MTA accessibility work speaks for itself
Manhattan: Re “Will the MTA ever be able to master elevators?” (editorial, Aug. 3): The Editorial Board frequently has good insights on transit, but this time you got it wrong. Today’s MTA doesn’t wait to be sued to prioritize accessibility. It’s a daily mission. We’ve dramatically expanded accessibility since 2020, completing 60 ADA projects across the subway and commuter railroads. Another 38 stations are currently under construction, with dozens more coming. Once completed, 70% of all subway rides will start or end at an accessible station.
The legal settlement with accessibility advocates was the product of a nine-year litigation in which claims were narrowed as elevator availability surged to 96-98% every month. The deal mostly called for us to continue what we were doing to keep riders informed. We make announcements in stations and on trains, post a ton of signage, and elevator status is available on our website. Savvy Newsers know this. As for “crummy” Access-A-Ride service, 80% of paratransit customers say they’re satisfied with their last trip, significantly higher than ratings for the subway and bus. Ridership has exploded to more than 1 million trips per month, almost doubling pre-COVID numbers.
We challenge the Daily News to share the facts about MTA’s progress. We’re objectively improving the customer experience for people with disabilities — people like me — who use transit and paratransit to get around New York.
Quemuel Arroyo, chief accessibility officer, MTA
Inadequate insurance
Manhattan: To Voicer Richard Simon: I’m a retired physician who specialized in geriatric care, and I agree that Medicare Advantage is a poor option for seniors, including myself. All my patients had Medicare, and when they asked me about Medicare Advantage, I told them they should take it if they expect to never get sick or if they can’t afford Medigap policies to cover the 20% copayment in traditional Medicare. During my practice from 1990 to 2025, I never had to get a prior authorization from Medicare except for medications supplied by Pharmacy Benefits Managers (another form of managed care). Medicare Advantage does pay for Medicare exclusions like dental and ophthalmology costs along with some medical equipment, so it saves enrollees on these expenses. But the greatest restrictions occurred in rehabilitation, whether at home or in a facility, where the Advantage programs were the most restrictive.
Alec Pruchnicki
Workers, unite
Bronx: Emma Pfohman and Gregory J. Morris (“The real economy facing NYC EDC’s new president,” op-ed, Aug. 1) inform us that an expanding capitalism feeds off exploited labor (a gentleman by the name of Karl Marx told us all about that). They don’t say that in so many words, but no other moral can be drawn from their message. They enumerate various corporate/government “programs” — talent pipelines, apprenticeships, employer partnerships and career partnerships (whatever that means) — to alleviate this situation. Yes, let’s leave it to the capitalists to fix capitalism. The best solution is to force them to pay a living wage from the get-go, and probably the only way to do that is a powerful, all-inclusive and fearless union movement, which they do everything in their power to thwart.
Ed Beller
Communism’s creep
Ormond Beach, Fla.: Winston Churchill was one of the most prominent and influential public figures of the 20th century. His strong convictions and unwavering determination to defend freedom and democracy left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire. His ideology was shaped by a combination of conservative principles, a belief in democracy and a commitment to defending freedom and liberty. He hated communism and was the first to use the term “Iron Curtain” to describe the oppression Russia imposed upon Eastern Europe after World War II. The enemies today are no longer on the battlefields, dropping bombs from the air or firing on our ships from under the sea. They’re in our classrooms indoctrinating our children, in the media, performing arts and professional sports, and in every part of our lives where they can erode the minds and hearts of our will to be free.
Charles Michael Sitero
One-sided visit
Brooklyn: To Voicer Warren Davis: Rep. Ro Khanna was briefly detained by West Bank settlers and then freed by the IDF to proceed. It might interest you to know that he refused to meet with survivors of Oct. 7 and former hostages despite their several attempts to schedule a meeting.
Lawrence Freedland
Gratuitous violence
Kew Gardens: Israel bombed Gaza on Sunday, killing 19 and wounding 70, mostly women and children. As devastated as Gaza is already, with more than 70,000 inhabitants killed, the continued bombing of that territory is an abomination. What’s happening in Gaza is excessive retribution, and many Americans do not support that carnage, as recent polls pertaining to Israel indicate. The current administration and Congress have to reign in Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza. If not, we’ll see that issue negatively affect elections on both sides of the aisle, particularly since some democratic socialists are making that issue a part of their platform for change, while they juxtapose war spending and replenishment against the financial deficiencies facing American families.
Glenn Hayes
No guarantee
Brooklyn: Not for nothing, America, but you do know that Todd Blanche’s written promise isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, right? Mark my words.
June Lowe
Unsound selections
Manhattan: Just like we have to fault our king for his incompetent choices in his cabinet, we have to blame Steve Cohen for his choice of David Stearns as Mets general manager. Plus, he’s keeping him on for another year! After Stearns ruined the team with last year’s trades, he has now made some awful trades this year for farm team prospects. Do we have to wait another year for a championship team? Thank you, Mr. Cohen.
Mary Longobardi
Trumped-up charge
Manhattan: Jeanine Pirro came to the realization / That the Reflecting Pool case wasn’t winnable, so she dismissed it / President Trump says she folded like an umbrella / Proving once again, he truly is an idiot / He still insists it was vandalism / That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
Phoebe Celentano
Case dismissed
Scranton, Pa.: Trump said Jeannie Pirro folded like an umbrella / When she decided to drop the case against that Olympian fella / It wasn’t he that made the Reflecting Pool gash / To the chagrin of Trump and FBI Director Kash. Now, can we move on to the measles, diarrhea lettuce and salmonella?
Vin Morabito
Unfit to sit
Brooklyn: Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said in a post about his ex-son-in-law, “If there are basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives.” So I have to ask Moreno: How do you feel about and/or explain Trump?
Robert Braunstein
