While fare hikes and service cuts are becoming the norm for the city’s bewildered straphangers, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) Straphangers Campaign issued its 13th annual “State of the Subways” report card on Wednesday, October 6.
The report surfaced one day before the MTA board approved subway, bus and commuter train fare hikes – the third such increase since 2008. With the hike, the 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCard will rise from $89 to $104, while the unlimited-ride seven-day MetroCard jumped from $27 to $29.
In their report, the Straphangers Campaign rated the No. 7 as the best of 21 subway lines with a “Metro Card Rating of $1.60, while the C got the worst rating of 55 cents.
This was the second year in a row the 7 got the highest rating and the third time in the last 10 years. The C, on the other hand, has been rated the worst four times in 13 years – in 2001, 2007, 2009 and now, 2010.
The data used in the report largely covers the last half of 2009. The subways were measured based on the frequency of scheduled service, the regularity of train arrivals, mechanical failures of subway cares, chance of getting a seat at the most congested point, cleanliness of subway car floors and seats, and adequacy of in-car announcements.
The report, however, did not take into account major service cuts that went into effect in June and a number of subway reductions this past September. Along with these cuts, riders can expect more crowding, longer waits, extra transfers and longer trips.
“The subways got better in the last half of 2009. But how will they fare in the wake of tens of millions of cuts in 2010?” said Gene Russianoff, Straphangers Campaign senior attorney. “In future years, this survey will measure the success or failure of the subway in tough economic times.”
The tough times have hit MTA employees as well, with dozens of car cleaners and maintainers being cut. According to Russianoff, 116 car cleaner positions, 46 track cleaners and dozens of car maintainers have been eliminated in the 2010 budget, along with 19 station announcers who covered 105 stations.
The services cuts, fare hikes and employee reductions were triggered by declining financial resources for the MTA, which includes a $143 million cut by the state legislature.
“Riders are now being asked to pay more for less,” added Russianoff. “The state legislature has shortchanged transit.”
The full report can be found at www.straphangers.org.
