Nassau County officers desire a full audit of Lengthy Island Rail Street – saying taxpayers are forking $36.5 million a yr to prop up the transit system with questionable outcomes.
County Government Bruce Blakeman and Comptroller Elaine Phillips mentioned Thursday the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has failed to keep up the 58 LIRR stations all through Nassau — leaving them actually falling aside.
“It’s time to ask the exhausting questions. The place is our cash going?” Phillips informed reporters at a press convention on the Lengthy Seaside LIRR station.
Phillips estimates Nassau taxpayers fork over $36.5 million per yr to maintain the LIRR up and working — roughly $100,000 a day, or $1,700 per day per station — with one other $100 million in income the MTA pulls in from different sources.
“By our estimate, we’re paying over $137 million to the MTA per yr, and that doesn’t depend the fare,” Phillips mentioned. “With the cash spent on this maintenance, you’ll suppose the MTA stations can be five-star accommodations — not five-alarm security hazards.”
She pointed to examples like ageing and “crumbling infrastructure” that has fallen on high of and injured riders, water leaks, rusted pipes and deteriorating metal beams — in addition to an total “neglect” of upkeep all through the county’s stations by the MTA.
Phillips mentioned that just about 30% of Nassau’s stations should not have a rest room and that the MTA “treats a recent coat of paint like a luxurious,” pointing to the deteriorating partitions of the platform behind her.
Blakeman mentioned all Nassau stations want instant repairs and upgrades.
“This has to finish — we’ve got bought to get a return on the funding that we make every day to the MTA,” Blakeman, a Republican, mentioned.
The pair introduced that they’ve despatched a proper letter to the MTA requesting an audit of every Nassau station.
The Democratic county legislator working towards Blakeman agreed it was time for a breakdown on native spending – each from the MTA and his opponent’s administration.
“Transparency and accountability are essential, and I agree that the MTA ought to present a transparent breakdown of how these funds are spent on Lengthy Island,” Legislator Seth Koslow informed The Publish.
“On the similar time, Nassau County residents deserve the identical degree of transparency on the subject of how their native tax {dollars} are managed. Accountability must be a precedence at each degree of presidency.”
The LIRR transports virtually 300,000 passengers a day, and regardless of the complaints from native leaders, has an total satisfaction charge of 76%, in response to the newest MTA information.
Some riders consider there’s room for enchancment by means of the county’s stations, however suppose that Blakeman and Phillip’s actions are “anti-transit” and merely a “distraction.”
“Nassau County is making an attempt to distract from its actual agenda of avoiding paying its fair proportion of the invoice,” mentioned Danny Pearlstein, a spokesperson for Rider’s Alliance, a public transit-focused nonprofit that has supported Manhattan’s congestion pricing toll.
“Riders want Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders to drag collectively and make the investments we have to keep the current progress based on congestion reduction. New York can afford to maintain fixing the subway and restoring ageing infrastructure throughout the area. We will’t afford to disinvest,” Pearlstein continued.
The MTA didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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