NEW YORK—Transportation advocates were divided on Monday over former Gov. David Paterson’s nomination to the MTA board.
“With another planned fare hike looming in January 2013, Paterson’s experience as a governor and state senator will prove critical to working with Albany lawmakers to find new funding for our transit system, sparing overburdened New Yorkers yet another fare hike,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, in a statement.
According to Streetsblog New York, Paterson “helped pass the payroll mobility tax, which brought in well over $1 billion a year for the MTA.”
However, leading transit blog Second Avenue Sagas posted an article that said Paterson “repeatedly used his executive budgeting powers to reallocate supposedly dedicated MTA funds to other state projects, and he barely raised a finger when the MTA had to cut service and raise fares in 2010.”
Joseph Lhota, MTA chairman and CEO, said in a statement that he has known Paterson for 35 years and looks forward to working with him.
The former governor was nominated by current Gov. Andrew Cuomo. His appointment must go through the New York State Senate.
