Louis Kenny of Queens is organizing a grass-roots boycott of all MTA trains and buses on June 9 - just about when proposed fare hikes would go into effect. "We can all car pool," said Kenny, 36. "If you can walk to work, walk to work. Take a bike. If you have vacation or sick or personal time, take it. We have to do something."
Queens man plans MTA boycott
The MTA is considering hiking the base fare for a subway ride to $2.50 or even $3 by next summer.
Kenny has been passing out flyers on the D and E trains, in Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's restaurants and bus stops around the city.
The South Jamaica man takes the D and E lines, as well as two buses, to make the 2-1/2-hour commute to his job as a cook at a halfway house in the South Bronx.
He says that he would stay with friends who live in the Bronx on June 9, or get a hotel room near his job.
13 comments:
It's different boycotting something that is necessary in a city like New York let alone a government agency than a private company or something that actually needs business to survive. Very little operating money for the MTA comes from ridership most of it comes from taxes and advertising.
Damn... MTA developed the weekly passes just for this reason... It does not matter if you boycott the MTA because.. most likely... you already bought a weekly/monthly card.
ANONYMOUS: Very little operating money for the MTA comes from ridership most of it comes from taxes and advertising.
Actually, that's not true. Close to 60% of the MTA operating expenses is collected at the farebox. This is from a press release from June of last year from the Straphangers Campaign (yes, it's a little old, but the numbers are close to the ones that have been bouncing around in the media of late):
The IBO [the City's Independent Budget Office] also estimated that "if the MTA's projected deficits were eliminated solely through fares, NYC Transit's fare box operating ratio would rise from its current level of around 59% to over 79% by 2010."
(The IBO also noted: "The MTA funds over half of its transit operating expenses through fares, a considerably greater share than most transit agencies. For example, the fare box recovery ratio of the Chicago Transit Authority was just 36% in 2005.")
I actually kind of like the idea of a boycott, at least only as a symbolic measure. Yes, the MTA will still already have our money (I've signed up through my job to get MetroCards delivered to the me the first of each month, to be paid for from my paycheck, pre-tax.) But sometimes symbolic action is real action.
start charging people for the staten island ferry chrge the same as a subway fare to ofset the cost that we pay as taxpayers the cost is $5.86 for the fare that we pay now as new yorkers
C'mon, guys... it's a fair hike.
ANONYMOUS: start charging people for the staten island ferry...
Good idea.
Kudos to Louis Kenny for at least trying to send a message to the MTA. He has the right idea. Let's all stick together. Buddy-up, carpool, walk in groups to the train stations. Meet your neighbor and use each other's resources. What if no one rode the subways or buses for a week? The same could be done when ticket prices go through the roof at Yankee and Shea (Citi?)Stadiums. What if no one attended the game and just watched it on TV? Bet the ticket prices would drop. It is amazing what can be done if we just band together. We are the consumers and we have the power. So glad Louis realizes this and is trying to do something about it. Will anyone else?
it sounds like a good idea, but the problem is, the MTA knows it has us all by the balls. Nobody takes the subway for fun. Sure, fare hikes could lead to some getting back in their car or walking or riding if they work close to home, but for the vast majority who dont drive and have to get to work, it's the only option. that's what is so maddening about the situation for me. The MTA obviously answers to nobody.
"C'mon, guys... it's a fair hike."
Yep, in the end, we'll end up paying for it because its the only game in town, atleast, until the crap express starts service.
MTA, Going your way...that is, if you pay.
Well, the operating funds have to come from someplace. If you think fare increases are a bad idea, then perhaps you'd support congestion pricing, or maybe higher income taxes?
Look, I'm not happy about maybe having to pay $2.50 a ride either. But all I hear is people crying... do you have any realistic alternatives up your sleeves?
Yeah....
let's open up the second set of books that the MTA keeps!
I'll bet those show a profit!
What ever happened to their surplus?
Where's John Liu?
On this he isn't taking any opposition or a grand photo op...huh?
Useless piece of crap cousin
of Tommy Huang!
And what specifically will this boycott accomplish?
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