The MTA has decided to raise subway fare to $3

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The MTA has decided to raise subway fare to $3

 

By Will Pulos Posted: Thursday January 19 2017, 4:04pm

Photograph: Shutterstock

 

Second Avenue Subways and light-up bridges aren’t going to pay for themselves!

 

After considering a plan that would keep the price of a Metrocard swipe at $2.75, MTA officials have decided to recommend increasing the fare by a quarter reports the Daily News.

 

In exchange for shelling out an extra 25 cents every time you take the subway, the round-trip bonuses on Metrocards will increase from 11% to 16%. 

 

The other option the MTA was considering would have kept the fare at the same price, but the 11% round-trip bonus on a card would have decreased to 5%. 

 

At least three is a nice round number?

 

Source: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/the-mta-has-decided-to-raise-subway-fare-to-3-011917

[T to Dyre Avenue]

Not surprised to see the fare go to $3, but I'm glad to see the round-trip discount is increasing.

[biGC323232]

 

The MTA has decided to raise subway fare to $3

 

By Will Pulos Posted: Thursday January 19 2017, 4:04pm

Photograph: Shutterstock

 

Second Avenue Subways and light-up bridges aren’t going to pay for themselves!

 

After considering a plan that would keep the price of a Metrocard swipe at $2.75, MTA officials have decided to recommend increasing the fare by a quarter reports the Daily News.

 

In exchange for shelling out an extra 25 cents every time you take the subway, the round-trip bonuses on Metrocards will increase from 11% to 16%. 

 

The other option the MTA was considering would have kept the fare at the same price, but the 11% round-trip bonus on a card would have decreased to 5%. 

 

At least three is a nice round number?

 

Source: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/the-mta-has-decided-to-raise-subway-fare-to-3-011917

 

Wow..I remember when fares was simply 1$ to ride now 3$ to ride....Crazy how everythings going up out of control...Except ppl pay checks... .... Only good thing out of this i guest is the percent in round trip increases...  

[Fresh Pond]

In other news, today is Friday.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

In other news, today is Friday.

It may seem ordinary, but this recent fare hike may trigger the people yelling for Metrocards for the poor again.  I think it came up recently again in some article I read.

 

 

The MTA has decided to raise subway fare to $3

 

By Will Pulos Posted: Thursday January 19 2017, 4:04pm

Photograph: Shutterstock

 

Second Avenue Subways and light-up bridges aren’t going to pay for themselves!

 

After considering a plan that would keep the price of a Metrocard swipe at $2.75, MTA officials have decided to recommend increasing the fare by a quarter reports the Daily News.

 

In exchange for shelling out an extra 25 cents every time you take the subway, the round-trip bonuses on Metrocards will increase from 11% to 16%. 

 

The other option the MTA was considering would have kept the fare at the same price, but the 11% round-trip bonus on a card would have decreased to 5%. 

 

At least three is a nice round number?

 

Source: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/the-mta-has-decided-to-raise-subway-fare-to-3-011917

 

Wow..I remember when fares was simply 1$ to ride now 3$ to ride....Crazy how everythings going up out of control...Except ppl pay checks... .... Only good thing out of this i guest is the percent in round trip increases...  

 

I'm curious as to what sort of feedback the received at the meetings to come to such a decision.  I honestly thought the base fare had a chance of staying at $2.75.

[biGC323232]

It may seem ordinary, but this recent fare hike may trigger the people yelling for Metrocards for the poor again.  I think it came up recently again in some article I read.

I'm curious as to what sort of feedback the received at the meetings to come to such a decision.  I honestly thought the base fare had a chance of staying at 

Your guest is as good as mine VG8....You probably had some ppl mad about it...Most ppl probably like what the heck can we do but pay the increase...I'll say in about 3 years from now fares gonna be like 5$ one way...If we continue at this rate....

[bobtehpanda]

It may seem ordinary, but this recent fare hike may trigger the people yelling for Metrocards for the poor again. I think it came up recently again in some article I read.

 

I'm curious as to what sort of feedback the received at the meetings to come to such a decision. I honestly thought the base fare had a chance of staying at $2.75.

People really, REALLY have an irrational attachment to the bonus, which the 2.75 options would've reduced or eliminated IIRC.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Your guest is as good as mine VG8....You probably had some ppl mad about it...Most ppl probably like what the heck can we do but pay the increase...I'll say in about 3 years from now fares gonna be like 5$ one way...If we continue at this rate....

And people will keep saying that we get the best "deal" around.  We the commuters subsidize a good portion of our fares, so it isn't just the $2.75 but the surcharges we pay elsewhere.  I forgot my monthly Metro-North pass this morning.  That overlook cost me $8.75... lol

 

People really, REALLY have an irrational attachment to the bonus, which the 2.75 options would've reduced or eliminated IIRC.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Apparently so.  The other thing is you want to give some sort of incentive to those who park money upfront.  

[checkmatechamp13]

I'm curious as to what sort of feedback the received at the meetings to come to such a decision.  I honestly thought the base fare had a chance of staying at $2.75.

 

People really, REALLY have an irrational attachment to the bonus, which the 2.75 options would've reduced or eliminated IIRC.

 

Yes, because the math means that it's cheaper for the typical commuter (especially since the threshold for qualifying for the bonus is so low)

 

2.75/1.05 = $2.62

 

3.00/1.16 = $2.59

[Around the Horn]

Yes, because the math means that it's cheaper for the typical commuter (especially since the threshold for qualifying for the bonus is so low)

 

2.75/1.05 = $2.62

 

3.00/1.16 = $2.59

 

That's a good point...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yes, because the math means that it's cheaper for the typical commuter (especially since the threshold for qualifying for the bonus is so low)

 

2.75/1.05 = $2.62

 

3.00/1.16 = $2.59

"Typical" commuter? I thought most riders use passes anyway?

[checkmatechamp13]

"Typical" commuter? I thought most riders use passes anyway?

 

No, and the data is available here to prove it.

 

Around 45% of rides are taken using an unlimited pass. That's not "most", especially when you consider that people with passes tend to ride more than people without them, so the number of actual riders with passes is going to be something less than 45%. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

No, and the data is available here to prove it.

 

Around 45% of rides are taken using an unlimited pass. That's not "most", especially when you consider that people with passes tend to ride more than people without them, so the number of actual riders with passes is going to be something less than 45%. 

I'm still trying to figure what "typical" means anyway. Even if I believe your numbers, most people are commuting to and from work, and unless they work from home a few days a week, economically it makes sense to get a pass.  

[Fresh Pond]

 

 

It may seem ordinary, but this recent fare hike may trigger the people yelling for Metrocards for the poor again. I think it came up recently again in some article I read.

I only said that because this fare hike was already known about and people are treating it like it was just decided out of the blue. They told us in 2015 when they raised the fare that it would up again in 2017, and they told us in 2013 when they raised the fare back then that they would raise it in 2015.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I only said that because this fare hike was already known about and people are treating it like it was just decided out of the blue. They told us in 2015 when they raised the fare that it would up again in 2017, and they told us in 2013 when they raised the fare back then that they would raise it in 2015.

Yes but we didn't know which option they would choose.  That was the question.  

[checkmatechamp13]

I'm still trying to figure what "typical" means anyway. Even if I believe your numbers, most people are commuting to and from work, and unless they work from home a few days a week, economically it makes sense to get a pass.  

 

Well, those numbers are straight from the MTA, so I don't think you can come up with any better numbers.

 

And the break-even point is 48 rides per month or 13 rides per week. (So for 47 rides per month or 12 rides per week, it makes sense to just stick with a pay-per-ride). If the only thing you do is commute to/from work for 5 days per week, then it makes sense to stick with a PPR MetroCard. Not to mention there's people who take the subway/bus to work in the morning, and then walk home at the end of their shift, or take a ride with a coworker.

 

Not to mention nowadays, there's more flexible work schedules. Some people work four days a week for 10-12 hours, instead of a typical 8 hour day for 5 days a week.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Well, those numbers are straight from the MTA, so I don't think you can come up with any better numbers.

 

And the break-even point is 48 rides per month or 13 rides per week. (So for 47 rides per month or 12 rides per week, it makes sense to just stick with a pay-per-ride). If the only thing you do is commute to/from work for 5 days per week, then it makes sense to stick with a PPR MetroCard. Not to mention there's people who take the subway/bus to work in the morning, and then walk home at the end of their shift, or take a ride with a coworker.

 

Not to mention nowadays, there's more flexible work schedules. Some people work four days a week for 10-12 hours, instead of a typical 8 hour day for 5 days a week.

I mentioned the idea of people having flexible work schedules, and I'm well aware of people having different commute patterns.  You went through all of that still didn't explain what I asked before... 

[checkmatechamp13]

I mentioned the idea of people having flexible work schedules, and I'm well aware of people having different commute patterns.  You went through all of that still didn't explain what I asked before... 

 

Not sure what's there to explain. Most commuters don't use passes. Not sure what you want me to do, change the numbers the MTA released or something?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Not sure what's there to explain. Most commuters don't use passes. Not sure what you want me to do, change the numbers the MTA released or something?

I asked before and (I'll ask yet again) what you mean by a "typical" commuter?

[bobtehpanda]

I'm still trying to figure what "typical" means anyway. Even if I believe your numbers, most people are commuting to and from work, and unless they work from home a few days a week, economically it makes sense to get a pass.  

 

It's not a measure of a "typical" commuter. It's a measure of all the swipes taken in the system, which means anyone from your 9-5 commuter to the person working night shifts, to the student who has sports after school, to the tourists and the B&T crowd that comes in to see Broadway shows and then complain about how "crowded" it is in their idea of the city, roughly bounded by Columbus Circle, Penn, Herald Square, and Central Park.

[checkmatechamp13]

I asked before and (I'll ask yet again) what you mean by a "typical" commuter?

 

Since you want to get into semantics, you said "I thought most riders use passes anyway?". That is an incorrect statement (with your attitude about how "even if I believe your numbers", I'm treating that as a statement that happens to have a question mark at the end) as can be shown by the data presented. Point blank. Period. End of story.

 

In any case, I was referring to riders using some form of pay-per-ride payment system, whether it's the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard with a bonus, or a SingleRide ticket, or using coins on the bus. More people swipe in with a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, compared to using coins on the bus, or buying a SingleRide ticket. You have more flexibility with transfers, and it's easier to carry around a plastic card than a hand grenade-worth of coins (and it's also easier to swipe into the subway with a MetroCard, instead of having to take the time to buy a card every single time you want to go somewhere).

 

And with the bonus kicking in after $5.50 is loaded onto the MetroCard (which is two rides anyway), it means that people don't have to lay out the money for a full weekly or monthly pass at once.

 

If somebody's using an unlimited MetroCard, then they're using the system often enough that they're not going to care what the base fare is, because the next cheapest option after a pass is a pay-per-ride with a bonus, as long as there is an actual bonus. It's just simple math. Base fare divided by (1+bonus percentage/100) = effective fare, and as long as the bonus percentage is a positive number, the effective fare will be lower than the base fare.

 

But yeah, since you want to nitpick, I'm going to define a "typical" commuter as a physical person who uses the transit system to travel between two points within the service area of said transit system, making the median number of linked trips per month out of every single person using the transit system for that month. Happy now?

 

So yes, for a commuter using some form of pay-per-ride payment system, a $3 base fare with a 16% bonus is cheaper than a $2.75 base fare with a 5% bonus. Does that represent the typical commuter? Well, since you want to bring it into the discussion even though it's not really relevant, it does now since the numbers you made me break out back it up.

[Caelestor]

The math's not hard to do. $121 with a 16% bonus at $3 a ride gets you 46 rides $2.36 leftover, so someone with a 30-day pass needs to take the subway 47 times to make the math pay off. I'm guessing a "typical" commuter only takes the subway to get to and from work, so assuming there's 22 work days in the 30-day period, they'll only take the subway at most 44 times, resulting in a net loss. The monthly pass pays off only if the subway is used for non-commute travel, typically on the weekend.

 

Alternatively, $121 with a 5% bonus at $2.75 still gets you 46 rides but only $0.55 leftover. It's not much, but for many people, every cent matters.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It's not a measure of a "typical" commuter. It's a measure of all the swipes taken in the system, which means anyone from your 9-5 commuter to the person working night shifts, to the student who has sports after school, to the tourists and the B&T crowd that comes in to see Broadway shows and then complain about how "crowded" it is in their idea of the city, roughly bounded by Columbus Circle, Penn, Herald Square, and Central Park.

I didn't use "typical" commuter, hence why I asked for clarification. At least you answered the question that I asked several times.

[R10 2952]

Six increases in 8 years... is a bit much.  Something needs to be done about the ridiculous biennial fare increases.  Not a week goes by without major delays now- the system is in dire need of repair.

Of course the State and City should start properly funding public transportation- but that would require people to hold their elected representatives accountable instead of accepting the status quo and mindlessly voting for politicians because of their party label as opposed to the content of their character.

And I'm sure there's also better ways the MTA could handle the money they get from fare revenue, such as use it to speed up the system where possible.

 

But that probably won't happen- it's all a scam, anyway.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Six increases in 8 years... is a bit much. Something needs to be done about the ridiculous biennial fare increases. Not a week goes by without major delays now- the system is in dire need of repair.

Of course the State and City should start properly funding public transportation- but that would require people to hold their elected representatives accountable instead of accepting the status quo and mindlessly voting for politicians because of their party label as opposed to the content of their character.

And I'm sure there's also better ways the MTA could handle the money they get from fare revenue, such as use it to speed up the system where possible.

 

But that probably won't happen- it's all a scam, anyway.

I talked about major delays on a weekly basis and was dismissed, but it's true. The other day I got on a train running via 7th Avenue. I don't understand how they can't run more service, but there's capacity to run the there when there's a delay on the Lex line.