Jeffries To Turn Up the Heat On MTA Blizzard Response

Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries plans to shine a spotlight on the MTA for its response to last month’s blizzard.

Jeffries, who represents parts of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, said he would use his influence as member of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions — which has oversight over the MTA — to hold the state-run authority accountable.

“All the attention has gone to Mayor Bloomberg and City Hall,” said Jeffries on Wednesday, addressing a meeting of Community Board 2. “But it is clear that the MTA also failed during the snowstorm.”

In the wake of the that left much of Brooklyn at a standstill for days, train service was either spotty or canceled altogether. Horror stories quickly circulated about passengers stranded on the subway, including an infamous seven-hour ordeal on the A train.

“The Assemblyman plans to press the chair of the committee for oversight hearings regarding the MTA’s performance,” said Lupe Todd, a spokeswoman for Jeffries.

The authority has already had its fair share of hearings. On Friday, a senior MTA official acknowledged “serious failures” in response to the snowstorm. Thomas Prendergast, the president of New York City Transit, pointed to two primary problems: a lack of preparation and a failure to coordinate all information as it came in during the hectic aftermath of the storm, according to the New York Times.

But that admission likely isn’t enough for Jeffries.

“We’re going to make sure we hold them accountable,” he said.

A message with the MTA press department was not returned.