MTA rant

[He Man]

I thought i'd post this up here because some of you guys used to live here recently.

Read: http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/08/04/bronx/bronxtimes-yn_bronx_front_page-31-farehike.txt

The MTA will be raising fares for the subway, bus, and tolls by January of 2011, and though hearings are still to come that will determine by how much, Bronx residents and elected officials are not pleased.

“I'm angry,” said Councilman Jimmy Vacca. “I went to the MTA's public hearing last week and I was the only elected official there. They are leaving straphangers holding the bag.”

The MTA has announced that it plans to raise monthly unlimited MetroCards by one of two methods. Either the 30-day unlimited card will go up from $89 to $104 a month, or the card will be $99 but cap at 90 rides per month.

Of course, if the second option is chosen, the card would no longer be “unlimited.” At 90 rides a month, anyone who swipes less than three times a day is okay, but many commuters swipe more than that.

The hikes are needed because a $143 million chunk of taxes that was raised last year, meant to go into a special “lockbox” for MTA use only, ended up being put into the general fund for the state of New York. Because the MTA lost that funding, they are planning major raises in fares.

Vacca said that at the recent hearing, he told MTA higher-ups that what has happened this year is akin to what he remembers as 'The Lottery' in the 1980s, when a large amount of taxes was rasied for education. “People believed it was going into education for years,” said Vacca. “Only much later, we found out that money went into the general fund. Now it happened again, and it left the MTA high and dry, and now, in turn, commuters have to pay.”

At a recent meeting of the Throggs Neck Merchant Association, business owners discussed the fare hikes with a representative from Vacca's office. “What can we do to help him, how about a petition?” offered Sherri Scanlon. Others remarked that they were “bowled over” by the prospect of yet another increase in fares by the MTA.

This comes on the heels of the MTA cutting the Bx14 bus in Country Club completely, leaving bus riders in the borough puzzled to see the new Bx8 buses driving down Stadium Avenue nearly empty.

“Here in the Bronx, they already cut the bus service, and now they want a toll increase to boot!” Vacca said. The angry councilman also stressed that many residents are still unaware the hikes will not just cover the subway and buses, but tolls as well. After the hikes, it will cost $6 to go on the Whitestone or Throgs Neck bridges.

The MTA, for its part, has allowed for a public hearing process that will take place in mid-September.

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“After those hearings,” explained Kevin Ortiz, an MTA spokesperson, “the board will take into account the testimony, both written and verbal, of the public. Then we'll take action and vote on the proposal in October.”

Ortiz made reference to the significant changes the MTA is making to bus service in the Bronx based on complaints from the public, which he says is a sign that the hearings do matter.

Vacca is hoping that residents do come out to the public hearings in September to voice their opposition to the increased fares.

“We have to fight the hikes,” he concluded, “and I'm going to continue to fight.”

[He Man]

So, now the "unlimited ride" which used to be  litterally unlimited rides any time of day, so as long as they are 15 minutes apart, is now going to be capped at 3 rides a day. Anyone who actually uses an unlimited metrocard knows that there are days where you use it up to 8-10 times a day.

So this now mimics the High School Metrocards that used to be handed out to kids. 3 rides per a day max. One to get to school, one to go to an after school activity, and one to go home.

The base pay per ride fare is still in place.

What angrys me the most is that they are cutting back service, spending money on making more lines, and cutting corners on servicing the much needed repair.

I dont know who is in charge of the financial crisis that is occuring at the MTA, but that person needs to be hung. How do you cut service, raise fares and pour money into new projects at the same time?

[Goat_Herder]

Kingston Trio - M.T.A.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Wait wait wait wait........


NYC is expensive to live in?


Who knew!

[He Man]

Wait wait wait wait........


NYC is expensive to live in?


Who knew!

So what do you propose all the poor people move out (about 75% of the population)?

[lethe]

Wait wait wait wait........


NYC is expensive to live in?


Who knew!

but seemingly no money is going back into infrastructure, I think DTM was riding on more cared for roads in SE Asia.
I curse at myself daily, asking myself why oh why do I commute into this shithole.

[He Man]

the money is going back into the infrastructure.

the problem is, when the MTA had a surplus they let the system rot and spent it all on useless things. Now that the system is in dire need or repair, theres not enough money to go around. its being stretched to thin so nothing gets done.

[vincheung]

.

[lethe]

I get all the fun parts, the driving commute in and out and the traveling about in the tins cans of human stench when traveling to multiple jobs during the day or if said job is where parking is an unreasonable idea. I've ridden the bike in before but view it as a waste of tires.

[R2]

How do you cut service, raise fares and pour money into new projects at the same time?

That seems to work for BART over here in SF/Bay area.

[Grampa]

Kingston Trio - M.T.A.

I wanna see what a Kingston Trio groupie looks like.

[muskrat]

they should shut down all Toll authorities period!  it's a regressive tax and if memory serves me I already pay a road tax.  Shut them all down.

[ducatiz]

The NYC subway is one of the only in the world that has a flat fee for a ride regardless of length.

It is an absolutely absurd model.   There is no way for them to ever be free of municipal funding.  It cracks me up, people pregnant dog about the fares changing but never for a MINUTE consider how much of their tax dollars are going to subsidize the subway.

Some estimates have figured that an average New Yorker, making 75k/year pays as much as as 50% of their income to taxes and fees.

I can of course see why it would piss people off that their unlimited fare cards aren't unlimited anymore, but if you step back and consider the cost of running a train from Jamaica all the way to the Aquarium in Bklyn, you ahve to wonder at the sanity of permitting a "single fare" setup.

So if it's expensive to live in NYC, you can partially thank the crack-smokers who have been doing the municipal planning and running up your income/sales/property taxes to cover the costs of the train.

A $2 fare for a ride that costs the system $8.  Think about it.  The $6/person has to come from somewhere.

[ducpainter]

they should shut down all Toll authorities period!  it's a regressive tax and if memory serves me I already pay a road tax.  Shut them all down.

Do you have another non political tune?

[Popeye the Sailor]

Do you have another non political tune?

I have one about the way to San Jose.

It's apparently South.