Trainspotter Posted October 25, 2007 Share #1 Posted October 25, 2007 State politicians want MTA to wait on fare hike BY PETE DONOHUE DAILY NEWS October 25th 2007 [float=right] Protesters express their anger over impending fare hike during MTAs board meeting at the transit agency's headquarters on Madison Ave. in midtown Wednesday. [/float]Forty-six state legislators are now backing efforts to delay transit fare hikes and pledging to find other ways to ease the MTA's budget woes. Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) delivered the list of Assembly members to the MTA board Wednesday and urged the agency to embrace the offer of help. The move came a day after the Daily News launched it's "Halt the Hike" campaign to postpone the series of toll and fare hikes slated to begin in February. A delay until April 15 would allow Albany to take up the issue in state budget deliberations early next year, Brodsky said. They'd seek a bigger share of taxpayer funds collected by Albany for mass transit, Brodsky said. "We need to be partners in this effort," Brodsky told the MTA board. "All we're asking you to do is ask us to give you money. It seems reasonable. Please ask us for more money." A group of state senators, including Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer), also has voiced opposition to the hikes in recent days. But Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Elliot Sander again defended the MTA's budget plan yesterday. "We've given hard thought" to a postponement, he said, noting the board votes on a 2008 budget in December. "It's an interesting two months. I appreciate the Daily News campaign and we will see where it goes." Sander, appointed by Gov. Spitzer, said the MTA proposal was a balanced plan that asks both straphangers and the state to provide more money to support the network of buses, subways, commuter trains, bridges and tunnels. He has no plans to ask Spitzer or the Legislature to provide more funds than what the MTA has already requested. At the hearing, Brodsky asked the MTA to change its puzzling strategy. Assemblyman Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx) also said raising fares would send the "wrong message" as Mayor Bloomberg and the MTA push for congestion pricing in Manhattan. That program seeks to encourage mass transit use by charging drivers $8 to enter Manhattan below 86th St. It requires state approval. The MTA says it needs to raise fares and tolls to start addressing budget deficits starting in 2009. The increases would raise $262 million next year. Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign said Spitzer and the Legislature should be able to shift spending priorities to fill the MTA's gap - just two-tenths of 1% of the state's $121 billion budget. The MTA's 2008 budget anticipates getting about $400 million that MTA officials characterize as "new" state assistance. But transit advocates contend that $338 million of that would come from existing transit-targeted taxes and should not be counted as new aid. MTA staff have proposed raising the base subway and bus fare to $2.25. One option includes raising the weekly unlimited ride MetroCard $2 to $26 and the 30-day MetroCard by as much as $6 to $82. Most Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North fares would increase by approximately 6.5% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdotny Posted October 27, 2007 Share #2 Posted October 27, 2007 30-Day cards are going to be expensive. I guess pay per rides are better now with the hike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebbieprops Posted October 28, 2007 Share #3 Posted October 28, 2007 30-Day cards are going to be expensive. I guess pay per rides are better now with the hike. Thinking the same thing myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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