A Saturday in Manhattan will soon cost us another fifty cents for the round trip. To the misfortune of most New Yorkers who take advantage of public transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board recently approved a new budget plan.
Thanks to our state’s government and its bailout plan, MTA fairs will only increase twenty-five cents, but the prices are expected to rise soon anways.
Subway and bus fares are expected to increase from $2.00 to $2.50 in Staten Island, and even $3 for several Long Island modes of transportation. Express bus fares and weekly and monthly Metro card prices are also expected to increase, from $5 to $6.25, $25 to $31, $81 to $103 respectively.
The budget plan changes are arranged to begin in May and extend until the debt is resolved. And these higher costs aren’t accompanied with better service. The MTA is actually cutting service, reducing the number of trains, buses, subway lines, and bus routes previously available.
Besides MTA customers who will have to cope with higher fares, MTA employees might also suffer, as approximately a thousand layoffs will be made, mainly a reduction in the number of customer service agents, station cleaners, and other similar positions.
“I’m a bit worried because someone from my family works as a bus driver. Even though he is not expected to lose his job, he knows people who will lose their jobs. Besides, who knows what the cuts will do to his pay and his working hours,” said junior Paul O’Hara.
So why exactly is the MTA raising prices?
“The short answer is that the MTA is required by law to maintain a balanced budget, and our income is decreasing and our uncontrollable expenses are increasing, even though we are reducing our controllable expenses aggressively,” said MTA Deputy Press Secretary Aaron Donovan. According to Mr. Donovan, the fares that public transportation users pay only account for half of the operating cost of the MTA.
Moreover, the MTA didn’t receive enough tax revenues, known as ‘dedicated taxes’ from New York State. These taxes make up a significant amount of the MTA’s costs.
“In an economic boom, they [the dedicated taxes] meet our needs. In an economic downturn, like the one we are experiencing now, they can drop unpredictably. And so far this year, they are down by more than 50% versus last year,” said Donovan.
Early this year, the MTA only received about $97 million in the Real Estate Transactions significantly lower than what was expected even in the receding economy. Surprisingly, the MTA received approximately $307 million in dedicated taxes that arrive from the forementioned real estate transactions last year.
How are these changes going to affect students?
“I usually don’t pay for the buses or subways I use. The student metro-card gets me most places I need to go. And since the student card is still going to be free, I don’t mind too much. If fifty cents is going to rid the MTA of its debt, I’m fine with that,” said junior Connor Chatterton.
Unlike Chatterton, other travelers are not as optimistic.
“I will be using public transportation to travel to college next year, and I won’t have the school Metrocard. That will cost about thirty dollars a week. That’s crazy,” said senior Melissa Coughlin.
A positive attitude towards the rising prices may be a wise idea. The recession is ultimately going to impact every aspect of life, and public
