Breathe a sigh of relief: you spoke up, and they listened.
After months of messages, petitions, and pressure on elected officials in Albany, we stopped the MTA’s “doomsday” scenario. Thanks to your efforts, millions of New Yorkers have been saved from 25-70% fare hikes, elimination of dozens of bus and subway lines, and steep cuts in service everywhere.
Your voices really did make this happen. Impassioned transit riders sent more than 25,000 messages to New York State Senators during the last month through www.HaltTheHike.org - nearly 1,000 per day since we launched the campaign.
Yesterday, Albany legislators responded by finally agreeing on an alternative MTA funding plan that will provide the MTA with billions in badly needed revenue and put in place some much-needed reforms.
As with anything in politics, the plan that passed in Albany is far from perfect. Transit fares will still increase — something we’re never happy about — but they will be nowhere near the massive hikes originally proposed. A 50-cent surcharge on taxis could fall on the drivers who are scraping to get by as it is.
And the deal only begins to address the need for long-term repairs, improvements and expansions to our subway, bus, and train systems. The fight for an affordable, reliable mass transit system goes on.
But today, we’re taking a moment to celebrate, and you should, too. Together, we achieved real results for millions of New Yorkers.
We here at the Working Families Party were overwhelmed by the level of grassroots enthusiasm and support for this campaign –a bigger response than almost any project we’ve ever undertaken.
Together, we will continue fighting for the fundamental issues that matter most to middle and working-class New Yorkers: dependable transit, affordable housing, quality health care, excellent education, and making New York a place that works for working people.
Here’s one thing you can do right now: chip in $25, $35, $60 or whatever you can afford to support our work.
Thank you for all that you did.
-Dan Cantor
WFP Executive Director
