MTA: Hey, Let's Make Monthly MetroCards $130!

Soon to be $130 each? (Flickr user Triborough)

The wild cards over at the MTA just sprung a third option for the fare hike on the monthly MetroCard. Last month their budget proposal suggested options for a $104 monthly MetroCard or a $99 "limited unlimited," which would give riders 90 rides over 30 days. But yesterday, MTA CEO Jay Walder threw a curve ball at straphangers, and suggested making the unlimited monthly card $130.

Apparently the idea was floated during a budget meeting last month, but not widely announced. And other plans include hiking the weekly MetroCard from $27 to $38. But an MTA spokesman said the "cheaper" options haven't been abandoned yet. They said in a statement, "The notice is written to allow enough flexibility for the board to incorporate public input in making its final decision. The goal is to increase revenues from fares and tolls by 7.5%, and the hearings are designed to elicit input on the best way to achieve that increase." But is the $130 suggestion just a part of the MTA's manipulative game?

Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign suggested that the MTA just now made the idea public so riders would be "grateful when they do the lower number." But if that turns out to just be wishful thinking, New Yorkers won't be too happy. Aurora Perez said of the possible new price, "Oh, my God, that's too much for me. That's a lot for me because I don't make a lot of money and I've got to use transportation every day." Others called it "preposterous" and "heinously high." The MTA said that if they chose the $130 option, they would also offer a cheaper, limited monthly option.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on August 24, 2010 9:44 AM

Comments [rss]

MoHDI

$50 monthly Metrocard! Class system proposal for MTA.

http://s.mohdi.com/metroclass

Reflect

Meanwhile the people at the top read these comments from there air condtioned livery cabs on there way to work.. What numb skulls they will shut up and take it... There too busy keeping there heads above water and worried about what fell out of pdittys mouth last weekend to do anything..

Bloomberg Transport Authority

m015094

This is not an infrastructure issue, this is a personnel issue. If you cut half the MTA employees, it would run at about 90% efficiency.

Do we need station agents? No.

Do we need 3-4 MTA employees per train? No.

Do we need a group of "watchers" doing maintenance work? Nope.

Do we need a guy to push the up button on the 181st #1 train elevator? No.

Do we need train conductors collecting over $200K/year in overtime? No.

Do we need an insane management class that sucks up $350K paychecks and can't balance a budget? Hell no.

The MTA needs to be fixed (fiscally) from the bottom up. Yes, people are going to lose their jobs, but it's time people start proving that their jobs are worth keeping.

Dead Himmler

Wrong. MTA workers need MORE money to make to system run better and more efficient.

unretrofiedforu

Yeah of course, because your entirely prviy to the complete operational budget and needs of the NYC transit system.

Grow up and get a brain.

1stephanie

I would totally hop on the 1-800-FLOWERS 6 train to get off at McDonald's® Union Square stop if it meant prices stayed reasonable.The MTA is always adding more "unique" ways to throw advertising on us, so why not go the way of the American stadium? Adopt a subway, corporate America!

unretrofiedforu

Why? So they can charge specialty $130 prices for prize seats?

Are you unemployed or know someone unemployed? This country makes me laugh; double-digit unemployment and everyone still clamors for more of the same!

I hope the historians of the future will be as kind to our former empire as they are to the romans and greeks before us.

Joclyn

Time to dismantle the "union" and privatize. It would turn a profit in six months.

exnyer

All of Japans railways are private.......and they are remarkable.

unretrofiedforu

And then we will be in a bigger mess than where we are today.

Privatization of a public service will also result in increasing costs and deterioration of services. Don't believe me? Break your arm and try using the emergency room @ your local hospital.

exnyer

NY`s subways were private until the City took them over.

1stephanie

The MTA uses this strategy EVERY SINGLE TIME. They announce a jaw-dropping fare hike, and then try to seem like they're "for the people" when they only raise it half as much. My, aren't they generous.

Guest

hey it's a pretty good time-proven strategy, for a con.

potsmoker

the $2.50 single ride card is worth it, as long as you swipe using crazy glue and leave the swiper mechanism gummed up.

potsmoker

Time for a peasant revolt.

I noticed something very interesting about the recent busstop closures.

The busstops have been shut down to passenger service and are still being serviced for graffiti removal and glass replacement. WHO PAYS FOR THIS?

Strangely enough the MTA doesnt have a contract with the people or the riding public, but seems to have a contract with a company to service the bus stops.

Im sure the contract the mta signed means they are obligated to keep paying these numbskulls to keep replacing and cleaning busstops?

strange do you think anybody who signed a advertising contract actually looked into what happens to the ad contract in case the actual rider eyeballs are no longer using the stops??

PKinNYC

The bus stops (and new fancy newstands) are maintained by CEMUSA. I don't think the MTA pays for the bus stops...I beleive all the revenue from advertisements pays for the installation and upkeep.

boogpowell

How about this deal. Raise it to $130 but I expect a lot of changes. New cars, full cleaning crews, station agents, no delays, and can't raise fare again for 50 years, etc. I'm willing to pay more for better service and better trained employees who do a good job. Also, im willing to pay a little more now for gaurantees that there wont be an increase for a very long time. What Im not willing to do is pay more for nothing. If they are not improving anything than there is no justification for this big of an increase besides mismanagement. If the funds were mismanaged then whoever did it should pay for the difference in the budget bc its their fault.

ennuipoet

Absolutely! I am willing to pay more for better service! We are paying more for increasingly worse service. Line cuts, bus routes terminated, late trains, filthy cars, dilapidated stations and still the rates go up. Yes, the system needs money, but the systems also needs to be fairly and openly audited by a third party. I will pay more, gladly, when I see where the money goes. Cutting a few hundred (relatively) low wage workers doesn't sound like cost effective measures. We need an audit, and we need it now.

I will not be holding my breath. Time to buy a bike. Can I sue the City when I get hit by a cab pedaling to work at 4 AM?

Stevennnn

Well the MTA has new cars..

boogpowell

Thanks for pointing that out. They do have a few new cars. Im glad you are willing to pay an extra $40 a month for the 1 in 3 shot of getting a new car and nothing else. Im not.