MTA approves fare hike, service cuts

Columbians and New Yorkers across the city who rely on public transportation will soon feel their pockets pinched due to what has been termed a “doomsday” combination of a fare hike and service cuts.

On Wednesday morning, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s proposal to raise subway and bus fares cleared its final hurdle when the executive board approved the plan by a vote of 12-1. Starting May 31, the base fare will increase to $2.50 from $2, though it will maintain a 15 percent bonus structure. The cost of monthly unlimited-ride MetroCards will increase to $103 from $81, biweeklies to $59 from $47, and weeklies to $31 from $25. The hikes range from 24 to 27 percent.

Additionally, a series of service cuts—including the elimination of several subway and bus lines and the reduction of service on others—will likely be implemented, and more than 1000 transit workers may be laid off.

Local riders reacted with a mix of outrage and reluctant acceptance. “They have to get money from somewhere, but I’m obviously not happy about it,” commuter Susan Cergol said while waiting for the downtown 1-train at the 110th Street station.

Cergol noted the substantial impact the fare hike may have on lower-income riders. “I’ll keep riding. I’ll pay whatever I have to pay, but for some people it will be a big strain on their finances,” she said. “If you rely on the subway, you can’t just stop taking it.”

Jeff Dobbs, another rider at the 110th Street stop, voiced concern that the MTA has “two sets of books,” and he questioned the size of the MTA’s deficit, which the Associated Press reported as $1.2 billion. “I’m a little non-trusting of the MTA,” he said.

Columbia’s commuter students will inevitably be among those feeling the crunch. Mercedes Mulford, BC ’11 and treasurer of Skip Stop, Barnard’s commuter students organization, said, “Particularly in these economic times, the only solution can’t be to pass it on to people who are already strapped for cash.”

Annie Lee, BC ’09 and president of Skip Stop, expressed concern that the reduction in off-peak service hours could discourage commuter students from getting involved in extracurricular activities that meet in the evening or on weekends, or from attending evening lectures or other special events.

“It definitely affects how much commuters can commit to stay on campus for activities that are an important part of college life,” Lee said.

Lee commutes to Barnard from her home on the Lower East Side via the F and 1 subway lines. The F will offer less frequent overnight and weekend service, and 1-line service will be reduced overnight and on weekdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Mulford commutes via the M11 and M104 bus lines. Service on the M11 will begin two hours later each morning, and overnight service on the M104 will be reduced.
“There’s really nothing I can do other than take those routes,” Mulford said, adding, “I’m sure I’ll be walking or carpooling more.”

In a statement released shortly after the vote, MTA chairman H. Dale Hemmerdinger emphasized the importance of protecting “riders’ best long term interests even in the face of knowing that the right course may be painful in the short term.”

Hemmerdinger called the MTA’s financial situation “a true crisis that we cannot solve by ourselves without causing great pain to the riding public.”

Last December, a commission led by former MTA chairman Richard Ravitch released a series of recommendations, including increased state funding to the MTA, to alleviate the need for the drastic measures the board approved. Wednesday’s vote came after the failure of negotiations with New York Governor David Paterson and other state officials, although MTA officials said a deal was still theoretically possible.

“We will react to any action that the [state] legislature may take from here on out, but we are on a course to begin implementing the service reductions and fare increases that were approved today,” MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan said. “In absence of action from Albany, we have today approved a way forward.”
The MTA is legally required to pass a balanced budget each year.

Maggie Astor can be reached at maggie.astor@columbiaspectator.com.