Published Aug. 3, 2024, 11:03 a.m. ET

By Matthew Sedacca

Seven Staten Island pols are pressing Gov. Hochul to remove an MTA board member who recommended stripping the forgotten borough of its promised new railcars. 

The reps penned a letter to the governor excoriating the “outwardly hostile bias and callousness” of nonvoting MTA board member Norman Brown at a June committee meeting on the now-paused $15 congestion pricing tolling program.  

Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber unveiling new linked subway cars in New York City
Staten Island pols wrote a letter to Gov. Hochul demanding she remove MTA board member Norman Brown Matthew McDermott
MTA Board Member Norman Brown sitting at a meeting regarding the new L train plan in New York City
Brown suggested stripping Staten Island of its promised new railcars given the borough lawmakers’ opposition to congestion pricing. Erik Thomas/NY Post

Brown asked whether the 75 state-of-the-art R211S cars ordered up for the Staten Island Railway could be used on the city’s subway system “since representatives from Staten Island …do not support the capital plan.” 

“Today, we are asking you to remove Mr. Brown from his position on the MTA Board,” reads the July 29 missive signed by Republican Assemblymen Sam Pirozzolo, Michael Tannousis and Michael Reilly, Borough President Vito Fossella, state Sen. Andrew Lanza, City Council Minority Leader Joseph Borelli and Councilman David Carr. 

“The complete contempt Mr. Brown exhibited for Staten Islanders was a masterclass in bureaucratic ignorance.”

Brown, a Metro-North labor rep labor for the board, said he welcomed the pols’ campaign to have him booted.

“They’ll be doing me a favor,” Brown quipped.

Kawasaki R211S rolling along the Staten Island Railway
The new R211S cars are slated to replace the current trains on the Staten Island Railway that date back to the 1970s. Reddit bluecew

Staten Island reps “have too much time on their hands … if they’re worried about me being on the board, but it’d be fine with me if they took me off,” he said.

Hochul’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

https://nypost.com/2024/08/03/us-news/staten-island-pols-urge-hochul-yank-mta-board-member