Good afternon, I am Jessica Spezio, Administrative Assistant at the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA.
I am a regular transit rider and I used to be a subway conductor before joining the PCAC. I live in what is essentially a subway desert, so I rely on buses to get me to the subway and on express buses to get me to work. I was looking forward to the improvements that congestion pricing would bring: more frequent subway service, upgraded signals and tracks as I’ve witnessed the need first hand; buses that don’t crawl through traffic – that go faster than a chicken can run; and even as a driver, to less traffic when I need to take my mom to doctor’s appointments in midtown. I was stunned when the Governor made her surprise announcement, like all of you probably, and we’re still trying to figure out where the money is going to come from to pay for the capital improvements not only now, but over the next few years.
Like many of us who live in the “better boroughs” I was also looking forward to service increases on express buses. I see that one of the casualties of the so-called pause is “readjusting express bus trips added in Summer of 2024” in anticipation of congestion pricing. Not only are we losing key projects like more accessible subway stations that moms like me and our disabled and older friends need, but service increases that would have improved the commute for so many of us and would help people get out of cars. There are two major, yet tragic, ironies that I see. First, we just celebrated the 34th anniversary of the ADA at the same time we heard about work stopping on 23 subway accessibility projects. Second, the Governor’s action is directly hurting the people she claims she wants to help, New Yorkers just looking to get to work. I would not have been one of the people applauding her decision since it is having the reverse effect on my life and on many people in my neighborhood.
Governor Hochul, from the heart of Brooklyn, please unpause the pause.