Money Woes for MTA

In the midst of the news that the MTA may be considering to raise the fare of discounted MetroCards is a report from the Regional Plan Association, which says the MTA needs billions of dollars it doesn't have to fund everyday maintenance as well as replace and upgrade tracks and equipment. A proposed increase to discounted cards, as well as service cuts, would only give the MTA hundreds of millions of dollars - Lord only knows where the billions would come from. The RPA proposes a 5 year capital program to raise $26 billion, to help fund projects like the Second Avenue Subway. Gothamist found it interesting that one of the reasons the MTA has so many financial problems is because there's virtually no more city or state funding - it's only at 2%, versus 30% during the 80s. It's a mystery the subways run at all!

Here's the RPA's executive summary as well as the full paper.

And in other subway news, a token clerk told a man selling subway swipes at the West 23rd Street 1/9 station that selling swipes was illegal. The "skell," as the Post called the criminal, walked over to the token booth, poured something through the little slot where you give money and get your MetroCard, and lit the liquid on fire. Luckily, the booth had a "fire suppression" system that put the fire out. As Gothamist has said before, buy your own MetroCard - no swipes for you!