Thursday, December 11, 2008

Behold! - "The Crown Jewel of Underused Property"

Caption: 370 really does have it all - sidewalk shed, pealing paint, planters full of trash, burnt out light bulbs

Finally! Someone gets what I am saying! Check out this Op-Ed. A Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute came to the same conclusion that I did - the MTA must sell unused buildings before they raise fares.

Also, the Op-Ed recognizes the disgraceful and disrespectful condition of the building. "The crown jewel of underused property - standing in shocking deterioration for all to see - is the 13-story Board of Transportation Building at 370 Jay St., on top of Brooklyn's Jay St.-Borough Hall subway station."

Oh, and apparently we have a new name for 370 Jay Street - 'legacy real estate'. "One former official calls this a 'classic case of legacy real estate. The agency owns it and has no incentive to sell it.'" Here's an incentive - YOU'RE BROKE!!! C'mon, the MTA is flouting this one right in front of our face. Of course the author, Ms. Vitullo-Martin, says this a little more officially - "Taxpayers are entitled to an accounting before they are asked to bear yet another set of fare and tax increases."

Yeah, lets get a little accounting . . . and a building that isn't a slap in the face.

This is easy. The MTA needs money, we need clean subway stations and a landlord that won't run important buildings into the ground.

[PS - Lets get a shout-out for this blog the next time someone writes about the MTA selling its vacant buildings.]

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Assessing Assets!


The good news? Some politicos get it. And NY1 is getting the story right. Councilmembers Gioia and Yassky want to make sure that the MTA is operating efficiently before they start jacking up fares or cutting services. Text and video report here.

Bad news? Same story from the MTA. Doesn't that quote just make you feel okay about things? Oh, well then, if you are continually assessing your assets then there must be NO opportunities out there. At all. Anywhere. But wait, hold on, what's that massive vacant building on top of that joke of a subway station, right in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn? You cant miss it.

You might want to start assessing the assessors that are continually assessing your assets. Cause I got an idea that will cost you nothing but will generate enough revenue to clean that embarrassment of a subway station and many others. Here it goes:
Step 1: Sell 370 Jay Street
Step 2: Use the revenue to clean subway stations.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Comptroller says - "Cut the Fat"!!!

Look at this! The State Comptroller also thinks that the MTA is not very cost effective. The first sentence of the NY Post story pretty much sums it up:
"The MTA is weighed down with managers, marketing types and p.r. staffers - fat the agency should trim before it slashes service, hikes fares or creates new bridge tolls, state auditors told The Post."
You can read the rest of the story here. Of course I would add that the MTA has valuable assets that it lets sit around unused for years and years. The Post doesn't talk about those things, but it should. Maybe that is their next exclusive (HINT HINT - Send me an email!).

Of course, everyone knows that the MTA has lots of fat to cut. In fact between this blog and The Post I bet we could cover half of the budget gap. How is that?! How are we letting the MTA raise fares to $3 before we demand that they run a lean operation? How are we letting them cut service when there are many other ways to reduce the budget? Its bad enough that we give these people money and we accept that they cannot maintain their decrepit stations. Lets get a little accounting going! Sell that vacant, decrepit building that is an insult to riders and passers-by, let someone else take care of it and use the revenue for station maintenance.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

MTA Fiscal Crisis? Cut the Fat!!!

If you haven't heard, the MTA is in a huge fiscal crisis. They announced on Monday that it is even worse than previously projected. $300 million worse. The hole for 2009 is $1.2 billion. But good news, the MTA is looking at every possible way to cut the budget and raise revenues. Look at the graphic from the New York Post, they are even considering selling 370 Jay Street. That way someone else can take care of that building instead of running into the ground at the rider's expense.

Okay, they aren't doing that. And I admit it, maybe I doctored that image a bit. But they SHOULD be looking at every way to cut the budget.

Now, I know, people tell me that the sale of 370 Jay Street is small potatoes. I don't get that attitude. Its tens of millions of dollars that the MTA gets at no cost because the space is vacant. Yes, thats not all of the deficit, but that doesn't mean that you don't look at these things.

And on top of that, after they sell it we all benefit from a suitable station that doesn't insult riders. Cut the budget AND BETTER SERVICE! Also it seems to me that before you start raising fares and asking for taxpayer dollars, people would want assurances that you have cut all the fat. I bet the Governor is going through his budget with a fine tooth comb before he cuts services. He doesn't fire 100 teachers because that $70 million he could add to revenues is small potatoes.

If your kid asked for more allowance wouldn't you want to make sure that they were spending their money wisely?:
"I need more allowance, Dad. I don't have enough to pay for my lunches"
"Oh really, what have you been spending it on?"
"Lets see - clothes for school, books and every week I make a paper airplane out of a twenty dollar bill and fly it out the window".
"Well, why don't you try using that $20 bill to pay for your lunches?"
"But I need more money!"

You see what I'm getting at here?

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Our Flag Was Still There!

This looks great!
On November 4th, 2008 the United States of America elected it's new President, Barrack Obama. Many Americans were very excited by this news and took to dancing in the streets and waving flags. The MTA was also pretty excited as can be seen by their impressive display of American patriotism and New York State pride. But wait, hold on, look at that flag! Is that a holdover from when LBJ was president and Rockefeller was the Governor? Or maybe they are reenacting the moment in history recounted in the Star Spangled banner. This raggedy American flag sure looks like its been through a war. And I dont think that New York flag (if thats what it is) has been unfurled in years. Its permanently wrapped around that pole.

If you look closer you can see that the MTA does not miss a detail when going for that 1970s-Belfast look. The sidewalk shed is an obvious place to start, and tattered flags add a nice effect, but the MTA rounds out the look with some very nice boards in the windows. Classic.

I know what you are thinking: "okay, MTApleaseFixJay, we know the MTA is neglectful and can't maintain anything, but they are in a budget crisis, what can they do?"

Well, I bet you didn't know this. They could sell that building for at least $100 million. Its prime time real estate, right in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn and on top of a subway station. And as we know from an earlier post and by just looking at the thing, its been vacant for years. They could sell it and make money - thats a good idea. But what are they going to do instead? Put $150 million into the building - thats a bad idea. They say so here. Where are they getting this $150 million? Who knows? And why do the improvements cost more than the building is worth? Who knows? But doesn't it make you proud to be an American?

"Oh say, does thaaaaat star spangled banneeeeerrrrr yeeeeeet waaaaaaave"!!!!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Still Cool to Park In Bus Stops

It's So ConvenientThe next post WILL NOT be about vehicles parked in bus stops, but this is too hard to ignore! My previous posts address the situation where the bus stops outside of Jay Street-Borough Hall subway station are always full with parked cars. But today the offense was too egregious to ignore, so I present it again. I've got some pretty crappy photoshop skills, but I think that the images explain the situation here pretty well. Clearly the MTA vehicle is parked in the bus stop preventing any bus from pulling into the bus stop. And clearly the bus rider is forced to stand in the middle of the road to wait for the bus. Trust me, if you don't stand in the middle of the road to flag the bus down, they will go right by you. (And of course there is a police vehicle also parked in the bus stop, but if the MTA cannot stop their own vehicles from parking in the bus stop they surely cannot stop police vehicles from parking there).

DAMN THE RIDERS!


And yes, this is the same bus stop, on the same day, but this is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MTA vehicle parked in the bus stop. And yes, that is a completely different bus rider waiting in the middle of the street for the opportunity to flag down their bus. Well played MTA, well played. At least I dont have to take down my supercool counter!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

MTA Worker Parks in Bus Stop

PARKING IN BUS STOPS IS COOL!Check it out! You thought I was exaggerating when I said that sometimes MTA people park in the bus stops. But its true, and I have a great picture of it. At good ol' Jay Street-Borough Hall station anything goes! I was worried that I would have to take done my cool Best Friends Forever countdown timer. But I got lucky today and there were cars parked the full length of the bus stops. (There always are actually). And this time an MTA worker parked there. So lucky! This means I can keep up the timer that counts how long its been since the MTA cleared the bus stop of parked cars. Its in the last post if you want to check.

Oh but this is doubly great because not only is it a bus stop, but you can see the car is parked directly in front of the "No Permit Parking" sign. I guess that doesn't matter anyway cause these guys don't need permits, they just put an MTA vest in the dashboard. But who cares? Park wherever you want, even if you are completely impeding bus service.


DANCING IN THE STREETS!

The MTA has gone from plain old neglect to out-and-out hostility. "You are still waiting for a bus here?! This ramshackle sidewalk shed you have to stand under isnt crappy enough? How about this rickity grate you have to stand on while you wait? What about this pathetic bus sign that is falling over? Still here? Well how about we make you walk through this major truck route to get to the bus. That should keep riders away!"


HOPE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WALK TOO FAR, MTA WORKER!

(Editors note. The middle picture with the people walking through the middle of the road is actually from a different day. I didnt get a good picture today but I want you to see where the MTA person parked so I labeled it for you. Either way, the effect is the same- people dancing in the streets! This picture shows the car and the bus. That bus just let people of right there. You can see its on the other side of the bike lane. Thanks MTA!)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Embodiment of Neglect

GROSS STUFF!This image sums it up pretty well: the Jay Street-Borough Hall station is a disaster. How many years of pigeon build-up is that? You would have to do some serious boring tests to figure that one out, but I'm going to say ten years. Check out my timer below, lets see how long it takes to fix that. Oh, and how about that paint? Looking good.




UNSIGHTLY STUFF!This is a good one. How long has this sidewalk thing been up? Ten years? And what does it do exactly? I'm more afraid of this thing falling on my head than anything from the building. They should build a sidewalk shed for the sidewalk shed. We could all just crawl under it. It does give that cool 1980's burned-out city look though. Street cred is everything! Oh and check this out - apparently the MTA owns this building, and its vacant. In fact its been vacant for years (obviously). These guys want the MTA to sell it. Please do, I think Joe Pesci, from The Super would be a better landlord.
Here's another counter:


DANGEROUS STUFF!


This is my last one. Ever notice how there is ALWAYS a car parked at the bus stop on this street. I mean every single time. Why doesn't the MTA do anything about this? Its great when the bus stops right in the middle of the street. And then these little old ladies have to walk all the way over to the bus, through traffic traffic, while avoiding getting hit by a bicyclist. Meanwhile traffic is at a complete standstill behind the bus. Cant they tow the cars from the bus stop? I know, here it looks like police vehicles, but trust me, there's all kinds of cars parked there. (Sometimes its MTA cars!). Here's another counter. How long till you think these bus stops are clear? I ride almost every day, so I'll notice. Lets start this countdown from today: