NEW YORK — When a massive restructuring of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was recently unveiled, the most controversial point seemed to be whether the Long Island Rail Road would have to surrender its name, New York Newsday reported.
Now, it appears the plan may touch off a contentious debate over funding formulas that transit advocates say favor suburban commuters at the expense of city residents.
“It’s a window of opportunity,” said MTA board member Rudy Washington. “If we’re going to talk about legislation to fix the MTA and make it a better business entity, well then let’s fix it completely and bring equity to the people of New York City.”
Washington, who served as a deputy mayor under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, made clear his concern during an MTA board meeting Tuesday where the reorganization plan was formally approved.
Details of the restructuring will be submitted for approval to the state Legislature by year’s end.
While they’re at it, Washington wants the legislature to take up a 34-year-old funding formula under which nearly half of bridge and tunnel tolls in the city go toward commuter rails.
“Staten Islanders, in general, think that having 50 percent of the Verrazano Bridge tolls go to support the operations of Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road isn’t fair,” said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign.
Under the formula, the first $24 million of the MTA’s toll surplus goes toward New York City Transit, the MTA entity that runs city subways and buses. The rest is split 50-50 with the commuter rails.
“That was a really good deal for the subways and buses in 1968,” giving the city about a two-thirds share, Russianoff said. “Now that the surplus is hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s basically split 50-50.”
Washington, who is among four mayoral appointees on the 23-member MTA board, noted that the 50-50 formula would also apply to tolls on East River bridges should the city transfer their control to the MTA, as was recently suggested by the Bloomberg administation.
The issue could make for a raucous debate in Albany.
MTA chairman Peter Kalikow said he had not yet given thought to seeking a change in the funding formula.
“It may be something that we’ll think about,” he said.
Russianoff and other protestors opposed to a fare hike trick-or-treated board members at Tuesday’s meeting, handing out gag candy with doctored names like Fare-Savers and (We Already Pay) Good & Plenties. He said he was encouraged by Washington’s position.
“It would really help with fighting the possibility of a $2 fare if we’re going to get a bigger share of the funding than we do now,” Russianoff said.