Vice Chair Departs: Urge Pataki: Give Mayor MTA Seat

Vice Chair Departs

Urge Pataki: Give Mayor MTA Seat

Claiming city interests are underrepresented on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board, U.S. Rep Anthony Weiner and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer urged Governor Pataki Jan. 25 to let Mayor Bloomberg fill an upcoming vacancy with an appointee of his choice.

ANTHONY WEINER: City underrepresented. "From security concerns raised by the Madrid bombing, to the transit strike and the debate over the fate of the West Side Rail Yards, so often recently the challenges faced by the MTA have highlighted the fact that the Mayor controls only four of the board's 14 votes," the duo wrote in a letter to the Governor.

Calls to the Governor's press office for comment were not returned.

Wants Kelly on Board

Mayor Bloomberg had no immediate reaction to the push to get him more sway over the MTA, but in his State of the City address Jan. 26 he called for a permanent voting seat to be added to the board for the city's Police Commissioner.

Mayoral spokesman Jordan Barowitz noted that in 2000, when he was first running for office, Mr. Bloomberg campaigned on a platform calling for city control of the MTA.

After 9/11, Mr. Barowitz said, the Mayor reconsidered his position in light of the financial burden it would have put on taxpayers and decided it was best left under state control.

The MTA board governs six major transit systems, including New York City Transit's subway and bus operations. The agency functions as a semi-autonomous entity, answering primarily to the Governor, who appoints six of the board's 14 voting members. Executives in Nassau, Westchester, and Suffolk counties appoint one apiece, and Orange, Dutchess, Rockland and Putnam counties combine in appointing one member.

Disparate Power

The Mayor appoints less than 30 percent of the board, although 90 percent of the MTA's riders and 81 percent of its revenues come from the city.

MTA Board Vice Chairman Edward Dunn renewed the debate over vacancy appointments by announcing he would retire retroactive to Dec. 31. He was originally appointed by the Governor in March 1999 and has served as Vice Chairman since 2003. His term actually runs until June 30.

Mr. Dunn didn't give a reason for his departure aside from a written statement that it was simply "time for me to step down."

Congressman Weiner and Manhattan Borough President Stringer said the Governor had an opportunity to help "improve accountability and [leave] a legacy of moving the MTA closer to the riders it serves" by ceding Mr. Dunn's seat to a Bloomberg-picked successor.