see how you feel about driving from Brooklyn to Manhattan and paying a toll every single time.

what will cost be for a SENIOR one-way subway ride ? It is now $1.10

All Metrocards expire, not just weekly and monthlies! I have several cards i can no longer use with money still on them and have been told they expired and must be sent in order to recoup my money. Will the MTA change this policy now that they will be charging us for cards????

How much of the MTA's budget goes to servicing it's debt?

Once again. The verrazano is NOT more expensive than other MTA bridges!! The only difference is that you pay the total 2-way cost in one direction! The triboro, midtown tunnel, etc. is the same in 2-way total cost.

Sigh, I will now have to crack down on my 13 year old son who constantly raids my purse for my metrocard, then tosses the with the bits of money. I keep trying to train him into ADDING money to his own card rather than "borrowing" mine and tossing them. At least the $1 charge for new cards might get my husband on board with reducing the wanton purchase of cards.