H.S. students walkout & rally over free MetroCards; @ City Hall

[Grand Concourse]

But even kids paying half the costs can help the MTA otherwise we'll be seeing more cuts and fare hikes. I don't buy the 'do more with less' idea. If you have kids not paying their fares, then you're running less buses and trains for more people and like maybe 30-40% of them not paying back.

I would be in favor of the DOE footing the bill since it is more their area.

[Grand Concourse]

Corrected

 

Huh? How does cutting the free rides further the current cuts? Sure the MTA is cutting things now, but they would have to cut even more to maintain the free rides.

[7LineFan]

Huh? How does cutting the free rides further the current cuts? Sure the MTA is cutting things now, but they would have to cut even more to maintain the free rides.

 

As in that's what they want to do. Cutting the free rides probably won't be nearly enough to keep everything the same as you stated in that post.

[Grand Concourse]

Oh ok, but if there's a big enough percentage of kids riding, even a half fare card would help somewhat. I still don't see it being fair that the MTA has to be left with the 'shovel'. I mean the other option would be to even :gasps: cut some express bus runs/routes.

[checkmatechamp13]

But even kids paying half the costs can help the MTA otherwise we'll be seeing more cuts and fare hikes. I don't buy the 'do more with less' idea. If you have kids not paying their fares, then you're running less buses and trains for more people and like maybe 30-40% of them not paying back.

I would be in favor of the DOE footing the bill since it is more their area.

 

Believe me, it is nowhere near 30-40%. The MTA wrote back to me and said that approximately 140 million rides were taken on the buses and subways using a Student MetroCard. NYCT ridership is over 2.2 billion. That's only 7% of the riders.

The DOE should be paying the bill. It costs an average of $0.33 per trip on a Student MetroCard, wheras an average trip on a school bus costs about $19, though that's probably due to special-needs children getting their own buses. The cost for an average student is demonstrated by the fact that they plan to save $3.4 million by cutting service to 4,600 students. Divide the 2 numbers, divide by twice a day and you get about $4 per trip, if my math is correct.

Even if the DOE paid the full $1.96 per trip, which is the pay-per-ride fare with a 15% bonus, they would still come out ahead over paying for yellow school bus service. In Long Island, children get to ride the yellow bus through high school, which are much less efficient than public transportation.

 

As in that's what they want to do. Cutting the free rides probably won't be nearly enough to keep everything the same as you stated in that post.

 

The Student MetroCard program has a net loss of about $144 million for the MTA, with the city and state covering the other $70 million. The service reductions would save $93 million. However, if you count the students who will avoid the fare, it is only about $37 million. It depends on whose numbers you want to use.

You have to consider that, with an $800 million deficit, they would've reduced the service anyway.

[7LineFan]

Oh ok, but if there's a big enough percentage of kids riding, even a half fare card would help somewhat. I still don't see it being fair that the MTA has to be left with the 'shovel'. I mean the other option would be to even :gasps: cut some express bus runs/routes.

 

It's not fair at all. But if the city and state are unable/unwilling to pay up, then we're either stuck with the bill or left without the service.

[Q85Rosedale]

To @checkmatechamp14

 

Which would you prefer, $700 or $300.

 

What many New Yorkers fail to realize is that times have certainly changed. Times are not like 2005 and 2006 where the MTA gave $1.00 specials for Thanksgiving & Christmas. Many need to learn that nothing is free and the student cards just can't be free anymore.

 

Take this for an example, you are a struggling parent with a child, you oppose paying the $30 month for your reasons. Now that money the MTA has lost because parents say oh, I don't have $30 a month for my child to go to school, I'm just barely making it now, the MTA is going to make EVEN MORE cuts and raise fairs to let's say $2.50 or $2.75. You're now paying $25 a week, $100 A month when people are now paying $22.50 a week to go to school (assuming their trip consist of the one transfer) which is $90. So $100 a month PLUS service cuts, which as you know, will make many curse and scream as their doing now.

 

Now would you rather have pay $30 a month & keep service the way it is now or $10 extra and end up having to pay in the end when your waking up beyond early to get to work ontime, and have to wait longer due to crowded buses and delayed trains?

 

Also, many protesting still don't know about Westchester's fares & I'm sure, some are probably learning now. It's a shock that no one residing in the Bronx Or Westchester County has stood up to say "you don't know how well some of you have it, my friends are paying $50 a month to go to school in Westchester" and those student cards are only valid on BeeLine buses.

 

P.S. In case you're wondering how I know about BeeLine charging, I've attended school in Westchester County from way before MetroCards were implimented and my old highschool charged the students $50 a month for the BeeLine student cards as the NYC ones didn't work on BeeLine bus.

 

-these are just my two cents to the situation.

[checkmatechamp13]

It all depends on many factors including how many children you have and how often you use public transportation, in addition to how hard your neighborhood is getting hit with the service reductions.

 

Lets use your proposal. Lets say that you can either have an 11% fare increase (bringing the base fare to $2.50 from $2.25, and the pay-per ride fare to $2.17 from $1.96) or have children pay $30 per month for a Student MetroCard.

 

If the child continued to receive a Student MetroCard, but the fare for the parent increased from $1.96 to $2.17, the weekly cost would increase from $19.60 to $21.70, and the monthly cost would increase from $78.40 to $86.80, an $8.40 increase.

 

If the child were forced to pay $30 per month, that would be $21.60 more per month than if the child received a Student MetroCard. However, if you have 3 children using transit, like my family would, that would be an $81.60 increase per month. Even if the second parent uses transit, that would still be an increase of $51.60.

 

If there were going to be service cuts, they would've happened anyway. I stated before that students make up only 7% of all of the riders and I said an 11% increase in the fare. Only a 7% increase in the fare would be necessary to maintain service at the current levels.

 

In these financial times, the MTA would probably do all three (reduce service further, increase the fare by 11% and charge children $30 per month for the use of a Student MetroCard).

 

It all comes down to what would affect the city in a worse way. Either raise the fares for 2.2 billion annual riders by an average of $8.40 per month, placing smaller financial burden on a larger number of people, or raise the fares for 140 million annual riders by $30 per month, causing children who can't afford to go to school cut school and cause an increase in the crime rate.

 

By the way, the 11% increase would create more revenue for the MTA over charging students $30 per month. Multiply $0.75 * 140 million and compare it to $0.25 * 2.2 billion. You get $105 million compared to $550 million.

* $0.75 is $30 per month divided by 40 trips per month.

[Q85Rosedale]

It will make more money yes but how many do you think are going to agree?

 

I can guarantee New Yorkers will say we just had a fare rise, why do we need another one b/c you all don't know how to count and over estimate your budget?

 

It doesnt have to be $30 but it does have to be a reasonable fare for a monthly card thats not going to bring in just enough for the MTA, but More.