Commuters to MTA: Cut Free Rides For Staff, Not Students

from David Reeves' flickr

Instead of cutting free student MetroCards and reducing subway and bus service, angry commuters say the MTA should stop giving retirees, employees, and their families free rides. According to Metro, nearly 50,000 MTA NYC Transit workers received a free ride this year, as well as 15,000 retired MTA workers—a policy that Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens) calls "irresponsible." "They're cutting the W, which is a lifeline, while at the same time giving out perks like this."

If an additional 50,000 commuters bought $89 monthly MetroCards each month, the agency could make almost another $50 million, the paper reports. The MTA says it can't determine how much money is lost by giving out free rides, because some employees don't use public transit to get to work. The free MetroCards are awarded to workers due to a collective bargaining agreement with the transit union, and even high-ups like MTA head Jay Walder receive the freebies. An additional 52,000 NYPD officers also receive free passes, as well as 701 MTA police officers.

Mayor Bloomberg has stated that the MTA should stop giving free MetroCards to agency retirees before it stops giving them to students.

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By Ben Muessig in News on March 3, 2010 5:41 PM

Comments [rss]

xx

Sounds good to me. And while we're at it can we cut health care benefits for all elected officials? Particularly those (Republicans) against the bill.

xToddrick

Shouldn't the parents who decided to have children be responsible for their subway fare?

PKMKII

I'd like to note that many MTA offices are located within stations, where there is no way to get to them without passing through the turnstile. The end of the L line in Manhattan has one, as does the West 4th street station. Should they have to pay just to get into their offices?

bthev

A New Police Academy Grad makes $43,062 before overtime.

They Can't Pay To Get To Work Like Teachers?

eriisj

Why are people saying that the families of employees get free rides? My father is a retired employee and we have NEVER gotten free rides through the MTA. We have through our student metrocards, when they became available. I think the students AND the employees should get free rides, but whoever says the families are getting free rides needs to FACT CHECK before they publish things like that.

Phil

Students should be covered by the school system which is run by a Cosimo Medici wannabe (Bloomberg). Let the school budget pay for student fares. He wanted to takeover the school system, so deal with it. I'm all for kids getting a free ride but it shouldn't be on the MTA budget.

rasputinsghost

+1 phil

bloomberg as cosimo de medici is a really good analogy

Phil

Many years ago when fares were 15 and 20 cents, spouses got on free. One segment of the MTA populations (the OA) allowed spouses up until 10 or so years ago. That was changed with the advent of the metro card, I believe.

eriisj

Perhaps, but there's no families riding for free now. I pay for my monthly like everyone else.

bitchincamaro

From the Unintended Consequences Dept.: Deprive MTA employees/retirees of swag and watch them take to their cars like never before, clogging NYC streets and stealing parking spaces.

tgg001

I forgot. Somebody remind me why students get free rides?

wingedearth

If Bloomberg tries to cut MTA benefits for MTA staff and retirees, maybe they'll go on strike and I'll have a good excuse not to show up for work. That would be sweet.

wingedearth

Won't somebody please think about the children??

Phil

Let me tell you something. Passes are given out as part of the employment package which also is included as part of retirement. It's like anything that's included in a package of benefits given to any employee whether public or private. So now that government has been failing you along with a disastrous economy it means that agreements selectively chosen must be broken. You all are going after the wrong people. What is the mob going to determine people's wage packages and benefits from now on? Why not cut a few other things? Like health care benefits, insurance benefits, unemployment benefits etc. Demand that people work longer hours for less money. If it were you, you wouldn't stand for it. Do you actually believe that if all employees both active and retired had to pay their way then there will be no cuts? No they want to cut! The MTA knows they've been over extended for years, that they pay huge sums to private contractors for shoddy work, and that for years they've been paying for capital projects out of the farebox. So get real. Understand what's going on before you all mouth off.

bitchincamaro

I'm all for taxing the bennies, my informed friend.

Phil

Ready to have yours taxed??

bitchincamaro

No prob.

MT

The union system as a whole needs to be rethought in this country. For everyone who whines about Wal Mart maybe you should think about what unions in the name of 'collective bargaining' have done to innumerable organizations and companies in America. Industry titans like GM have been taken down and now the entire middle of the country is suffering because of the UAW. The NY public CONTINUES to suffer for the TWU. Has everyone already gotten over the anger of the strike they did OVER CHRISTMAS a couple of years ago? They whine about perks that no reasonable in the private sector could EVER expect and then they expect to get sympathy when there are layoffs. We need a Ronald Reagin type to come in and deal with these leeches the way he did with the air traffic controllers. Enough is ENOUGH!

matty

Get rid of pensions. Nationwide.

Dead Himmler

MTA employees and retirees have worked hard and deserve these perks that were promised to them. Students just want something for nothing as usual.