Bloomberg broke his MTA promises

From the Daily News:

Perhaps you can use the extra time on your commute to think about how Mayor Bloomberg promised you free crosstown buses last summer.

It was the splashiest part of his 34-point transit plan: He said most riders on the M50 and other crosstown routes use free transfers off another bus or subway, so charging them was a waste of time.

"The lost revenue is trivial," he said. "We've done the survey."

The mayor promised more: The F train would start running express on unused tracks again. Three closed LIRR stations in Queens would reopen. Staten Island would get a train line on the North Shore.

A year later, none of that has come true. The MTA doesn't have enough money to keep all its trains and buses running, much less expand them or let people ride them for free.

One insider says Bloomberg's city staff never thought free buses could work, even as the campaign staff ran with it.

"That was the laugher," he said. "He had to know it was a joke. Nice campaign fodder, though."

The big things take money, however - money the city and the MTA don't have.

When a Staten Islander asked Bloomberg a few weeks ago if he could help with the bus cuts, the mayor brushed him off and said his hands were tied.

"You are getting the short end of the stick, and you should be out there screaming," Bloomberg said. "I don't know what else to tell you."