Surcharge for Metrocards?

[yoshi]

i think this is all bs first a fare hike then they take away service on some train and bus lines and now they expect us to pay an extra $1 to get a new metro wtf how far are they gonna take it next every train runs less frequent and theres no more express for any line i know they are trying to close there budget gap but this isn't the way to do it

[Grand Concourse]

Here are my thoughts:

I do think that there's just too many cards laying around and this will help further keep those cards in ppl's hands than on the floor. What they should do is allow people to 'trade in' a card that's ready to expire or they don't want to reuse again. The booth clerk would hand them a new card free of charge. This would be a problem for machines, but ppl can always mail back cards to the MTA hq.

 

Although I don't think enough express bus routes were cut, eliminating transfers from one to another is a bad idea. A transfer means there's no need for like 3 different branches going to one terminal on each side. Let ppl transfer to another bus if they need to go somewhere that their single bus does not.

 

Student cards should've been half fares as originally proposed. Even if the kids jumps the turnstiles, they still paid for half of it and thus the MTA would still have money cuz the kids didn't use their cards.

[SubwayGuy]

Yea it can easily be avoided, but what about for tourists for their first time in the system? They'll wind up having to pay extra. Then again they could just pick up a card off the floor and use that since there's soo many of them laying around.

It's just them putting a limit on unlimited cards that grinds my gears.

 

My thoughts exactly. What's the point of an "unlimited" card that's actually "limited?" Kinda defeats the purpose.

 

All I know is that our generation is getting royally f**kED. Highest unemployment since the Depression era kids and young adults, and VERY high cost of living. And no one seems to give a shit about it. All they care about is the god damn senior citizen vote and what they think.

 

The fact that politicians are more concerned with how to "connect" to us and "recruit" us to vote speaks volumes, because what they should really be doing is worrying about what they need to GIVE us to GET us to VOTE FOR THEM. But memo, politicans: It doesn't work that way. We don't like ANY of you. You are all old, white, greedy, and BORING and you think we care about things that we don't. How the hell are you supposed to "connect" with us? The pols that appoint clowns like Walder just DON'T GET IT.

[SubwayGuy]

Actually, the PPR bonus is working in favor of MTA to drive people crazy to refill the exact amount to get in and out of MTA system without having the leftovers.

 

The PPR bonus also encourages people to carry higher Metrocard balances than they would otherwise, which keeps lines at MVM's and station booths short.

[7LineFan]

$1 for a garbage metrocard that gets damaged easily and wont last more than a few months and then you start looking like some moron cause youre standing there swiping over and over again because the cards mag-strip wore out...

 

Most of mine have lasted for the entire time before the expiration date.

 

Here are my thoughts:

I do think that there's just too many cards laying around and this will help further keep those cards in ppl's hands than on the floor. What they should do is allow people to 'trade in' a card that's ready to expire or they don't want to reuse again. The booth clerk would hand them a new card free of charge. This would be a problem for machines, but ppl can always mail back cards to the MTA hq.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the MVMs do allow you to do this now, but the card has to be about one month away from expiring. It'll swap your old one for a new one for free (for now).

[Grand Concourse]

Oh, I don't use the MVMs as often [especially if a clerk is around] and I usually buy a new card if I mistakenly left home without one. So you would know that better than me and I'll take your word for it. I do hope they don't add a surcharge for an expiring card when the machine does the swap.

[7LineFan]

Oh, I don't use the MVMs as often [especially if a clerk is around] and I usually buy a new card if I mistakenly left home without one. So you would know that better than me and I'll take your word for it. I do hope they don't add a surcharge for an expiring card when the machine does the swap.

 

For now, no, unless they go with the surcharge plan stated in this thread. However, I was refilling the card to begin with, and it offered to switch the cards. I don't know if it will do that if you're just checking balance or something like that.

[St Louis Car 09]

How in th hell do you limit an unlimited card? Someone is smoking steel dust again.

[Fresh Pond]

Wirelessly posted via (Mozilla/5.0 (Danger hiptop 4.6; U; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20050920)

 

So lemme get this straight...every week when I spend 27 bucks on an unlimited metrocard for work and other stuff I gotta do, they're gonna add on another dollar just cuz its a new metrocard? GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE :mad:

 

First of all, you can't re-use an unlimited metrocard after it expires so that's just being set up for the kill right there. If the would change it so that unlimited metrocards can be reused (I personally hate changing cards every week). As for putting a cap on unlimiteds, that's even more dumb cuz it defeats the whole purpose of it

[TwoTimer]

I think the intent was to allow refilling of unlimiteds by time the charge took effect. I was one in the minority who actually wanted the fare to go to a clean 2.50 (instead of that bailout 2.25) stuff so bonuses are more easily used, and whatever extra money (I remember them saying a 2.50 would leave them with a surplus for that year) put aside for deficits looming in later years. Its what us normal folk do when they get a raise or unexpected sum of money.

 

I always believed that express buses were supposed to bring people in neighborhoods not near a subway station (as in most of queens, SI obviously and southeast Bronx) into the city in roughly decent time. They were popular in the old two-fare zones, back when express buses were simply a double fare. Even after the cuts, there are still so many lines that originate near subway stations (whether profitable or not) or run past one. And then there's the issue of these buses running empty in the reverse peak. Every express bus line originating near a subway stop should have been cut (most of these lie in the Bronx - the best boro in terms of subway coverage - so the decision would look political but if thats gonna save money sometimes "tough" decisions have to be made). And I'm a Bronxcite.

[error46146]

- Newly proposed fare hikes by the MTA may include a $1 surcharge for riders who don't re-use their cards.

 

In order to save money and produce less waste, the MTA wants to give straphangers extra incentive to save their MTA cards, while simultaneously ease a $400 million deficit for 2010. A $1 surcharge would automatically be added to all purchases of new metro cards at vending machines.

 

There are other proposals that are currently being considered, including putting a cap on the number of times the unlimited weekly and monthly passes can be used.

 

Such a move would generate money for the beleaguered transit authority by preventing sharing of the unlimited passes.

 

More here: http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-mta-to-include-surcharge,0,2242439.story

___________________________________

This is some ol' (. Putting a cap on the # of times you can use an unlimited metrocard? It's called an unlimited for a reason.

Typical MTA idiocy...what else is new?

[checkmatechamp13]

Here are my thoughts:

I do think that there's just too many cards laying around and this will help further keep those cards in ppl's hands than on the floor. What they should do is allow people to 'trade in' a card that's ready to expire or they don't want to reuse again. The booth clerk would hand them a new card free of charge. This would be a problem for machines, but ppl can always mail back cards to the MTA hq.

 

Although I don't think enough express bus routes were cut, eliminating transfers from one to another is a bad idea. A transfer means there's no need for like 3 different branches going to one terminal on each side. Let ppl transfer to another bus if they need to go somewhere that their single bus does not.

 

Student cards should've been half fares as originally proposed. Even if the kids jumps the turnstiles, they still paid for half of it and thus the MTA would still have money cuz the kids didn't use their cards.

 

How would charging students 1/2 fare help the MTA if they don't put any money on it? Currently, the children who do get half fare MetroCards dip in their MetroCard and then put $1.10 in coins. Like I said, the DOE saves so much money by giving children Student MetroCards as opposed to school buses. It should be up to the school district, not the students to pay for transportation. It is one of the concepts of public education.

 

Back on topic, would that $1 surcharge apply to SingleRide tickets? I can't picture that it would, but if it doesn't, that would be another disincentive to buy a MetroCard, which, like I said, hurts the MTA in the long run.

[Q101viaSteinway]

Wirelessly posted via (Mozilla/5.0 (Danger hiptop 4.6; U; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20050920)

 

So lemme get this straight...every week when I spend 27 bucks on an unlimited metrocard for work and other stuff I gotta do, they're gonna add on another dollar just cuz its a new metrocard? GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE :mad:

 

First of all, you can't re-use an unlimited metrocard after it expires so that's just being set up for the kill right there. If the would change it so that unlimited metrocards can be reused (I personally hate changing cards every week). As for putting a cap on unlimiteds, that's even more dumb cuz it defeats the whole purpose of it

 

PATH does this for SmartLink card and it is good idea because less plastic used, more petroleum free for other use, especially after BP oil spill. Still good idea. But limiting an unlimited card is stupid, I want know who came up with idea for limit for unlimited card so I have interview done.

[Guest lance25]

All I know is that our generation is getting royally f**kED. Highest unemployment since the Depression era kids and young adults, and VERY high cost of living. And no one seems to give a shit about it. All they care about is the god damn senior citizen vote and what they think.

 

The fact that politicians are more concerned with how to "connect" to us and "recruit" us to vote speaks volumes, because what they should really be doing is worrying about what they need to GIVE us to GET us to VOTE FOR THEM. But memo, politicans: It doesn't work that way. We don't like ANY of you. You are all old, white, greedy, and BORING and you think we care about things that we don't. How the hell are you supposed to "connect" with us? The pols that appoint clowns like Walder just DON'T GET IT.

 

I couldn't have said it better. That's why most of the state legislature will be ousted this election season, especially after their continuous circus acts up in Albany.

[cdi919]

i like the idea of a surcharge. it should be like the deposit for bottles and cans. reuse your metrocard and get 5 cents off or get a small deposit back. also i have read all the posts about everyone here complaining about why they dont want it. but not one mentioned the fact that does have to pay for these cards before people by them with fares on it. basiclly the (MTA)gives the cards for free because you only pay for the fare. if they charged a 5-10 cent deposit for the card it would bring extra cash.

[metsfan]

Yeah, except the administration took a 15% pay cut months ago, which saved $49 million. If you don't want to pay the $1 surcharge then simply refill your old card.

 

I all ready refill my card i've used 3 over 4 years. I'm not concerned about me, i'm concerned about cash sapping measures stalling an all ready weak economic recovery. I hardly ride , 99.999% of the time i use my metrocard for PATH.

 

- A

[SubwayGuy]

i like the idea of a surcharge. it should be like the deposit for bottles and cans. reuse your metrocard and get 5 cents off or get a small deposit back. also i have read all the posts about everyone here complaining about why they dont want it. but not one mentioned the fact that does have to pay for these cards before people by them with fares on it. basiclly the (MTA)gives the cards for free because you only pay for the fare. if they charged a 5-10 cent deposit for the card it would bring extra cash.

 

I have no problem with that under two conditions.

 

-When the card is less than 30 days from expiration, a replacement card is free.

-Unlimited cards can be "refilled" and reused as if new.

-The "unlimited" aspect of an unlimited ride card is left alone.

 

If those 3 conditions are met, I have no problem. If those 3 conditions are not met, I do have a problem.

[Donald]

Putting a cap on how many times you use your unlimited??? The f***ing kind of mess is that? I agree with Dave; it's called an UNLIMITED for a reason!

 

A limit on unlimited Metrocards is needed otherwise one person could swipe 10 people in one right after another.

 

And it is silly to get too angry over the surcharge because Metrocards are going the way of the tokens. In the near future, everyone will have special cards that they swipe and are directly linked to their bank account.

[TOURQuarterback12]

Good now people can stop sh9t canning metrocards and making the spend more..

 

JUST REUSE!

 

ID based MC isn't the only Metro needed to be reused, reuse the Gold MCs too..

 

I do hope the charges at least 1.10$ for students next year. They should also pay up especially since half of them farebeat even with a Student MC. Not meant to those on this forum..

 

The kids should be charged half fare just like seniors.

[RokuSix]

Surcharge: good idea. It will cut down on litter and wasted cards.

 

Capping an unlimited card: Um, so... then it isn't unlimited...

[7LineFan]

A limit on unlimited Metrocards is needed otherwise one person could swipe 10 people in one right after another.

 

That's not the limit he's talking about.

[Dave160]

A limit on unlimited Metrocards is needed otherwise one person could swipe 10 people in one right after another.

 

Wait what? An unlimited card can only be used once every 18 minutes in the first place.

[Donald]

So what limit is everyone talking about? I thought you were referring to the 18 minute limit.

[Guest lance25]

Limiting the amount of swipes per day.

[Lennyj17]

I DONT AGREE with scrapping Unlimited....people barely uses the Unlimiteds enough for MTA to take a loss, but it still gives people peice of mind.....I myself dont ride enough for Unlimited and I like being able to Refill my card....

 

As for the surcharge as I've stated in my other thread that I started by mistake...

 

If they start allowing the Unlimiteds to be refilled I whole heartedly agree with this...The MTA should've been kicked this in a long time ago....

 

I wish like hell the unlimited could be refilled...hell allow us to personalized metrocards (like the reduced fare) good for 5 years and are insurable when loss or stolen

 

I even say go for 5$ surcharge...it will teach people quick to REFILL REFILL REFILL...and you can make more off the backs of damn Tourist, who cares about the tourist they dont have to live in this city plus they have $$$ to spend.

 

I hate Easy Pay because its Auto refilled and you dont know your balance unless you check online and its always a delay never the true balance.

 

I say go for it MTA cut down on Metrocard Litter its INSANE!

 

For malfunctioning or almost expired cards....those are replaced for free either by the Booth Clerk or by an enhancement in the MVM to allow for you to trade in the card for a new one for free by a option to do a "Balance Transfer"

 

But I only support this if Unlimiteds become refillable.

 

Also the MVM should have a new screen installed like ATM's that people would have to opt-in by pressing "Accept" or "Reject" after the notice of the additional fee for the new card. So people can't play the "I didnt know" game.