By Jacqueline Hlavenka
NEW YORK – After a $6 billion budget deficit, controversy has sparked over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) proposed fare hike on subways, buses, bridges and tunnels in the Tri-State area that could go into effect as early as February 2008. In response, the MTA held its fifth public hearing at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 8 to let New Yorkers voice their opinions on the proposed fare changes.
Approximately 300 people attended the two-hour hearing, including public officials, legislators and protesters, who held signs reading “no fare hike.” The proposal would raise the base subway fare of $2 to $2.25. The express bus fare would rise from $5 to $5.25, 1-Day Fun Pass from $7 to $7.50, the 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard from $24 to $25 and the 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard from $76 to $79. Each person registered to speak was given three minutes at the podium to personally address MTA President Howard Roberts and other MTA officials.
Among the first to speak was Betsey Gotbaum, public advocate of New York City. Gotbaum spoke about the 2003 MTA fare hike, which raised subway and local bus fares from $1.50 to $2.
“They couldn’t afford the last one, and they can’t afford this one,” Gotbaum said.
Criticism referenced the underground steam pipe explosion at Grand Central Terminal, lack of overall station improvements and poor grades from riders in recent MTA surveys. Out of 4,000 rider responses, the D, J, M, Z, 5 and 7 trains earned grades of “C-.” The 4 and L trains were the only lines to receive “Cs,” meaning about half of survey respondents gave each subway line a failing grade.
The MTA has an entirely different approach to improve service, officials said. The new plan would introduce peak and off-peak fares on subways and local buses to encourage off-peak ridership, according to Douglas Sussman, the director of community affairs for the MTA. Weekdays from approximately 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. would be designated as peak; all other times, including weekends and designated holidays, would be off-peak. A discounted peak fare of $2 and an off-peak fare of $1.50 would be implemented for users of the Pay-Per Ride MetroCard-but commuters still aren’t pleased.
“I believe in order to close a $6 billion dollar gap, this is not the answer,” said Tom Brice, a member of the Staten Island Young Republicans Club. “We spend all this money to fund nothing. Service hasn’t improved, costs are getting higher and ultimately people are going to be forced to leave the state. A good professor once told me that when you increase service, you increase revenue. We should cut the number of government agencies and wasteful spending.”
Assemblywoman Deborah Glick (D-Greenwich Village) of the 66th District insists Spitzer should consider increasing government subsidies for the MTA before hiking fares for commuters.
“I am troubled by the financial burden for sub-par transportation,” Glick said. “It is inappropriate to introduce new fares before Governor Spitzer proposes his budget.”
Gene Russianoff, the president of the NYC Straphanger’s Campaign, took the podium and imitated the sound of a muffled subway announcement with a megaphone. Russianoff urged that city and state aid is badly needed to fund key repairs to the 103-year-old transit system.
“Much of the MTA’s long-term deficit is caused by growing interest on the $32 billion that the MTA has been forced to borrow since 1982,” Russianoff said in his public transit blog on straphangers.org. “Borrowing costs will eat up an astonishing 20 percent of the MTA’s costs by the end of the decade. It is only fair to acknowledge that the MTA has what is called a ‘structural’ deficit that will require new revenues in future years to address recurring deficits. But there is no question that many New Yorkers-especially the most vulnerable economically-will be asking what they are getting for a fare increase.”
According to Pete Donohue of the NY Daily News, the MTA may delay the fare hike if Albany ensures $2.1 billion in aid before December. Discussion on the fare hike will continue on Nov. 17 at the Kimmel Center at New York University from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a public engagement workshop.
About 300 citizens of the Tri-State Area attended a public hearing regarding increased fares for (Jacqueline Hlavenka)