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The board of the MTA voted this morning in favor of increasing the cost of multiple-ride Metrocards. According to NY1, the outcome of the vote was a foregone conclusion following the public agreement between Gov. Spitzer and Mayor Bloomberg that riders needed to pay more to ride subways and buses. The pair have effective control of ten of the 14 board members' votes.
The cost of an unlimited monthly Metrocard will rise $5, from $76 to $81. The cost of an unlimited weekly Metrocard is being bumped $1, to $25. The cost of a single ride ticket will remain flat at $2, although only 15% of subway rides are paid for in that manner. Last week, Councilman Simcha Felder said, "I’m not surprised that the MTA has found a new way to rip us off by holding the base fare favored by tourists at $2, while raising every other fare, including the fares of the weekly and monthly unlimited passes. Hard working New Yorkers, who have to deal with crowded trains, delayed and intermittent service, and dirty subway stations every day should be the ones shielded most from fare hikes."
The fare hike is the third since 2003 and is scheduled to go into effect in March, 2008. E-Z Pass users will also see the cost of tolls rise.
(metrocard skirt, by edEx at flickr)
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Nice photo, edEx! Do we expect hemlines to rise, too?
Huge shocker there. MTA holds meetings and pretends to listen, holds a webinar that nobody can view, and then votes to raise fares in a way that screws their constituents while giving tourists a break.
How is this a public agency?
I love the Metro-mini pic.
Did they go ahead and introduce the new two-week unlimited ride card? If you currently buy one-week unlimited ride cards then the two-week card -- as was proposed -- will actually save you money.
Don't forget they also decreased the 20% bonus you get for buying larger pay-by-ride cards down to %15, which also sucks.
Funny how places like London and Boston penalize you for buying single fares or not using their cards. Instead we abuse our loyal customers.
Honestly $5 more a month for a monthly isn't going to hurt most of us, but it's the sheer fact that we, the customer, see no benefit in giving them more for the hike! Yet Bloomberg has pothole squads dispatched 24/7 to accommodate the deluge of cars congesting the city.
And the dumbest thing they could have done they did. They've got rid of the very very simple "buy 10 get 1 free ride" promotion. The new system is needlessly complicated, which can only mean that someone is going to be skimming off the top.
I voted to increase my salary too. Of course my boss would have none of it.
Fuggers.
Now one will have to use their monthly metrocard 41 times to have it pay for itself. sucks ass.
MTA rate hikes happen real fast! Should the rest of government move that fast when addressing other issues.
Meanwhile, congestion pricing sits stuck in traffic. All talk, no action when it comes to the difficult work of government.
Wait, can someone please explain to me in smaller, easier to understand words why I'm going to be paying MORE soon to stand around at the Steinway Street station waiting for the R train to feel like showing up?
Yeah did they pass the increase on the buy 5 get one free as well?
And Jibbly: about the pothole patrol, that is a great thing for those on bicycles and scooters (not just the assholes driving cars, yes if you live in or near Manhattan and drive a car everywhere you are an asshole). Last thing I want is to get thrown off a bike in traffic because of all the craters in the road.
Has anyone received a credible answer to the issue raised by Councilman Felder? That is, how is it not a hollow gesture to keep the base fare at $2 when the huge majority of us buy unlimited-ride cards? (Or, at least, multi-ride cards?)
The $1.50 bonus instead of $2 is, and I hate to use this word, retarded. There is no $1.50 fare! What is the customer supposed to do with that??? Go to Hoboken?
Amazing how the MTA holds public meetings and expects people to show up we everyone knows they're going to raise the fare - WHAT A JOKE.
The base fare should be raised to $2.50 or even $3.00, but keep everything else the same price - or maybe just raise the monthy and weekly ones by $1. At least this way buying ahead of time the heavy discounts still apply.
The base fare has always been a political issue ever since the subway opened and the fare was five cents.
Basically the only reason the base fare wasn't raised is so politicians say they saved the subway fare when they are running for reelection while the majority of riders gets screwed. So it is basically stupid politicians playing numbers games so they have seemingly positive things to say about themselves in their ads. Typical numbers crap like mandated standardized tests for kids, etc.
The base fare has always been a political issue ever since the subway opened and the fare was five cents.
Basically the only reason the base fare wasn't raised is so politicians say they saved the subway fare when they are running for reelection while the majority of riders gets screwed. So it is basically stupid politicians playing numbers games so they have seemingly positive things to say about themselves in their ads. Typical numbers crap like mandated standardized tests for kids, etc.
$81 unlimited? Still a bargain compared to having a car in Manhattan...
Lets see. Say you take two train rides a day, maybe one or two extra on the weekends if you're going around to places for whatever reason..but lets keep the math simple. 2 rides a day for a month. A month is 30 or 31 one days (except Feb), but again, lets keep it simple.
30 x 2 = 60 rides a month. 81 / 60 = 1.35
If you take 2 rides a day it ends up costing you a buck 35 to ride each time for the month. The price actually goes down if you ride more (which I'd gather most people will, going out in the eveningtime occasionally, visiting relatives, etc).
Tell me again how you people aren't getting off easy?
I drive a pretty easy on the gas car (if I behave with the throttle). I fill up once a week, 10 gallons on average. Thats ~34 dollars a tank.
34 x 4 = $136 bucks a month just to fuel the car.
Now, if I wanted to be a real jerk about it, I'd divide the civil (registration, inspection, tolls) and maintenance costs for the car across 12 months..plus parking fees if I decide to go that route.
Stop Whining. Although I will side with the whole 'tourists shouldn't get a break' angle, because well..I hate tourists.
thanks for the published photo, again. :)
before i get in any more trouble- THOSE SKIRTS ARE NOT FOR SALE! i received an email from the lawyers at the MTA a few months ago and am NOT SELLING THEM. but thanks for the photo!
"MetroCard is a registered MTA trademark and may not be used in the manner shown on your website or in a product without a license from MTA. We have no record of you requesting or receiving a license.
Demand is made that you immediately cease to show or market any item of clothing that incorporates a MetroCard into the design."
hilarious picture of Kramer and Newman with a postal truck full of MetroCards...
hilarious picture of Kramer and Newman with a postal truck full of MetroCards...
http://tinyurl.com/34p87o