Assemblyman Says Student Fares Won't Be Cut After All

After much to-do, the MTA will most likely continue to offer kids free rides to school. A lawmaker with oversight of the MTA predicted today that they'll not cut student fares and that the city will take over paying for the program to support the city's youngsters.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky who originally voted in favor of taking away funds for student fares, has had a change of heart. After a committee meeting on the issue, Brodsky told the Post he agrees the MTA shouldn't be picking up the tab for students' trips to school and that he is "confident there's going to be a good outcome."

The dramatic turnaround can be attributed to widespread protest and displeasure over the decision to end subsidized travel for youths. Mayor Bloomberg called the move "unconscionable." Community activists said that eliminating subsidized travel to and from school will raise juvenile crime rates. Students have protested, too. Twice. Were the student metrocards taken away, 500,000 students would have to pay half fare come September, and full fare the next year.

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By Sabrina Jaszi in News on January 7, 2010 5:28 PM

Comments [rss]

Stewart

The city should pay for it. Maybe Christine Quinn will vote for it. I thought it was idiotic that she was there protesting when she's part of the legislative body that could devise an alternative solution.

ohhleary

Wow, this is a poorly written headline.

The MTA didn't say anything about cutting student fares. A lawmaker in Albany said that the city and state will cover the total cost of student Metrocards instead of the small fraction they do now.

Steven

The children sure have no problem buying designer clothes, but then cry the blues they cannot afford public transportation.

gothamguy

so which will it be, a new tax or a surcharge?

Seeing as how the MCTMT is only a few months old, I am betting on a surcharge... maybe 50 cents more for a taxi, or an increase in one of the commuter surcharges in cell phones.

vikii wong

Good call. It was cruel of the MTA to even consider getting rid of student fares to begin with.

Spirit of 76

I don't understand what's the big deal anyway. With or without students on the trains, they have to run anyway. Go ahead and let the students keep riding for free as they have for as long as I can remember. With the Metrocards able to be programmed for only two rides per weekday, there's no potential for abuse as there used to be when students waved subway passes at token booth attendants who never cared enough to read the home and school stations written on the card.

Darrell

Metrocards are already programed for 3 rides per day (from home to school, from school to after school, from afterschool home) within certain ours and only on the weekday. So no, you can't abuse the metrocard system unless you use the card on a weekday holiday, which the NYPD has been quick to write tickets for since Bloomberg took office.

theLtrain

Did anyone ever really believe they were going to do this?

longacre

Kids getting to school is nice and all, but will the city still have enough money to refurbish McCarren Pool? Let's get our priorities in order now.

rides on farts

Yeah I'm sure they never really planned to get rid of the student fares, they just did it in hopes that they could later reverse that part and placate the angry riders.

schadenfreudian mensch

"MTA Says Student Fares Won't Be Cut After All"

And in another breathe, MTA Says Fares for everyone else will be raised to $2.75 next year." Congrats!