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The MTA is meeting today to discuss its $1.2 billion budget gap. While the agency refuses to comment on any specific measures until next month, big fare hikes and service cuts are expected. Today, the Daily News reports that the M8 bus, which travels across the East Village and West Village is eliminated, according to a budget proposal, as well as some express bus routes (the QM22, X25, and X32). One thing that could help the MTA is state intervention, but the state has its own budget crisis. And while some City Council members want to bring back the commuter tax-- Michael Nelson said, "In Brooklynese, basically, we was robbed about nine years ago" (the tax was repealed in 1999)--naturally suburban legislators hate the idea.
MTA Meets to Discuss Fare Hike, Service Cuts
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The MTA doesn't have a budget deficit. All they have is more union employees and upper management taking increased wages and bigger slices of the profits for themselves.
Everyone knows there will be a massive fare hike and service cuts. If you want to tell the MTA F*uck y*ou then one day commuters should get together and don't pay the fare.
THE PROBLEM IS NEW YORK STATE AND PATAKI. PATAKI FUCKED US AND WE'RE PAYING FOR IT NOW.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/nyregion/20transit.html
The authority first began a capital spending program in 1982 in what became a successful effort to pull the transit system out of a catastrophic spiral of decay.
At first the programs were financed with a combination of money from the state and city and borrowing. After George E. Pataki became governor in 1995, he sharply cut state funds for the capital programs and told the authority to borrow more. As a result, the last two five-year plans have been, in the words of the authority’s current executive director, Elliot G. Sander, put on a credit card.
That has made the authority one of the largest debtors in the country — it owes nearly $27 billion — and has hobbled it with fast-growing interest payments.
The MTA should be improving services not cutting them... does the Mayor's office have any control over decisions that they make?
Hopefully, the depression will come before they raise our fare. That way, they'll have to find a new way of raising money.
I'm all for doing whatever it takes to avoid service cuts, even if it means taking the hit and paying $3 - $4 a ride.
Let me see if I understand the MTA here.
The MTA has record ridership and yet they have no money so the system is in danger of failing because it can't be financed. The city wants to put tolls on the East River (RFK River anyone? Anyone?) bridges to help the MTA which will in turn make it too expensive to drive into Manhattan so more people will want to take the subway which will (according to the MTA) put more strain on them but fewer people will be driving so they won't be getting all that much money from the tolls. Meanwhile, the only people paying the tolls will be truck drivers since everything HAS to be trucked into Manhattan. That in turn will raise the prices of just about everything we buy because manufacturers will have to cover increased transportation costs. So in the end the MTA isn't getting any more money from anyone except the riders and the record numbers of riders will get screwed at the turnstile and in the deli.
Does anyone want to tell me how this makes sense? KTHNXBYE!
"Let me see if I understand the MTA here.
The MTA has record ridership and yet they have no money so the system is in danger of failing because it can't be financed."
Yes, because the $15 billion that Pataki told the MTA to borrow is coming due in greater and greater volume each year, and the debt service payments come from the operating budget.
why not reinstate a commuter tax for people who work in NYC but do not live in NYC? I know Detroit has that. Would that really be so terrible??
I'm sure people who commute in from NJ, LI, and CT would be pretty pissed about it...
Commuter taxes would only incentivize smaller businesses to locate outside of the city. As with most (all?) taxes the end doesnt justify the means. And Detroit really isnt the best example of successful urban planning.
@10 - Screw people who commute in from NJ, LI, and CT. They still use our sidewalks and subways and police and most other services the city theoretically provides. They are surfing on our high taxes and if they don't like paying a commuter tax they can move elsewhere. That, in turn, would reduce the strain on the MTA. They might as well move since a fair number of them recently lost their jobs anyway.
TK:
A commuter tax would certainly NOT incentivize small businesses to move outside the city. That's absurd.
A commuter tax is nominal compared to all of the other expenses that a city business incurs.
Also, the commuter tax is levied on the business' workers, not on the business itself.
Here it starts again - City people think they're better than the suburban people.
If suburban people use the subways city people also use NJ transit, LIRR, and Metro-North.
People in Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley also pay part of the MTA tax because of the railroads.
@Steven -
I don't think I'm better or worse than a suburbanite. Suburbs have trees and parking. Cities have food and culture. To each his (or her) own.
Suburbanites riding the subway on a regular basis greatly outnumber NYC dwellers riding NJ transit, LIRR, and Metro North (combined).
These people coming into NYC are without a doubt taking advantage of many services paid for by city residents. Whether or not that is acceptable is a up for debate.
Of course commuter taxes are assessed on individuals, not on businesses. In a small business (
Of course commuter taxes are assessed on individuals, not on businesses. In a small business (
Sign our petition to save the M8 Bus:
www.savethem8.org