Transit riders better throw some extra change into their piggy banks each month if they want to continue riding the city’s buses and subways.
That’s because on Wednesday, July 28, the MTA board released its preliminary budget for fiscal year 2011 that will sock commuters with fare hikes that will leave nearly all straphangers digging deeper into their pockets.
“The Straphangers Campaign is greatly concerned about the fairness and impact of the proposed fare hikes for 2011 on city subway and bus riders,” said Gene Russianoff, lead attorney for the Straphangers Campaign.
The proposed 7.5 percent fare revenue hikes for 2011 include increasing the price for a 30-day unlimited MetroCard from $89 to $104, increases of 7.6 percent to 9.4 percent on LIRR and Metro North trains and boosting tolls at the MTA’s major crossing by 50 cents while adding 10 percent to E-ZPass tolls.
The base fare for a regular MetroCard would stay at $2.25, but riders would pay $1 for every new card they purchased instead of renewing their current cards.
The fare increases are part of the MTA’s overall plan to reduce its budget gap. Other components of the plan include the organization continuing its cost-cutting measures and controlling labor costs, which make up two-thirds of the agency’s operating expenses.
“Overall I think the price of the monthly [MetroCard] is too damn high,” said Andrew Hall, an airline employee who was getting on the Q27 bus in Cambria Heights on Wednesday. “That’s like paying a cell phone bill after adding taxes surcharges and hidden fees.”
However, Hall said that even with the fare increases, packed trains and cut back services, riders are left with few options.
“People are going to complain but at the end of the day, they’ll still pay it because they have to get to where they need to go,” Hall said. “It’s still cheaper than buying a car.”
The MTA will host a series of public hearings in September on the plan and the board will have to vote on a final plan in December.
For more information on the financial plan, log onto www.mta.info.
With reporting by Alisha McLean
