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A ride on the subway is fast becoming a luxury item: Today the MTA Finance Committee voted to approve a package of steep fare hikes that would increase the cost of a single subway or bus ride from $2 to $2.50. In addition to the base fare increase, the cost of a 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCard would go up to $103 (from $81), while a weekly unlimited-ride MetroCard would increase $6 to $31. The full MTA board will vote on the fare increases Wednesday, and the changes will likely go into effect in June unless legislators in Albany can come to terms on a bailout package for the MTA.
One alternative plan being batted around Albany would feature a smaller, 8 percent fare increase, tolls on the East River and Harlem River bridges, and a payroll tax on businesses in counties served by the MTA. Testifying before the committee, Gene Russianoff at the Straphangers Campaign called the fare hikes "ugly" and criticized the State Senate's bailout plan for "failing to address the transit system’s rebuilding needs."
Speaking to reporters this morning, Governor Paterson admitted that he's all but given up on reaching a bailout solution before the MTA's Wednesday deadline: "I don't think that the agency should delay any action. This is a deadline that they set and was known to all parties. I've been trying to reach an agreement for the past two weeks. I've talked to these leaders every day. . . and have also talked to the MTA board members who will be voting in a couple of days."
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And now, here come the comments blaming the MTA entirely for this crisis.
Forget that the MTA relies on real estate revenue to help cover the cost of operations, and the economy tanked.
Forget that the state underfunded transit under Pataki, forcing the MTA to take bonds that are now coming due.
Forget that there was a reasonable proposal on the table to stop this fare hike, and four Senators and the Governor did nothing.
Forget that the MTA has been forthcoming and transparent in their finances under its new management, even posting their financial statements on their web site.
Forget that transit riders already subsidize the cost of driving into Manhattan and drivers should be forced to pay their fair share.
Forget about all that, and blame the MTA.
This is exactly how we got into this mess. People are quick to blame the MTA, and can't even name their public officials in Albany who sit on their hands and pass on these massive fare hikes to the people who can afford them the least.
The blame goes to the government as well as to the MTA. The government doesn't give the MTA money, but when the MTA does have the money they misuse the funds and the money goes to waste.
The system is completely broken, but nobody wants to fix it. If people want to take a stand we need to have a day when nobody pays the fares. The problem is people just suck it up and let the MTA and government use the public as idiots.
Forget that our highways are about to fall down, forget that for every dollar we send to DC we get back 20 cents. Forget it. Just suck up the new fare... you can afford it.
or just jump the turnstile
4/15 everyone jumps the turnstile day.... pass it on. send a message that we need a real NYC subway with real service not a high speed railway to Niagra Falls.
that BTW is the solution.
I Have to buy at least 5 monthly pass before Wednesday. damn.
a. New fares would go into effect in June, not on Wednesday.
b. Monthly cards purchased before the fare hike will have a limited life after the fare hike. I think last time the grace period was two months.
Thanks really for that information. Someone told me the gold cards will still have a shelf life of one year but the new blue cards will have the 2 month shelf life. Gothamist readers are great. First the tip on Morrissey tickets and now this. Peace out
The sound you hear is a couple million mass transit riders sharpening their pitchforks....
all i can say, is that if the city/state is going to subsidize union labor, i would like them to give citizens better/safer biking options. it is getting too expensive to ride the subway. if somebody is making $10-$15 per hour riding the subway is a luxury.
Yay more great news. Does it ever end?
Even at $103 / monthly fare card my cost per fare will be at about $1.51 far below the $2.50 base fare. I am not thrilled by this but at least I know I am still coming out ahead. But at the same time my cost per fare with a $81/montly card was $1.19.
If my family were to pay full fares we would incur an average cost of $170 each for my wife and I which would be insane.
http://rooseveltisland360.blogspot.com/2009/03/250-fare-card-170-break-even-monthly.html
The MTA should first feel some of the pain themselves before they come to us for ever increasing amounts of money. I hear no one there talking about across the board wage decrease, or getting rid of some of the labor rules that allow people to basically do close to nothing and get paid handsomely for it. The more we give, the more they take, and then come back to extort us again a year or so down the line. I for one hope they get no bailout because at some point the gravy train needs to end and they need to run the system efficiently.
That's not the MTA's fault, it's the union's fault. It's absolutely ridiculous that people get paid $50,000 a year to sit in a booth all day and do nothing, but the last time the MTA asked the union to make concessions, we ended up walking to work in the frigid December cold for three days.
Everything else is going up... Why not this?
I went to the new South Ferry station for the first time yesterday. I do not think the city got $500 million worth of improvement.
Sure it's pricy but you try underpinning three active subway tunnels while digging through the architectural remains of the old Battery wall. It could have been done for less but not by much.
Lovely. 50 cents more to stand in zero degree weather to wait 20- 30 minutes for the 3-4 buses that inevitably show up.
BTW, expect the number of fare beaters to rise exponentially. You thought people sneaking in through the back door of buses was bad now!
I usually take trains and believe me NYPD really stands there for hours to catch fare beaters. fare beating is not really a feasible option. I might be willing to buy some metrocards in the black market? Any sellers?
I watched a silly person on the local news point out the subway was always busy and yet the fares will go up. She doesn't understand, like most people, the fare doesn't cover the cost of the ride. At best the MTA covers less than 90% of the ride with fares and the rest has to come from somewhere else, no matter how well the system is run.
Since you're paying extra, bring your bike with you.
Great - Now it is cheaper for me to drive to the city than to take the subway.
Nicely done MTA...!
Well a car will always cost more than taking public transportation. Though at least a car you have reliable and the convenience of it especially during the weekends that more than makes up owning and maintaining a car.
Now it's definitely cheaper to split a cab with friends than bothering with the subway, thanks MTA. I really wonder why I still live here.
Why don't they enact an annual or bi-annual increase that is somehow tied to inflation? If it were 2 or 3% a year it wouldn't be so bad, the political backlash would not be so great. These 20%+ increases at random increments are what really piss people off.
Elliot Sander has stated that's exactly what he believes the fare hikes should be; annual and pegged to inflation. Unfortunately that doesn't make the $27B in debt magically disappear.
Everyone keeps complaining about the subway fare going up. What about all of us who ride the commuter trains, such as Metro North? My fare will go up $94, making my monthly ticket $428. Then add the $103 subway fare on top of that. Many of us will not be able to afford to come to work. What the hell are we supposed to do?
Yeah, I saw the increases for LIRR and MetroNorth and they were insane!
Good point, alice17. People in the city complain about their new $100 monthly or a $2.50 single ride. A monthly ticket from Yonkers to GCT will cost $200.