They’ll still be free . . . at least for now.
Facing heavy pressure and criticism, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) scrapped plans to start charging students for MetroCards to get to-and-from school, instead choosing to make other cutbacks in service to fill its nearly $800 million budget shortfall.
The much-maligned agency had planned to start charging students half-price fares this year and then full fares the following year, but on Thursday, June 17, the agency announced that it had changed its mind.
“As a result, the budget deficit we are facing will increase, but the alternative is worse,” the MTA said in a statement. “Further actions needed to close this gap will be addressed when our preliminary financial plan is released in July.”
Throughout the last few months, the MTA has been working with the state and city leaders hoping they would be able to provide the additional funds to stave off the cuts. The city has agreed to pay $45 million and the State Legislature agreed to restore $25 million, but the MTA will still need to fund the remaining $144 million to facilitate the program.
“The education of our children is a top priority, and families should not have to bear any undue hardships in the pursuit of learning,” said State Senate President Malcolm Smith. “We must continue to do all we can to provide families with the resources they need to meet that challenge.”
Still not all lawmakers thought it was a great deal.
“It’s not at all surprising that two incompetent bodies – Albany and the MTA – used a basic service for students as a bargaining chip. How dare they threaten students and their parents for months with this?,” said City Councilmember Peter Vallone. “Student MetroCards may have been restored but tens of thousands of commuters will still suffer as a result of widespread MTA cuts.”
In addition to the planned service cuts that go into effect Sunday, June 27, which include the elimination of the W and V subway lines and reduced service on numerous bus routes, the MTA will also consider more cuts at a meeting on Wednesday, June 23.
Some of these cuts, which the agency said have to do with ridership figures, include having four fewer rush-hour express No.7 trains into Manhattan and pushing back the start of express service from 5:30 a.m. to 6:20 a.m.
