Brooklyn, NY - Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D-Park Slope) released a survey today asking constituents how they would fix the MTA.

Carroll, who announced a six point plan to fix the MTA in July, includes many of those ideas, as well as questions about congestion pricing, a millionaire’s tax and a vehicle miles traveled tax on the survey.

“Before I return to Albany on October 17th to discuss our plan to fix the MTA in the Assembly, I want to hear from my constituents about what they think the best idea is.” Carroll said.

The survey asks constituents to rank the following 7 proposals on a scale of 1 to 5 and for their favorite idea overall.

• Do you support Congestion Pricing as a way to fund better services for the MTA? (Tolling the East River bridges, charging drivers to cross 60th Street while lowering tolls on bridges that do not enter the Central Business District)
• Do you support a Millionaires Tax as a way to fund better service for the MTA? (Increase the city’s highest income tax rate to 4.4 percent from about 3.9 percent, for married couples with incomes above $1 million and individuals who make more than $500,000
• Do you support the Assembly Floating a Bond in order to raise more funds for the MTA? (The Legislature can pass a bill so that voters of the state of New York can approve a general obligation bond to be floated by the State of New York for $4.5 billion dollars so that the state can infuse the MTA Capital Budget with much needed funds so that the MTA could modernize signals and switches and purchase modern open gangway subway cars.)
• Do you support a Taxi/Ride Sharing Surcharge in order to raise more funds for the MTA? (Increase Yellow/Green Taxi surcharge to $1 and add this surcharge to black cars, Uber and other ride sharing applications)
• Do you support the Governor calling an Efficiency Task Force in order to root out waste for the MTA? (The Governor can convene a task force to find out why it costs so much to operate and root out waste and inefficiencies)
• Do you support dedicating some of the State’s Personal Income Tax to the MTA? (Dedicate a small percentage of state personal income tax from counties served by the MTA towards the MTA’s capital expenses)
• Do you support a new vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) tax as a better way to fund the MTA? (Charges motorists based on their road usage measured in mileage, using new technology to record and transmit miles for periodic billing and payment)

“Unfortunately, the MTA crisis has continued beyond the ‘Summer of Hell’ and it’s time that we come together as leaders to address the needs of our transit infrastructure,” Carroll said “I do not pretend to have all the answers, but we must get all the ideas on the table and act.”

Carroll visited the 7th Avenue F Train this morning during the morning commute and gathered over 100 responses to the survey.

Carroll plans to visit every subway station in the 44th District before he goes back to Albany on October 17th. Constituents also have the option of filling out the survey on Carroll’s website.

Carroll’s office will release the findings of the survey later this month.