Lack Of Trust Plagues MTA, Poll Finds

By: Bobby Cuza

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An exclusive NY1 poll shows New Yorkers' opinions of the MTA and its way of conducting business falls short, especially when it comes to the issue of trust. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

After Albany approved a rescue plan for the MTA earlier this month, Governor David Paterson declared his intention to clean house.

"The one thing that I learned through this process is that the public doesn't trust anything the MTA says," said Paterson.

The results of the latest NY1 poll* seem to back up the governor.

A combined 61 percent of those polled said they trust little or nothing the MTA says. Twenty four percent said they trust some, and just eight percent trust most of what the MTA says.

"Well, it seems to me a couple of years there was a surplus of money. Now suddenly there's trillions of dollars of debt that they're in, and I just don't trust what they think or say," said one New Yorker.

"They kind of echo the governor's sentiment in thinking that you can't believe a whole lot of what the MTA says," said NY1 pollster Mickey Blum.

In fact, much of the MTA's problems stem from billions of dollars of debt it was forced to take on because the state cut funding to the agency.

But New Yorkers don't see Albany as the problem; 47 percent say the MTA is at fault for the current economic crisis. Just 22 percent blame state lawmakers, and 17 percent blame the governor, with 14 percent unsure.

Meanwhile, subway and bus fares will go up about 10 percent next month. Then, unless the economy gets significantly worse, the MTA says it won't have to raise fares again until 2011. But skeptical New Yorkers don't buy it.

Almost two-thirds -- 65 percent -- think there will be another fare hike within a year. Only 23 percent think this will be the only fare hike this year.

"People expect that there will be another fare hike. They don't think this is the end of it," said Blum.

If forced to choose between paying more or getting less, 43 percent say they'd rather see another fare hike. Thirty six percent would prefer service cuts, 19 percent were unsure.

"As unpleasant as a fare hike is, people would rather see another fare hike than see cut in services," said Blum.

Of course, they'd most like to see neither, but given the MTA's financial troubles, that is currently not an option.

*The telephone poll of 754 New York City residents was conducted for NY1 by Baruch College Survey Research from May 12th through the 16th. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.