Marc Molinaro, the Republican candidate for governor, called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday to replace MTA chairman Joe Lhota after warning the transit system is in a “death spiral.”
“With all due respect to the governor, he’s lost all credibility on this issue,” Molinaro said during a press conference at Grand Central Terminal.
“Instead of focusing on a real signal switch replacement plan, they’ve been allowed to fund things like lights on bridges and the governor’s interfering with the color of tunnel tiles,” Molinaro said.
“The system here is in a spiral downward, a death spiral.”
He said Lhota — who was brought back last year as the MTA boss to improve deteriorating service — had to go.
“It is time for new leadership in the MTA. A full-time MTA chairman who has no burdens or entanglements and who can commit 100 percent of his or her time to the system.”
Lhota serves as MTA chairman in an unpaid capacity. He also has a paid position on the governing board of Madison Square Garden and is a top executive at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Molinaro said he would more aggressively use the governor’s emergency powers than Cuomo has to bolster train service.. He also said he’d release a more detailed transit improvement plan in a few weeks.
Cuomo campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith shot back, “Trump-mini me Marc Molinaro’s campaign is a joke, as are his proposals to ‘fix’ the MTA–many of which the governor already proposed himself.
“The governor appointed world class senior leadership at the MTA that has developed a comprehensive plan to modernize it. Molinaro’s attacks are as hollow as Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan.”
Lhota had no immediate comment.