Monorails, reinstating the 'commuter tax,' and a city takeover of the MTA are among the proposals being bandied about by the candidates vying to become New York City's next mayor. Just one problem: they're all pie in the sky, say observers.
"For decades, City Hall hopefuls have wooed voters by promising better commutes—but when those candidates actually get elected, they find that it is hard to turn their plans into reality," writes Ted Mann. "In the 1920s, Mayor John Hylan campaigned on building a subway to Staten Island. More recently, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani wanted a train connection to La Guardia Airport. Both didn't happen."
"This year, many candidates are promising a similarly difficult feat: taking over the MTA."
"Transportation is a much more complex policy arena than the candidates understand. They're very comfortable speaking without any understanding of what the mayor can and cannot do," said Mitchell Moss, who directs the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University.
The New York Times Editorial Board has weighed in on the topic as well.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research