I love the rookie cop idea!

I love how everybody always blames the unions when it is not always cause of them.

Hey, I have an idea! Fire every single one of those "station agents," who make $50K+ a year and replace them with rookie transit cops, who make $35K a year and won't run away and hide when a guy gets attacked in the station with a hacksaw.

There. I just saved the MTA millions of dollars.

Oh, wait, here comes the TWU.

Same old story year after year.

The unions are definitely not the problem. That's just a bait-n-switch - wherever you see systemic problems like this, ::pulls fake statistic out of rump:: 90% of the time it is the fault of management. I know because I'm in management. Believe me, it takes a hundred bad employees to match the damage of one manager's ineptitude. And almost always, those managers will go and blame it on their workers.

Those who ride the MTA every day and forgo the luxury of having a car should get tax credits, just like those people who put solar panels on their homes. We're doing our part to reduce CO2 and promote healthier lifestyles and this is the thanks we get... They need more money? Charge every inbound commuter vehicle an extra $3 on all tunnels and bridges to Manhattan. Heck, they can do it to smokers - why not target a rich demographic for once?

Headzo, no argument that the subway IS the cheapest, most convenient way for many New Yorkers to get around. But this isn't about whether cars or the subway is a better system.

This is about the MTA having budgets of billions of dollars, while its employees are predominantly unhelpful and rude, its stations are predominantly filthy eyesores, and [insert litany of complaints here], but meanwhile, year after year, they always need more money.

All real New Yorkers use the subway, and all real New Yorkers despise the MTA.

"You guys are incredible.

It totally costs like 50 bucks and some thumbtacks to keep 600+ track miles of some of the most heavily used rail in the world going non stop, 24 hours a day."

I don't think it's the fare increase itself that most people are offended by, it's the galling realization that we will be paying more, for no improvements to service, or possibly even lower quality service.

I recognize that mass transit in NYC is a relative bargain. And I honestly don't mind paying a bit more money to pay for improvements.

But I am going to bitch if I have to pay more and the extra money gets completely wasted instead of leveraged towards service improvements.

lol, JMH... The MTA repeatedly shows it can't manage money, and you still believe that Congestion Pricing would have made a difference?

Granted, electricity costs more, but I'm guessing that is NOT a big factor in the MTA's need for more money. It's like any monopolistic bureaucracy: fat, lazy and grossly inefficient.

to all you whiners, these systems do not run themselves. it takes a lot of money and sadly during a shitty economy rates always go up—as does crime...

are you really going to bitch about every rate hike for the next ten years? if you don't like it save your precious latte/beer money and invest in solar, wind, and hydro futures.

Yes, I will bitch because I have no other mass transit choice. Choice is what makes this country great, and unfortunately the consumer has no ability to pick the best market solution. If we privatized it similarly to the old days (IRT, BMT, et al.) and had those companies on contracts---there would be some market based choice.

agdthefan- I wouldn't rather have a car. Lots of people wouldn't rather have a car. Do you think every person is riding public transit because they can't afford a car?

No- mostly, people ride public transit in NYC because it's SUPERIOR to riding in a vehicle.

Let's see...

"In a car you get to travel alone" - except the thousands of drivers all around you creating traffic, road rage, etc

"You don't have to walk blocks to a terminal" - but I would rather drive around the block for 45 minutes looking for a place to park or pay $350 a month in a parking lot. much much better.

Based on YOUR argument, I doubt you live and work in the city.

The MTA is burdened by rising electricity costs just like the rest of us. That's not mismanagement, that's simple economics.

Good thing we don't have that congestion pricing money. How come politicians never spin transit fare hikes as "a tax on the working class" like they did with CP?

"Folks, the union is not the problem. The agency heads are making well over six figures to provide analysis on how to improve the system. Therefore, we're paying them hundreds of thousands a dollars each to come up with the idea to raise fares (and to give themselves raises). That's the problem."

10-20 non union guys making 200-400k a piece a year vs 30,000 union employees at 50-60K avg who cant be held accountable for poor work. Hmmmmm.

20 & 21: depends on if you see your car as a burden or a blessing.

Headzo: no comparison. In a car you get to travel alone with no screaming brats or crazy homeless folks. You control your AC. your heat, your schedule. You don't have to walk blocks to a terminal. Who wouldn't rather have a car? Your response is wholly without merit.

I do not know the inner-workings of the MTA in regards to corruption, mismanagement, etc, etc. I have no doubt the system could be run much much more efficiently and cost-effectively, but we pay $81 for an entire MONTH of transportation.

Buy a car and see how long that $81 will last you. About 3 days probably.

another reason to move

More

Trouble

Ahead

Amazing that anyone would defend the MTA on any level. Where did my city go?

I'll have to move.

MTA has higher costs just like everyone else, so fare increase is probably inevitable. Sure, part of the problem might be with the TWU.

TWU workers are eligible for retirement after 25 years/age 55/ with benefits and half pay.

Considering that most people at 55 will likely live another 30 years, those pensions are a huge and costly benefit that aren't mentioned when the TWU complains about salaries.

A private sector employee would have to have amassed something like $2M in a 401k to provide a similar leval of benefits.

So your average MTA employee, who presently makes somewhere between $50,000 to $60,000 a year, can work that 9 to 5 plus overtime and retire secure in a payout at 55 while we fools in the private sector get to fund our own 401ks and hope there's enough to last when we finally stop working at 67.