Gov. Andrew Cuomo Declares State Of Emergency For MTA « CBS New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Declares State Of Emergency For MTA « CBS New York:
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Just days after a subway derailment in Harlem, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will be signing an executive order declaring a state of emergency for the MTA.
The governor made the announcement Thursday at the Genius Transit Challenge Conference, an international competition with a $1 million prize to come up with solutions to improve the transit system’s reliability.

Cuomo said the state of emergency will “allow us to expedite many of the normal government processes.”
...While he said issues with the transit system have been going on for years, Cuomo said its “current state of decline is wholly unacceptable.”
“The delays are maddening New Yorkers,” he said. “We need ideas outside the box because, frankly, the box is broken.”
...This week, an A train derailment in Harlem left dozens injured. 
Officials said it appeared to have been caused by an improperly stored piece of rail and two track maintenance supervisors have now suspended without pay.
There have also been multiple breakdowns, delays and countless inconveniences for those who rely on the trains. 
Earlier this month, riders were left sweltering underground in a stuck F train.
...“If you underfund a public transit system by billions of dollars, eventually it’s going to melt down,” said Executive Director of the Riders Alliance, John Raskin.
“That eventually is now.”