Bloomberg the Candidate Unveils New Transit Plan

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg who tried to bring congestion pricing to New York, has come up with a more modest transportation platform detailing what he would do should he get re-elected this fall. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: At a campaign event, the Mayor introduced 33 ideas to improve mass transit. Many of them are already getting rolled out, like electronic signs that tell commuters how many minutes until the next bus or subway arrives. Others are brand new, like eliminating fares on crosstown buses where most riders use free transfers anyway.

Yet another idea represents a reversal for the Bloomberg administration. Over the past six years, the city's been ripping up trolley tracks in Red Hook, Brooklyn. But his platform calls for a pilot project that would bring streetcars back to the neighborhood.

The MTA says it welcomes the mayor's suggestions. The leading Democratic contender, Comptroller Bill Thompson, calls them "empty promises and stolen ideas." For WNYC, I'm Matthew Schuerman.