New York, New York – Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx), Chairman of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions with oversight of the MTA, reviewed the plan put forward by the MTA this afternoon to stabilize and improve the system. He released the following statement in response:

“I am glad to see that Chairman Lhota met his 30 day deadline for an organizational review of the MTA, and am encouraged by the steps that are described to restore our subway system to a basic level of functionality. The constant delays, derailments, fires, and other incidents have eroded the confidence of transit users. Phase I of the New York Subway Action Plan is a good start, and I hope that we begin to see concrete improvements in service as soon as possible.

While I recognize that our signals, tracks, cars, and user experience are all at the forefront of public concern and discourse, there are many New Yorkers who need improvements in other areas as well. Accessibility concerns and bus service remain in need of attention also, and I encourage Chairman Lhota to address these issues soon. The problems are huge and the fixes won’t be easy. We need to identify significant and recurring funding sources to address them.

Riders want solutions, not finger pointing and burden shifting. I hope that we can all work together to restore New York City as the premier transit network in the world.”