Subway riders feel MTA is taking them for ride as fare hiked to $2.25

[Harry]

Straphangers took the MTA's fare increase in stride Sunday - but they're not happy about it.

 

"You shouldn't raise the fare if you're not going to increase service," said Emmanuel Louis, a 28-year-old hotel clerk from Brooklyn. "It's just not fair."

 

Single-ride bus and subway fares went up from $2 to $2.25 on Sunday - less than the proposed $3 fare increase MTA officials originally asked for to plug its massive budget gaps.

 

One-day MetroCards are now $8.25, up from $7.50, 7-day cards are $27 from $25, 14-day cards are $51.50, up from $47 and monthly cards are now $89, up from $81.

 

An average fare, with the pay-per-ride bonus, is up from $1.74 to $1.96.

 

"The increases don't make sense," said Najla Netus, 22, of Brooklyn. "The service isn't that great. The trains are always running slow."

 

The MTA is expected to release it's 2010 budget next month, including a 1.5% cut in expenses.

 

"It's ridiculous," said Trimette Roberts, 35, of Brooklyn. "It's bad budgeting and bad management. To have a fare increase every year, year and a half - that's the part that's frustrating."

 

The MTA raised fares last year on MetroCards, from $76 to $81.

 

Others worried how they would find the extra cash while struggling to survive in a bad economy.

 

"This is a very bad time to raise the fare," said Kazi Faruk, 22

 

MTA officials said there were no glitches yesterday in the system as MetroCard machines were reset to reflect the new fares.

 

"It's been completely seamless, so far, so good," said MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz.

 

Riders boarded trains and hopped on buses yesterday as usual, grumbling that they don't have much choice.

 

"It's kind of the only way for most people," Roberts said. "We're trapped with it. It's not like we could boycott it in masses."

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/06/28/2009-06-28_subway_riders_feel_mta_is_taking_them_for_ride_as_fare_hiked_to_225.html#ixzz0JlJieIJw&C

[R32 3348]

Why do people keep saying they shouldn't raise the fare, treating the as a special case, when the price for EVERYTHING ELSE is going up too? I'm not saying they should be happy about it but stop pretending that the fare is the only thing that's more expensive.

[R62A 1991]

Most B Division weekend service has decreased from 8 minute headways to 10 minute headways along with this (exceptions are the and surprisingly the ). Oh, well...if you want proof, go look at the schedules on the MTA website. 20 minutes for an to Manhattan from Far Rockaway!

[mark1447]

Oh plz like the majority of rich people/middle classes cant afford to get on the Subway or bus but can spend money on bs that fit there need. Like Jewelry or fancy dinner

 

Who cares if it goes up. Ill admit I wont like it if it keeps going up every few yrs, seeing it will cause a major drop to the in usage..

 

If people dont like the system, well you ether spend money on tolls especially Verrazano Narrows Bridge which is $10 crossing or just walk..

[Pelham Bay Dave]

Most B Division weekend service has decreased from 8 minute headways to 10 minute headways along with this (exceptions are the and surprisingly the ). Oh, well...if you want proof, go look at the schedules on the MTA website. 20 minutes for an to Manhattan from Far Rockaway!

 

In realty most B Div line run every 10 to 12 Minutes on weekends do to track work. The Schedules been revised to operate every 8 Minutes providing no disruptions on the line.

[UlmerPark B6]

People keep on complaining, they want imporvements, but they complain about the fare hikes? We're in a recession, you need money, so does the , they have a huge budget gap, so I acutally don't care for this fare hike.

[Forest Glen]

As the fare increases, the quality of service decreases

[Urbanfortitude]

Why do people keep saying they shouldn't raise the fare, treating the as a special case, when the price for EVERYTHING ELSE is going up too? I'm not saying they should be happy about it but stop pretending that the fare is the only thing that's more expensive.

 

seriously...plus this is the budget plan that saved us from the much more disastrous Doomsday Project. Its so funny how easily people forget things. Compared to food prices and rent this is actually quite generous. Sheesh if i were able to put in a hot tub an electric generator some nice gas oven, a paint job and such it might be cheaper to live in that abandoned part of Bowery >.>

[rmcconnell]

I'd much rather pay an extra quarter for the subway than endure the massive service cuts that would have taken place instead.

[Dave160]

Its a quarter big deal. I know it all eventually adds up but stll.... If people are complaining this much imagine what it would be like if they kept to the original plan of $3.00.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

Think about it this way do we remember when we had to pay both subway and train and no transfers to eachother so stop complaining about a quarter we <R> all lucky they didn't raise it to 3$ then what hmm <R>(NYCT)

[metsfan]

Boycott? B)

 

I know i'm using teh subway less, on purpose.

 

- A

[Y2Julio]

Boycott? B)

 

I know i'm using teh subway less, on purpose.

 

- A

 

Cute but no. The people that depend on the trains and buses can't afford to miss work, so any "boycott" would be a moot point.

[Urbanfortitude]

Boycott? B)

 

I know i'm using teh subway less, on purpose.

 

- A

 

Here's the thing with that. There are too many people that actually need the system to get around which overtakes the number of people that most likely could boycott. Instead of wasting our time protesting over an quarter increase in subway and bus fare we should be boycotting food prices, rent increases and such.

[DX Local Train]

I Know This Is Off Subject But Doesent That Girl Look Like Paige From Degressi?

[MAA89]

Most B Division weekend service has decreased from 8 minute headways to 10 minute headways along with this (exceptions are the and surprisingly the ). Oh, well...if you want proof, go look at the schedules on the MTA website. 20 minutes for an to Manhattan from Far Rockaway!

 

That's not new. The headway on Sundays (middays) for the from far Rockaway is 30 minutes. They ran a Sunday schedule on Memorial Day, and I had to go out in the afternoon. I just missed a train by less than a minute at Beach 67th St. I sat on the platform and finished three chapters of a book I was reading before the next train rolled into the station 30 minutes later. Absolutely awful I say.

[MAA89]

Think about it this way do we remember when we had to pay both subway and train and no transfers to eachother so stop complaining about a quarter we <R> all lucky they didn't raise it to 3$ then what hmm <R>(NYCT)

 

That is true; free transfers and bonuses do go a long way, unlike the days where you had to insert tokens every time you took a bus or got into a station. The 30-day Unlimited Ride MetroCard is still at a reasonable $89, although that is a $13 increase from two years ago. Thank goodness the hike was $8 and not $23 as originally proposed.

[R32 3838]

As the fare increases, the quality of service decreases

 

I Agree with that, Me I don't care because its 25 cents extra, we are lucky that the MTA did not cut any subway lines, Its just the low-income people that are worried that most of you people don't understand, Being low class is not a good thing and its not good when you have to pay bills and etc plus Carfare, for those Low-income people, its hard for them so I understand why they are unhappy. High-Class people waste their money on B.S. so they should not complain.

[Maserati7200]

People keep on complaining, they want imporvements, but they complain about the fare hikes? We're in a recession, you need money, so does the , they have a huge budget gap, so I acutally don't care for this fare hike.

 

But they're complaining that the service is getting worse and the price is still rising.

 

And that picture was taken at Newkirk Ave

[AgedPolaris]

I mean, to be honest $0.25 isn't that big of a deal, although when you add up everything, it will be a bit of a drain if you have to take the train 2-4 times a day.

 

I understand there's a lot of work being done on weekends, although trying to get home on that Sunday morning, (it was just after midnight) I planned on taking the to the and then LIRR @ Woodside to get home, but I missed the by just a few seconds! Ran my ass off, too. The was running every 20 minutes, and going at reduced speed all weekend, so I figured I'd take the out to the Junction and take the up to Jamaica.

 

train wasn't working, so we all got that shuttle bus surprise. Bus jam packed with angry people is never fun, and then once I did get to the , a train full of people just sat there for at least 15-20 min before we took off on that slow cruise up to Jamaica.

 

Got to admit, it was kind of funny seeing all these people run down towards the train just to realize it's been sitting here for a while. The is never half that crowded at this time.

 

Point being, if this happened to anyone else on the day of the fare hike, I totally understand the frustration. Missed my LIRR connection and had to spend $20 on a cab unless I wanted to wait around there for another 2 hours. If the MTA were working even slightly on time, I'd have made one of the trains out to V.S.

[Y2Julio]

Well construction is done on weekends and next time check the MTA website for any service advisories and you won't be getting any "surprise" shuttle bus.

[Messino]

The MTA and LIRR waste so much money its not even funny. I am sure there are way more examples than I am about to show,this is just one I have come across personally.

I live close to Forest Park and my friends and I grew up around these LIRR tracks that pass through the park.

 

Currently the LIRR is using the tracks and about 4 times a day the trains run from Jamaica to Manhattan and vice versa and they also use the line to move locomotives around. They are also leasing the tracks to New York Atlantic Railroad to run freight..

 

The tracks in use are dated on the side as 112LB stock from the year 1944. I

 

In 2007 the LIRR decided they were going to upgrade the tracks with 115LB stock produced in 2007 as the current ones are over 63 years old.

 

Well how is that wasting money you say? The dumped miles and miles of track in 2007 that was made in Vermont and it just layed on the side of the tracks for years, and because they waited so long to install the tracks onto the railway ties, they became severely warped and are unusable.

 

Now recently they have been marking all of the 2007 rails as SCRAP and have been cutting them up and removing them. Here are some pics of the tracks they havnt removed yet.

 

Thanks MTA for wasting money but crying poor and raising fares across the board, LIRR and MTA. fares are going up because of mismanagement, poor supervision and wasteful spending. So YEAH us riders are paying for their mistakes.

 

1944 track that is still in use

 

 

Warped useless Tracks

 

 

Scrap

 

 

The date cleary shows manufactured in 2007 and within months of manufacture they showed up on the side of the tracks

 

 

 

[Aqueduct]

Its a quarter big deal. I know it all eventually adds up but stll.... If people are complaining this much imagine what it would be like if they kept to the original plan of $3.00.

 

Everytime they propose a fare hike they give out a preposterous figure like the one stated above and te MTA some how looks like nice guys by only raising it a minimal amount. When service started the fare stayed the same for forty years before there was a hike, there has been a 75 cent raise in six years, and two fare raises in the span of six years.

[Aqueduct]

Also, for that $2.25 I get the privelege of riding in a overcrowded or from 161st and river when I am working in the Bronx to midtown where I can wait 15 minutes for a hobo funked or to 71st and Continental, where I can complete my trip home on a Q64 that makes a stop almost every 6 feet with about 1200 people on that bus (I call it the bangledesh local).

[DOB2RTO]

Why do people keep saying they shouldn't raise the fare, treating the as a special case, when the price for EVERYTHING ELSE is going up too? I'm not saying they should be happy about it but stop pretending that the fare is the only thing that's more expensive.

 

Exactly. Like I said in the past, let them use for hire (aka gypsy) cabs, since $.25 is too much. I don't hear anyone complaining of the $6-$7 initial gypsy cab fare. From the Bronx to Far Rock for $2.25, in a gypsy cab $70-$80 dollars, depending on if they want to milk you that night. Gypsy does give you door to door service, and is faster......(being sarcastic)........

 

Who cares if it goes up. Ill admit I wont like it if it keeps going up every few yrs, seeing it will cause a major drop to the in usage..

 

If people dont like the system, well you ether spend money on tolls especially Verrazano Narrows Bridge which is $10 crossing or just walk..

 

60% of those who complain are to fat to walk to work, and $2.25 they will complain about, but they ain't that stupid to drive and spend $7.75 more each way. I would do $5.50 over $15.50. Gas went up greatly now, so I'll drive more is just talk from most. It ain't worth driving around or to Manhattan for most. Some have no choice, cause they live outside the city, and connecting service stops at certain times, and/or is minimal or null and void on Sundays.......

 

Also, for that $2.25 I get the privelege of riding in a overcrowded or from 161st and river when I am working in the Bronx to midtown where I can wait 15 minutes for a hobo funked or to 71st and Continental, where I can complete my trip home on a Q64 that makes a stop almost every 6 feet with about 1200 people on that bus (I call it the bangledesh local).

 

I understand your pain, but truthfully, your last sentence about the Q64 is hilarious. It reminds me of some of the bus lines I drove with stops that are unreasonably to close to one another.......

 

MTA should try to work out some kind of schedule where some trains start and terminate at 167 and Jerome during the rush hours. By the time the gets to 161st, it is already packed like a sardine can. Selected trains can do a few Bronx express trips also. Alot of work, but can be done somehow........