New York M.T.A. Approves Transit Fare Increases

[Mefistofeles]

Source: New York Times

Updated, 11:31 a.m. | The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted 12 to 2 this morning to approve a package of fare increases for its subways, buses and commuter railroads, the third time in three years that New Yorkers face a stiff rise in the cost of getting around.

The unlimited 7-day and 30-day MetroCards for the city’s subway and bus system will remain unlimited, as the board rejected a proposal to cap the number of rides they are valid for. But the price of the passes will jump significantly. On Dec. 30, when the increases take effect, a 30-day unlimited card will cost $104, up from $89, a 17 percent increase, while an unlimited weekly pass will cost $29, up from $27. Single rides will rise 25 cents to $2.50.

The pricing regime places the biggest burden of the increases on the system’s most frequent riders, the third of straphangers who use 30-day passes. Transit officials said this action was fair, because that group also tends to be more affluent than other riders, according to the authority’s survey data.

But some board member at Thursday’s meeting objected. “This fare plan hits our best customers with the heftiest fare hike,” Andrew Albert, a nonvoting board member and chairman of the New York City Transit Riders Council, said shortly before the vote. “We should be rewarding our best customers.”

Read more: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/m-t-a-meets-to-increase-transit-fares/?hp

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I buy a monthly metrocard and earn $21,000 a year. Nothing does down. Everything goes up, except for the salaries.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. It's mindnumbingly stupid to make monthly passes take the biggest increase.

and doubly stupid to think that the more affluent riders are going to put up with it, since they have the means to use other transportation modes.

[nyc 4 Biden]

2. It feels like it just went from $2 to $2.25 recently.

Now this makes my commute go up to $5.oo total for the daily round-trip commute. IMHO, still pretty cheap considering that includes a train, ferry and subway in each direction.

[T Wolf]

3. My unemployed, student daughter lives in NYC. Her view on this is the same as the

board - the monthly pass purchasers can (for the most part) more readily afford a larger increase.

She has told me of watching people with even less money then her scrape their change together for fare.

And she has observed that many New Yorkers (especially in Harlem where she lives) cannot afford the monthly cost, so they wind up paying more via the weekly (or daily).

She recognizes that as being very unfair.

I am so proud of her for looking beyond herself - for caring about everyone.

[Fearless]

4. +1

[brooklynite]

5. It's worth remembering that...

virtually every State Legislator who blocked the congestion pricing funding strategy for the MTA was re-nominated last month.

[saigon68]

6. Social Security Will be frozen under Obama in 2011

Yup ---if you are old suck it up.

You will soon need to decide which meal you are going to skip.

[leftynyc]

7. I see my commuter railroad monthly ticket

is also set to go up 7-14%. Lovely.