New Yorkers overwhelmingly dissaprove of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the MTA, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University, and they gave the marks to prove it.
Nearly a quarter of New York City voters — 23 percent — gave Cuomo an “F” letter grade, while 28 percent gave him a “C.” Twenty-seven percent gave Cuomo a “B.”
“Subway riders are miserable — and they’re going to make Gov. Cuomo miserable too until he solves this problem,” said Nick Sifuentes, deputy director of the Riders Alliance.
The poor marks come as Cuomo’s statewide approval rating hits a near record low, according to Quinnipiac, which surveyed 1,137 New York voters. Less than half of New York State voters polled — 46 percent — approve of the way Cuomo is handling his job as governor.
Nevertheless, 38 percent of state voters feel he should make a White House run. While Cuomo’s office has rebuffed speculation that the governor is considering a presidential run, experts say prolonged subway issues could hurt any aspirations for higher office and weaken him in his home state.
“As much as the governor is being coy about it, I think he’s been thinking about this since he went to Albany to help his father,” said Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University. “His New York City numbers aren’t abysmal, but if the MTA continues on this trajectory it’s on, and if Cuomo continues to war with the mayor, we can easily see those city numbers slipping and slipping rapidly.”
Following an A train derailment in Harlem at the end of June, Cuomo declared a “state of emergency” for the agency, ordering a road map for improvements to be drafted within 60 days and a review of the MTA’s five-year capital program — outlining the agency’s most pressing needs — within 30 days.
“The current state of decline is wholly unacceptable and we’re going to do something about it now,” Cuomo said at the time.
