From the NY Post:MTA brass are considering a fare hike as early as this year as they struggle to fill a $750 million budget gap, The Post has learned.
Increasing the cost of a ride on subways, buses and commuter rails in 2010 is just one option out of many that officials have put on the table to overcome the staggering deficit, management sources said.
"I think there is a set of options. And the fare is one of those as we try to get to the bottom line," a board member said.
"In view of the reaction we got to the service reductions we have out there, I think that asking most board members if they'd rather see more service cuts or a fare increase, I think, at the moment, many would pick a fare increase."
Last week, the MTA held a series of public hearings on a slew of service cuts and the elimination of free student MetroCards, which would save about $383 million.
That leaves an additional $378 million gap that has to be closed this year, because the state cut aid to the MTA, took money from its tax revenues, and miscalculated how much the agency would get in payroll tax revenues.
A 7 percent fare increase is already scheduled for 2011, and The Post reported last month that it could be higher.
The MTA said in a statement that it intends to stick to that 2011 schedule.
24 comments:
nice, very nice
All fare increases we had the past couple of years did not fill the MTA's budget gap. So the new fare increase this year will solve the problem?
Of course the MTA board wants to raise the fare. The board consists of wealthy people who probably do not use mass transit. With no end in sight, I wonder what the maximum cost will be for a metro card.
If the City took over the MTA and not the state the MTA would actually have a surplus. Look into this and you will see how greedy upstate politicians are.
hit the ridesr with fare increase not the people that own cars dont raise tolls, when new yorkers buy a car they pay sales tax tax to to the state when we pay our auto policy we pay tax we pay for parking, park in a garage and the city gets even more in tax and we pay 5.50 to go thru the tunnel to the city let the ridership pay there fair share not the people that own cars if they dont like then just buy a car
What about the second set of books???? why was this only addressed then swept under the rug, maybe the second set of books could solve the problem where's the investigation?
those TWU raises were a horrible idea
And yes NYC should control NYCT. Enough of the Albany greed
"let the ridership pay there fair share not the people that own cars if they dont like then just buy a car"
Typical small minded. Stupid.
Do you have any idea how disastrous such an idea would be.
You in your shitwagon think traffic is bad now..think of what it would be like with 'tons' more shitwagons on those roads. Not to mention the pollution...oh that's right..Rush doesn't believe in pollution..it's actually good for you.
Mass transit is the way of the future, private cars are on the way to much more restricted use here in the city.
Don't like it?? Take that car and head "souf".
Hire a forensic accountant for their multiple sets of books. Get rid of the fat-cat board who have no idea what a subway train looks like and replace them with average people who actually ride the buses and subways. Sell some of the million-dollar artwork that they have hanging in their posh offices. There is so much waste and inefficiency at the MTA. Everytime they screw up, the people have to be punished and pay. Six months later they still have no money. They need to start cutting jobs at the upper echelon and work their way down. You can't tell me that they are losing money. The buses and trains are so overcrowded. How many fares do they collect in a day? Something is terribly wrong here. Instead of placing a band aid on this money problem every few months by raising the fares, they need to cut their waste and inefficiency, or they need to privatize the MTA.
Isn't there a law that kids have to go to school and that the city has to pay to get them there? ANY CITY?
The kids' parents should just keep them home and then see what happens.
umm lino maybe all the people that own cars and pay the tolls should head south then see how much u like paying $9 for your bus ride
hey lino i do not use the subway at all or busses at all so you think that its right for me to have to pay to bail out the mta for a service i never use and never will. you think thats it right that businesses that are struggling in this economy to hit with a tax to bail out the mta let the people that use the system bail it out but they never wanna pay a fair hike for a service that they use everyday they want everybody to chip in
" Anonymous said...
umm lino maybe all the people that own cars and pay the tolls should head south then see how much u like paying $9 for your bus ride"
umm. Let's try it anyway. There will still be plenty of traffic across those bridges and tunnels...running faster and our streets will be safer and less polluted.
While we are at-it, let's get upstate off our backs also.
"hey lino i do not use the subway at all or busses at all so you think that its right for me to have to pay to bail out the mta for a service i never use.."
Yep. I luckily haven't needed the services of the Fire or Police depts nor do I have kids in school. I don't directly use most other city services either.
"let the people that use the system bail it out but they never wanna pay a fair hike for a service that they use everyday they want everybody to chip in"
That is how it works. -You- make the choice of owning a car and driving everywhere, others upwards of $20/wk just to go to work.
If you do not like the costs and restrictions of owning a car now, you are really gonna hate the coming years.
double the fares for bus and train passengers they use it let them pay for it
The MTA operates the bridges and tunnels, too, and so every driver who uses those is also a user of MTA services. We're all in this deficit together, and it's not reasonable to ask that just subway riders or just drivers pay more.
the main problem is that the mta subways run at a loss rase the fare the same as a toll if u go to the city charge the same fare as if u where to go thru the midtown tunnel
"The MTA operates the bridges and tunnels, too.."
Not all of them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Authority_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey
I don't believe the Port Authority operates any of the bridges and tunnels in Queens. I don't drive, though, so I am no expert.
Bust up of the TWU Union and watch the costs plumment. There would even be enough to reduce fares. I wish they would do what reagan did with the air traffic controllers. Tell them benifits are being cut. They will strike, then tell them if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated. Then do it. There are thousands of middle class Nyers who would do their work for a fraction of the cost.
"They will strike, then tell them if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated. Then do it. There are thousands of middle class Nyers who would do their work for a fraction of the cost.'
Yet another barstool potentate.
There is NO similarity with the PATCO and TWU. In the former case they had military ATC's available to take over..and it still f'ed our aviation industry for several -years- 'till they were up to adequate staffing again.
The operations of the NYC Transit system is totally different. Aside from being the largest system in the world, it also has the largest maintenance facilities. NYT actually rebuilds many of the components such as motors and compressors not to mention the tracks and signal systems.
Do you "think" that you can just plug-in some off-the-street mook and have things up and running safely..and don't bother with that National Guard response...that is ridiculous here.
"There are thousands of middle class Nyers who would do their work for a fraction of the cost".
really? What "fraction? Do you even know what these people are payed and what it costs to live here in the city? About the only ones you might get in your republican wet dream are those you probably hate: immigrants.
...And if you want to know why these employees cost so much, as cruds like Potaki and Bruno (jailbird) they are responsible weakening rent regulations and hastening out decent into "luxury city".
Here, have a few more beers and then go blow your methane somewhere else.
The above comment was mine.
lino is an idiot must be on the city payroll im sire
"Anonymous said...
lino is an idiot must be on the city payroll im sire'
No "sire" I work for myself.
oh so you work for yourself then u dont mind paying the new mta tax from your salary for your business
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