By The Editorial Board
MTA fare hike. These three words make anyone who uses New York City’s public transportation system cringe.
What makes these words all the more repulsive is how often we hear them. Fares were just raised, as a matter of fact, back in March 2013. They were raised from a $2.25 base fare to the current $2.50.
To keep the trend going, the MTA has another fare hike on the horizon. With this one slated to take effect in March 2015, the MTA cites its rising operational costs as the reason for the increase.
While no one wants to hear this news, the MTA has devised a way to get consumer feedback in regards to their proposed hikes by offering two potential plans (The authority’s chairman, Thomas Prendergast, has gone as far as to call them “modest”).
The first proposal would raise the base fare to $2.75 while the bonus for purchasing MetroCards would be increased from five percent with a $5 purchase to 11 percent with a $5.50 purchase. The second proposal would keep the base fare at $2.50 but eliminate the bonus all together. Obviously, for single-ride tickets, bonuses do not come into play.
We, at The Fordham Ram, believe that option two, keeping the base fare at $2.50, is the best option for all New Yorkers, including visiting tourists and commuters from the greater metropolitan area. For starters, the MTA admits on its website that the 11 percent bonus will create trouble for users with the odd dollar amounts. For example, if someone purchases a round trip ticket with the bonus, the card will have $0.61 remaining on it. If a person purchases a $10 card, the residual value would be $1.74. Currently, no MetroCard vending machines are capable of handling pennies, so users can never really access of the value left on their cards.
Additionally, if the fare were to remain at $2.50, a $10 MetroCard would give users four rides, which is much easier to calculate. Riders would know after their third ride that they have to refill their card after their next ride, or their card would have no value. Also, for those who purchase single ride tickets, their cost would remain at $2.50 with the second proposal rather than jumping to $2.75.
Along with increased fares for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad riders paired with increased toll fees at the city’s many tunnels, the authority projected that changes to fares and tolls would generate $234 million next year.
In order to hear the views of riders and drivers about the MTA’s plan, the authority is hosting eight public hearings across the city and its suburbs. For those who are interested in voicing their opinion on this issue, the citywide hearings begin on Dec. 1. Additionally, comments can be submitted via e-mail through the MTA website, http://www.mta.info, or by letter to MTA Government Affairs, 347 Madison Ave., New York, 10017.
