Private vs Public (Transit)
- Thread starter alrha
- Start date
- Location
- Queens, NY
Their are pros and cons to each sector, however I personally go with public.
R32Brightliner
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester, NY
Private subway lines. Hmmm... old concept that is revisited.
The NYC Transit System as we know it today acutally evolved from many different private sector subway lines. The City (NYC) actually purchased many different private subway lines throughout the 40's and 50's to make what we know today as the NYC Rapid Transit. For those that are subway buffs, this is all part of the Dual Contract thing (as far as I remember).
Some private lines were having trouble staying afloat financially. Also, the city thought it would be better to have it all centralized. Buses were private too but lines were eventually incorporated into the NYC Surface Transit as we know it today.
Parts of the Rockaway Line (A), Flushing (7), Dyre Av (5) part in the Bronx (which actually went to Connecticut but was cut short once city got it because the sururbanites did not want NYC Bums and Thugs riding the subway into their precious communities) are just some to the lines the city incorporated.
The city actually as I know it is not really responsible for our Rapid or Surface Transit. Yes, the city gives money to them to assist in their daily operations, but it is actually run by a private board of overseaers who do not have any ties to municipal politics or positions whatsoever. Prior to this private board, rapid transit in NYC was governed by NYC government as far as I recall. The switch was made because city officials did not want to be held directly responsible for any transit problems or mishaps...
The NYC Transit System as we know it today acutally evolved from many different private sector subway lines. The City (NYC) actually purchased many different private subway lines throughout the 40's and 50's to make what we know today as the NYC Rapid Transit. For those that are subway buffs, this is all part of the Dual Contract thing (as far as I remember).
Some private lines were having trouble staying afloat financially. Also, the city thought it would be better to have it all centralized. Buses were private too but lines were eventually incorporated into the NYC Surface Transit as we know it today.
Parts of the Rockaway Line (A), Flushing (7), Dyre Av (5) part in the Bronx (which actually went to Connecticut but was cut short once city got it because the sururbanites did not want NYC Bums and Thugs riding the subway into their precious communities) are just some to the lines the city incorporated.
The city actually as I know it is not really responsible for our Rapid or Surface Transit. Yes, the city gives money to them to assist in their daily operations, but it is actually run by a private board of overseaers who do not have any ties to municipal politics or positions whatsoever. Prior to this private board, rapid transit in NYC was governed by NYC government as far as I recall. The switch was made because city officials did not want to be held directly responsible for any transit problems or mishaps...
it sounds like that may be part of the problem, it is in some sort of limbo. it is not private and it is not directly under the city, as such the city does not take full responsibility for it and you end up with a mess like this and nobody really stepping up to the plate (from the city).
Personally, i would trust the city running it (I believe Bloomberg wants to). They do a rather good job with sanitation, with parks, with emergency services, etc. and i would think they could be trusted with the transit as well. it would make sense as we have all seen now how integral mass transit is to the city.
At the same time, i always am in favor of privatization and competition as those often result in improved efficiency and quality - but of course this contains some risk as the city is not in full control.
perhaps privatization with strong regulation may make sense (similar to yellow taxis? where there are also private car service to compete, but at the same time they are regulated enough to make sure they serve the public properly)
Personally, i would trust the city running it (I believe Bloomberg wants to). They do a rather good job with sanitation, with parks, with emergency services, etc. and i would think they could be trusted with the transit as well. it would make sense as we have all seen now how integral mass transit is to the city.
At the same time, i always am in favor of privatization and competition as those often result in improved efficiency and quality - but of course this contains some risk as the city is not in full control.
perhaps privatization with strong regulation may make sense (similar to yellow taxis? where there are also private car service to compete, but at the same time they are regulated enough to make sure they serve the public properly)
I wish that they would make us a private sector. We were fighting to have our job titles amended so that we could use the professional titles that or jobs usually fall under in the city workplace. The Transit/MTA board said no because quote "That would require us to pay salaries comenserate with the titles appointed to Union workers that are trained in specific skills that would be higher than what we pay them now." They went on to say that in the titles that we work now they could amend our work duties to suit the needs of the system without adhering to the pay scale of titled employees. (Broadbanding)
That is why in our contract we have a clause that if we work more than 10% outside of our daily duties we get a premium pay for that job also. I forget how it works. My title in the outside private sector is demanding a starting salary of $41- $75 per hour. Most jobs that transit has workers applying for demand premium pay if you are trained and go to the private sector.
The great thing about city employment is the ability to get on the job training for these positions and the benefits. Also private sector jobs are few and far between. Electricians can be on the bench for months without any work at all. These jobs guarantee a paycheck every 2 weeks and medical. This is why the prospect for city employment is so high. Just to let you know, NYCTA and the MTA have the most highly trained workforce in the nation if not the world. Most of us have degrees at some level (Master/bachelors degree). Even the station cleaners have degrees
This is not to say that there aren't some drawbacks to public employment as we have all seen and that is the tip of the iceberg. It all comes down to this, public or private you will always have problems when dealing in a workplace that has more than 50 employees that have needs and wants. You dont have to be in a union to walk off the job and cause problems if they do it en masse.
Kasei
That is why in our contract we have a clause that if we work more than 10% outside of our daily duties we get a premium pay for that job also. I forget how it works. My title in the outside private sector is demanding a starting salary of $41- $75 per hour. Most jobs that transit has workers applying for demand premium pay if you are trained and go to the private sector.
The great thing about city employment is the ability to get on the job training for these positions and the benefits. Also private sector jobs are few and far between. Electricians can be on the bench for months without any work at all. These jobs guarantee a paycheck every 2 weeks and medical. This is why the prospect for city employment is so high. Just to let you know, NYCTA and the MTA have the most highly trained workforce in the nation if not the world. Most of us have degrees at some level (Master/bachelors degree). Even the station cleaners have degrees
This is not to say that there aren't some drawbacks to public employment as we have all seen and that is the tip of the iceberg. It all comes down to this, public or private you will always have problems when dealing in a workplace that has more than 50 employees that have needs and wants. You dont have to be in a union to walk off the job and cause problems if they do it en masse.
Kasei
I forgot to say. All of the people that want to vote Private for the Transit system should realize one thing. Private has to pay more to it's employees. Therefore you pay more to the the system to ride. The MTA had a plan to change everything over to make more money (For who I dont know because no matter how much they make they dont give anything back to the city except improvements to the infrastructure of the system). It entailed charging riders for the lenth of the ride instead of a flat fare. This is the only transit system in the world that runs 24/7 and charges a flat fare for the distance as long as ours. Other transit systems are MUCH shorter and charge flat rates but are no comparison to ours. Now where would everyone be in the workforce if they couldn't get to work cheaply and had to pay Metro North/LIRR type of fares everyday??
Kasei
PS: I voted Private because I make more that way
Kasei
PS: I voted Private
because I make more that way 
- Location
- The Big City
The only reason the mayor wants to take over the trains/bus is the get a hold of the budget $$$$ and be able to play with it, as he has responsible for some things, like the cops and such, but not the whole purse strings. Also the people that are usually screaming for privatization of everything are the ones looking to make off the deal. Usually results don't improve efficiency and only result in higher costs in the end to the consumers.
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