STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Local elected officials are tired of Staten Islanders having no say in the MTA.
Earlier this week, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), alongside a bipartisan group of local politicians, sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams imploring him to nominate a Staten Island resident to the MTA board, granting a seat at the table to the forgotten borough.
The letter was co-signed by Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore), Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island), Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore), Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore), Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn), Assemblyman Michael Reilly (R-South Shore) and State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island).
“Today we write to inform you of the evident disparity within the appointment of MTA Board Members that leaves Staten Island, a borough that relies heavily upon public transportation, as the only borough without a member on the board,” stated the letter.
In June, former Staten Island resident Sherif Soliman was appointed to the MTA board by Adams, though he no longer resides within the borough.
“We believe there is an opportunity to rectify this and ensure there is at least one member residing in each borough serving on the board,” the letter continued.
The elected officials noted that one of the current members, David R. Jones, remains on the board as a holdover, with his term having expired on Dec. 31, 2021.
This gives the mayor the opportunity to nominate a Staten Islander to succeed Jones and represent the borough’s interests on various hot-button issues, including limited transit options, bridge tolls and congestion pricing.
“Being the most transportation starved borough in New York City, Staten Island has been plagued by limited public transportation options that significantly hinder commuters’ abilities to travel throughout the Island and into the surrounding boroughs,” according to the letter.
The communication went on to discuss the importance of having a Staten Island resident on the board in order to advocate for the stalled transit improvement projects the borough desperately needs.
“There are important projects that the community has been fighting for, such as the Staten Island North Shore Bus Rapid Transit and the West Shore Rail, and it is critical that we have a voice on the board to advocate for their fruition,” the letter said. “We urge you to swiftly appoint a representative from Staten Island to the MTA Board to meet the needs and concerns of the community.”
A representative from the Mayor’s Office said the administration is reviewing the letter.
Staten Island has been without an MTA board representative since March 2019, when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo replaced then-member Peter Ward.
Shortly after the change was announced, Malliotakis penned a letter to Cuomo and former Mayor Bill de Blasio to express her discontent.
“I can’t express how disappointing it is that with these changes, there is no board member from Staten Island to effectively represent our community,” Malliotakis wrote at the time. “Staten Island is the the most transportation-starved borough in New York City, the only borough that lacks a subway system and is the only borough that requires a bridge toll to connect to the rest of the city.”
