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The MTA is having a board meeting today and the big topic is fare hikes. As has been the scuttlebutt since the weekend, the MTA will be discussing an "overall increase in fare and toll revenues of 6.5 percent," according to board members who spoke to the NY Times. How that translates into actual numbers is unclear, but it does means the base per-ride fares and unlimited Metrocard monthly and weekly fares would probably rise.
Just last month, the Independent Budget Office said that the MTA would have to increase fares by 20% by 2010 if the state doesn't come through with funding. Already, the MTA is facing huge deficits in the next few years - $1.46 billion in 2009, $1.78 billion in 2010 (the agency doesn't expect any congestion pricing revenue until 2010) - and it's generally believed that windfalls from NYC real-estate taxes will not be great enough to offset the need for fare hikes.
It's believed the MTA would introduce fare/toll hikes in 2008 and 2010: In 2008, hikes as well as agency cuts (but not service cuts) would be implemented; in 2009, agency cuts but no fare hikes (just as Kalikow promised); in 2010, smaller fare/toll hikes and agency cuts; and in 2011, agency cuts only.
The base fare was last raised in 2003, going up 33% from $1.50 to $2.00. The weekly and monthly Metrocard fares were raised in 2005 (from $21 to $24 for weekly cards, from $70 to $76 for monthly cards).
Photograph of transformed Metrocards by dM.nyc on Flickr
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so essentially another middle-class tax hike that will not result in any service improvements, but will go towards paying bloated salaries & benefits to highly overpaid staff run by a corrupt union.
i for one would pay $3 if it meant busting the union and guaranteed servie improvements
me too. i'll pay $3 for a privatized mta.
If the MTA was smart, it would jump on the Green Movement's suddenly in-vogue popularity and lobby for a greater increase in annual federal dollars since it's public transportation. Trains/Subways deserve to have just as much money spent on it as highways do. Public transportation is horribly treated in the United States.
But that's just me...
NOW I get to pay even more to sit next to street crazies, ill-behaved children, and people from lands where deodorant and bathing haven't caught on yet. Thanks MTA. Here's a thought, let people in the neighborhood "adopt" their local subway stops. I would be happy to pressure wash and paint my local if I also get to kick out the transients, those that have soiled themselves, and people that think Drakkar Noir is a suitable substitute for showering.
ha! if the MTA was smart! you're funny, david.
Privatize it... It's absurd that people make 60K while sitting in the subway booths.
A 6.5% increase sounds perfectly reasonable to me. If I'm used to paying $76/month for my unlimited-ride card, I don't think another $5/month is going to kill me.
MTA is a textbook example of what has gone wrong with the labor union movement.
There's a reason public trans was unprivatized to begin with. I'd like you all to think carefully. Not sure why commenters have such an issue with a subway worker earning a meagre living - 60K don't get you very far in NYC - guess they'd rather have some suit sitting in a office somewhere selling off the tracks piece by piece making $6 million. And that is what would happen. No night service - you'd have transport like they have in most of the usa - crap.
Conservative torries have nothing else to do but destroy what little is left here. They can't stand Americans having ANYTHING good!
Hey #9, we threw the Torys out 200+ years ago, where have you been?
no one is saying that 60K is alot
but plenty of people would take those jobs for less
the salaries are artificially inflated by the union racket, and we all pay the price for it
ironically public transportation is still cheaper than it is in NJ/PA.
60k doesn't get you far, are you kidding me? Plus add the fact that they have huge benefits with almost none (or none) co-pays. Honestly, sitting in a booth or pressing buttons doesn't warrant make two times that of a teacher.
These unions are incredibly unnecessary. Add to the fact that the MTA is incredibly unorganized and inept in spending money. I mean you get extra money last year and all you do is give it out?
Idiots around the entire table
I hope service gets 6.5% better. Unfortunatley, it will probably get worse.
i am going to move closer to work and walk/bike
enough of this sh*t
I'll still drive my car, thank you.
The L train ride is the most hellish ride out there.
I've never seen a larger collection of hairy, pasty pale twiggy legs with blue-green veins and cornfield feet as I have on that train. And that's the typical "artist" females.
And please, sweet-tits, shave that underarm. You aren't in France.
And 'dude', you may have been considered 'tough' back in Ohio wearing the 1980s ADIDAS with a 1970s 'KC and the Sunshine Band' haircut... but here in New York, you're just a skinny fag.
And those 'vintage' T-Shirts only shows your 'creativity' when it comes to recycling old styles your parents may have created. Not so smart, Tyler!
God, I hate that fucking train.
It's not just the salaries, it's the benefits. And $60,000 in NYC will get you far enough to live in the outer reaches of boroughs, especially if you have a dual-earner household.
#12 My PATH tix cost $1.50 a ride. What exactly are you talking about?
Seriously what is the MTA retirement age now? 55? Sitting in a token booth should be a minimum wage job.
$69 is more than I make
more than my wife makes
and we both compete to land our jobs and to keep our jobs. no one should be ENTITLED to that salary + cushy benefits for that LOW level of work...ESPECIALLY a public servant.
my god i can't stand limousine liberals
Though the MTA is an egregious example of how unions can go wrong, look what has happened in Argentina with the privatization of their rail system...the public went into full riot mode because of the lack of care (due to privatization) in upgrading the rail systems and delays it caused.
(sigh)
Union Bashing should be a sport...
A lot of these complaints can just be summed up as:
"Waaaaaaaa!!!! They make more than I Do!!!!!"
Cry me a River! If your job sucks, look for a new one, don't be jealous just 'cause someone managed to land more pay than you get.
Also, Not all jobs in the MTA are a token booth or opening and closing doors. Believe it or not, a lot goes on behind the scenes.
#16, your biggest complaint is that women don't shave their armpits and legs? Please, by all means continue to use your car to get into the city. You're a fucking tool.
Thank goodness cars can still drive into the city for free and pay a few quarters for an hour of parking.
bitch, bitch, bitch, is that all you people do?
i don't work for the MTA (well I used to work for a MTA contractor) and i'm not the son of peter kalikow or whatever his name is, but i LIKE the subway. Re $60K for toll booth clerks. first, i'm not sure they make that much. second, spend three months in a confined space in 90+ degrees of assy subway air and see how you like it. i have heard that subway exterminators earn upwards of $75K, but they're chasing rats in subway tunnels. they deserve every penny if you ask me.
as for privatizing the subway, so people here want wal-mart-style exploitation of non-union low income workers just to say a couple of buck on their commutes? please tell me you're joking.
$76/month for unlimited access to 24/7 public transportation, which exists in like 2 other places in the world is a bargain and a half in my book. if you don't like it, by all means, please move away. we could use your apartment.
Wait, so there is still no mention of the base fare and if it will change. I think Bloomie is pretty much dead set against it, so will it only be unlimited Metrocards that increase in price?
"don't be jealous just 'cause someone managed to land more pay than you get." Tell that to the union reps next time they come with their hands out.
why is it that most ppl who claims to be a conservative on here rarely succeed in making a point whatsoever,
oversimplified 'idiots around the table' slathered with generalized attacks on L train riders and generic labels such as 'limousine liberals'
v.
a reference to the history of subway privitization and a concrete example such as the rail system in Argentina
try being more specific by providing concrete examples based in actual historic events rather than name-calling. it will make you sound more grown up.
i would gladly pay more if it meant better service, cleaner trains and platforms, audible annoucements, etc. heck i'd pay $100/month.
but to keep getting hikes to pay for someone's pension or healthcare stinks.
and yes, especially when they tend to be rude and lazy
how bout opening up jobs to non-union labor
bet you labor costs will chop in half
two words: congestion pricing.
Since we no longer use tokens, why are there still people being paid to sit the token booths? How about we get them out of the booths and walking around the platform. They can clean up, answer questions, stop turnstile jumpers. Yesterday at my local (S shuttle in Brooklyn) 5 kids just walked in, climbed over the turnstile and waited on the platform for 5 minutes to get on the train. When I asked the token booth guy (who watched them do it) why he did not stop them, he told me "I'm not allowed to leave the booth and anyways (sic) boys will be boys." WTF!!!!
I dont want to union bash... but its not just the MTA employees. Its also the Unions (e.g. Electrical, Water, Steelworkers) that supply outsourced labor to the MTA. Eventually it causes cost-push inflation.
Also let's not forget that the commodities (like steel and copper) used to update and upgrade the system cost an all-time high and many think they will only go higher. The MTA must be allowed offset these higher costs
open up the books
i want to see where every penny is going
I don't know how to fix the subway. Politicians shortchange it, management mishandles it, riders vandalize it, employees neglect it and unions try to bankrupt it. I don't think privatization is the answer, because then unprofitable but necessary components (24 hour service, little used stations and lines) would be slashed. I hate to be a pessimist but until all these groups treat this resource with a little more respect we're going to be stuck hobbling along with the imperfect, financially onerous system we've got.
The subway fare is a bargain when you compare it to the commute railroads.
How about paying $200.00 a month for a monthly ticket on the Metro-North.
"two words: congestion pricing."
Okay, but how is that a solution? If you're implying that the money raised by congestion pricing will go directly to the MTA, you're being incredibly naive.
@guest #34:
I couldn't agree more. Pardon my ignorance, but does anyone know if we could all see the expenses and budget breakdowns of the MTA? If they aren't already open, could something like the Freedom of Information Act help shed some light on how they cook--I mean devise--their budgets?
The right-wing brats here really make me laugh. So apparently the real problem at the MTA is not corrupt, unaccountable crony management --the problem is a union negotiating a living wage? dis you notice that MTA workers are routinely injured and killed doing maintenance in filthy dark subway tunnels?
Please spare me your idiocy. Did you not notice that the MTA management was busted in 2003 for keeping two sets of books --lying about a deficit that didn't exist, concealing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues? Do you think the union did that? Do you know that a judge ruled that the the last fare hike would have to go forward despite the fraudulent deficit claim only because the MTA had already done so much to switch to the $2.00 fare that switching back would cost even more? Did you notice the MTA gave out reduced ($1.00) fares in a cynical publicity stunt during the 2005 holiday season rather than invest those hundreds of millions in the future? Is that the union's fault?
Do you not understand who's been making off with the public wealth for the last 6 years? Have you not noticed that the ultra rich are running the show and destroying the middle class?
So it's the union's fault that the MTA is corrupt and conceals revenues?
People who think unions are the problem need to be exposed to a real no-holds barred capitalist system like we had before unions gave average people some leverage. I'm sure that would be paradise for the entitled brats who post such anti-labor trash here.
why is it that most ppl who claims to be a conservative on here rarely succeed in making a point whatsoever,
oversimplified 'idiots around the table' slathered with generalized attacks on L train riders and generic labels such as 'limousine liberals'
I'm not for privatizing the subway but the fact that labor union benefits eat up a ton of money can't be disputed. And they aren't likely to go away. What union would give up a sweet pension and healthcare that is better than anything possibly feasible under "universal healthcare"? It's also a fact that one of the biggest oppenents to universal healthcare in the 1950s and 1960s were unions that knew they would be forced to give up their benefits.
Has anyone noticed that none of the Democrats running for President has offered a single detail on healthcare other than adding more insurance programs for the uninsured? Good for the uninsured (and winning support in Iowa and New Hampshire) but does nothing to solve the long term problem that we pay more per capita for healthcare than any other western country.
to think that MTA workers arent overpaid in terms of salary & benefits is idiotic
ARTIFICAL, BLOATED COMPENSATION FOR LOW LEVEL JOBS
Why do all these guest comments sound alike? Are you one person? And what's "servie"?
I want to know how much the posters here are making.
and the minimum wage just went up after 10 years,
that's 10 years of paying people 5.15 an hour and many places do pay that wage.
Not all MTA positions are in token booths. Lets not forget the engineers and maintenance workers who spend a whole lot of time and skill getting those malfunctioning trains and tracks up and running and working in those god-awful tunnels all year. Besides, blaming the fare hike on MTA salaries is terribly misguided considering that the money going into the MTA gets spread out over many costs and expenses other than salaries.
that's 10 years of paying people 5.15 an hour and many places do pay that wage.
If you can name one person in a high cost city like New York that is actually making the minimum wage AND is here legally I would love to meet them.
Stop clouding the issue here.
OPEN UP THE BOOKS!!
OPEN UP THE BOOKS!!
OPEN UP THE BOOKS!!
(i dont think they can hear me)
for those who question what this money will be used for:
"We need the monies to pay the people who work for our mass transit system for the MTA . . ."
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_201170504.html
#39 I didn't see any posts praising management. They should go too. But the fact is many mta employees are overpaid for their skill sets. 60k and retire at 55 for what amounts to the same job as selling movie tickets at Lowes?
Unions may have had a place when people worked 12 hour days in dangerous factories but now all they do is protect workers who have been in the union for a long time at the expense of younger union members and the poor.
Exactly, all the costs go to labor. $75K to fall asleep in a token booth, at least that guy got fired. No contribution to benefits. The minimum wage should be zero. Nothing. Oh and guess what, those guys got killed as a result of their own negligence. If you arent supposed to go on the tracks, which they werent, and then you get hit by at train, well maybe you should follow your own safety rules? Did that ever occur to anyone?
Thankfully unions represent such a low % of workers these days and is only getting lower.
I can do better and name the employee, and you can meet her. Give me your e-mail address.
My Mother, here legally, until the company went out of business she still made minimum wage. Country Chef Foods in the Bronx.
Before that she was with the Bakers and confectioners union and had excellent benefits.
All of you thinking that the price of service and the issues befalling the system are due to salaries and bennies to the MTA need to get your heads out of your asses.
I suppose we should just fire all the MTA cops that help keep the system safe? Or how about the sandhogs that almost kill themselves nightly working on a 100 year old system fraught with dangerous conditions all so you can go sip overpriced liquor in Manhattan and feel cool about youselves because you don't live in buttfuck Minnesota anymore.
The reason the system needs so much work and the reason they can't get it perfect, as close as they do come, is because of the fucking whiney ass riders and that goddamned straphanger campaign that block every single increase they ever try to pass. Combine that with a federal government that doesn't give two shits about helping out mass trans and you have a system that's perpetually running at a loss.
But hey, the vast majority of time they get all of you to work on time and do the best they can. I suppose that's not deserving of any praise because somewhere along the line some bum offended your precious fucking sensibilities. Oh yeah, and they all aren't sitting in an office somewhere posting on the fucking internet in 'real job' land.
Seriously, what the fuck is up with people.
Do any of you even know people that work for the MTA? Have any of you actually talked to the employees about why things happen the way they do?
My guess is no.
-Ph
I know someone who works for the MTA. He's on disability A LOT. Nice gig! Funny, he never seems ashamed of himself. And I thought that the MTA merged its police force with the City's. They're NYC cops now, right? And commenter #50 you shouldn't have wasted your time responding to that ridiculous statement by commenter #45. And isn't a sand hog someone who works in under construction tunnels? Lots of idiots around here.
Also, isn't there a huge amount of debt service? Who are we paying that interest to? I suppose there's plenty of money in there for the finance companies that "service" the loans and reap million dollar bonuses.
You obviously don't either 51. Sandhogs make 6 figures.
[35] and [39] put it best. Lazy union employees may be surly, rude and expensive, but they are by far the lesser evil at work here.
The biggest problem is unchecked cronyism and a total lack of accountability in the upper-to-middle reaches of MTA management.
The best thing that could ever happen to the MTA is a CUSTOMER walkout and strike, demanding a brand new and totally transparent management ... eg: kick out the cronies , make them accountable and open the books.
[55]
I agree.
We should all tell Lee sander to bring in a new regime. No more cufflinks and pearls. No more back room deals. No more buddy buddy relations.
NO more kalikow and blondie.
What's wrong with Minnesota?
I believe I said this was going happen a couple of months ago when the Mayor started all this talk about "Congestion Pricing" . I knew the Rich bitch was going somewhere with all that talking ! You all now see the end result with the fact that the MTA plains to jack-up the fare yet again . It's going to get to the point where regular folk can afford to ride the Buses, & Subways . I know what's going on down in D.C., As well as the West coast . This is neither location, This is New York City were talking about ! We pay some of highest taxes in the country for the right to live here ! That is also why so many people make the move to New York, The opportunity to make money ! Paying $[3] per fare is a lousy way to conduct business for the MTA . It can't wait for the day that somebody stands up and says "Enough is enough" & Investigates the MTA and their finances ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"
How about instead of raising the fare on the subway or going hog-wild over this congestion pricing, we simply raise the price of parking at a meter? Make parking at a meter $3 an hour. Can't afford it? Sucks. Also, expand metered areas, and expand enforcement hours -- til 9 PM at night, and parts of Sundays maybe. It's not like it will require that much more manpower and expenditure; I'm sure there are plenty of traffic agents on the street during those hours already.
Additionally, why not raise the amount of parking tickets? $90 for expired meter, maybe.
hey, why not raise the rates for the subway to $10 per ride... cant afford it, sucks... you use the system you pay for it.
New York is going to shit. The only people who will be able to afford living here are Misshapes patrons and yuppies. Avoid the MTA fare hike and move out while you can. This city isn't worth it anymore and hasn't been for at least the last five years.
#[4], Ur hilarious ! #[63], I've been saying that for the past [7] years ! Things aren't going to change as long as the local Politicians are corrupt, & the MTA can continue pilfering the public ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"