The "Unity of the Transit Trinity" has been achieved.
A commitment to public transit by leaders at the local, state, and federal level in New York was on display this week in New York City. Three of the most powerful politicians who call New York City home—President Donald Trump, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Governor Andrew Cuomo—were all using public transit service at the exact same time on Friday, according to reports. Observers are referring to the event as the "Unity of the Transit Trinity."
President Trump entered the MTA subway at 57th Street at exactly 6:37 am, boarding an F Train to Penn Station, where he connected with an Amtrak Acela train to Washington, D.C. Eye witnesses report that President Trump spent the riding chatting with other riders about taking the transit from D.C. to West Palm Beach, Florida.
Governor Cuomo spent several hours, from 5:02 am until 7:15 am, on the same morning riding the Second Avenue Subway back and forth with staffers while brainstorming ideas for raising revenues and reducing construction costs for transit investment projects.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was seen entering the Fulton Street Subway Station with a gym bag, presumably bound for his gym in Park Slope, which he accesses with a quick 30-minute trip on the A/C and G lines.
Reporters have been eagerly awaiting confirmation of the "Unity of the Transit Trinity" since unverified rumors arose last month of Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio bumping into each other on the A Train and then proceeding to reenact the "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" and volleyball scenes from Top Gun. President Trump is famous for busking on MTA subway trains with a routine that included acrobatic displays on handrails and referring to himself "Straphanger Donny" throughout the 1980s.
This alignment of powerful politicians simultaneously riding the New York public transit system is likely to become a typical event in New York City, given the ardent support of critical capital investment in public transit shown by all three, regardless of the political consequences or any rivalry they feel with contemporary or previous politicians.
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