Sensible Transportation
NYC Transit Fares Soar 33%, Bridge Tolls Only 14%
Non-polluting, space-saving transit riders socked while polluting, congestion-causing motorists continue to underpay.

If you think that the new york City transportation system is often backwards, thank Governor Pataki and the state legislature. In London, a bold plan to charge motorists $8 to enter the center city has unsnarled traffic. In New York City, transit riders are being hit with a mammoth fare hike just to maintain existing service, while most motorists on MTA bridges and tunnels continue to pay just $3 and the city's four East River bridges remain free, clogged and a drain on the City treasury. Because of opposition from Pataki, government did not consider new funds that could have helped hold down fares, like reinstating the commuter tax and East River bridge tolls.

The Governor controls the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which runs NYC Transit buses and subways and MTA Bridges and Tunnels, which owns six major toll bridges and tunnels. Despite a ferocious Save the Fare campaign by the Straphangers Campaign and labor-funded activists, the 17-member MTA board voted in early March to raise the base transit fare by $.50 to $2, a whopping 33% hike. The board members, all appointed by Governor Pataki, also raised bridge tolls by $0.50 to $3.50 (though E-ZPass users, who are a majority of motorists using the bridge, will only pay $3). Commuter rail riders will face a 25% hike.

Balancing the City Budget on Backs of NYC Transit Riders?
While the ostensible reason for the fare hike is to avoid devastating service and maintenance costs, some long-time observers believe that the Governor ordered the hike in part to help Mayor Mike Bloomberg close the City's $3.5 billion budget deficit. Increased fare revenue would potentially allow the Mayor to reduce the City's $500 million subsidy to bus and subway operations and maintenance of Long Island Railroad stations within the five boroughs. It will be shameful if the city's transit riders, many of whom are very poor and can ill afford the additional $250 in transit costs, pay more just so that the Mayor can cut city transit funding. Its desire to hide this and other political motivations lurking behind the fare hike are probably behind the MTA's persistent refusal to fully disclose its budget to the public or the city or state comptrollers. At press time, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi told reporters that the 18 boxes of MTA financial records that the MTA gave his office after he subpoened it, were "such a mess" that career budget analysts and auditors could not figure them out.

Exploding Debt Bomb
The other big reason for the fare hike is Governor Pataki's policy of starving the MTA of rebuilding funds, forcing the agency to borrow billions. Paying off these bonds is the largest growing cost for the agency-not the increase in service necessitated by increased ridership and not the increased wages for transit workers. Pataki also continues to acquiesce to state aid formulas that shortchange NYC Transit of $325 million a year.

Suburban Motorists Voted Pataki, City Transit Riders Did Not
Politics trump good transportation policy. Governor Pataki has raised tolls much less than transit fares because the motorists using MTA crossings voted for him and city transit riders did not. The Governor opposes the Mayor's goal of tolling the city's East River bridges for the same reason. The whole point of creating the MTA was to insulate elected officials from the political pain of toll and fare hikes. The agency could have raised the base toll rate to $5 or $6 with minimal political harm to the Governor, who was just reelected and will not face voters for three-and-half years. But even in the face of catastrophic budget deficits, Pataki seems unwilling to either tax or toll his motoring supporters.

Fare Hike Highlights
Subway and Bus: Up 33%, a $0.50 increase from $1.50 to $2.00 for base fare.
Tolls: Up 14%, a $0.50 increase from $3.00 to $3.50 for base toll.
Commuter Rail: Up an average of 25% for base fare.
Express Bus: Up 33%, a $1.00 increase from $3 to $4.

Post Fare Hike World 

Rider share of operation costs:
NYC 65%
Nat'l average 40%

Base fare comparison:
NYC $2
Chicago $1.50
Philadelphia $1.30
L.A. $1.35
Boston $1

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Token Booths Mainly Saved

According to the NY Daily News, the huge public outcry in February caused the MTA to back away from its plan to close 177 of the 725 plus token booths in New York City. Instead, it will close "no more than" 62 part-time booths. This is especially good news for NYC's 100,000 plus everyday bicyclists, many of whom rely on the subway as a back-up in case of mechanical failure or bad weather.

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