Subway and Bus fares to hit $2.60 per ride in 2011

That's a massive hike - and such a strange price. Why not $2.50?

We can all start perfecting our turnstile jump maneuvers.

I think it is about time we boycott the MTA for one day just to show we won't stand for the shenanigans they are pulling anymore. Maybe we can call our friends and family, and get them to spread the word.

What do you think? Will boycotting work? It did in one city. What about NYC?

@hhusted good idea but I don't think it will work in a huge city like NYC , there will be always someone who will say only $ 2.60 whats the big deal?
I also wanted to tell you that the digital timers we have been clamoring for are finally coming with most subway stations being covered by 2011. There was a report in Metro NY yesterday but I cant find the link.

@NeverSleeps because it's the MTA and the extra 10 cents perhaps goes a long way.

Ugh, not again! Although the numbers aren't huge - it'll be massively inconvenient for when we need exact change on the bus. Plus, it's the principle!

@ajadedidealist valid point you can only use quarters for a cash fare then how can the fare be raised to $2.60? perhaps it will rise to $2.50 after all.

Can't imagine how a whole city would boycott. How do so many people get to work? That's why the MTA get away with whatever they please. Until there were private alternatives to the Post Office, like UPS and FedEx, we all had to put up with their lousy, lousy service.

Only way we can boycott is if masses of people go jumping through turnstiles, but you'd need an angry mob to do that, and I'm guessing drowsy morning commuters aren't going to be easy to rile up.

Sigh.

I wonder how much a monthly pass will be?

@Uraniumfish I actually thought of masses of people jumping turnstiles when I first read your earlier posting. I thought, "Oh, well, they can't arrest all of us."

@BroadwayBK I think the article estimated a monthly unlimited Metrocard to cost more than $100.

@BroadwayBK, Uraniumfish Trying to start a revolution, ey? Well, you might be right about having little luck early in the morning. I'd join you, but not before I have my second coffee, thank you.

Here's a random statistic: the largest number of bank robberies happen on Friday between 9 and 12 (I wish I could remember where I saw that). Could be it's also the time most conducive to other subversive activity--revolution, turnstile-jumping, what have you.

I think we may have more luck when everyone is on their way home from work - that way they will be all hyped up to go home and much more willing to screw the man.

@uptowngirl Ouch.

I think it's really terrible that the MTA is cutting out student cards for low income kids, a lot of those kids won't be able to go to magnet schools without those cards.

@NeverSleeps I was just reading about that, apparently it's something that is going to effect a lot of kids in Bushwick: http://bushwickbk.com/2010/01/12/bright-bushwickers-may-lose-free-school-rides/

I was also reading that the M may be replaced with an extended V train, which is sort of exciting for me - the JMZ only goes through lower Manhattan, and sometimes a girl just wants to go uptown.

Is there any way to stop this ridiculousness about making poor kids pay full fare? It's just such a scummy move, I can't stand it. Find the friggin' money elsewhere and let the poor kids get to school!

Also that these kids are commuting such incredible distances to get a decent education. From Staten Island! Every day! The kid deserve a free damn subway ride!

@Uraniumfish That's why it's so sad - these kids need the help to get the best education they can get. And MTA is doing everything to screw them out of that. It makes me want to start a non profit right quick.

@everyone looks like the MTA has resorted to cutting jobs as well. Apparently this has not happened in decades as the MTA Unions are very strong .. wonder if the beleaguered agency will be able to after all?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704188104575083501379325126.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines.

If more than 500 station are dispensed with wonder if 'tursnstile -jumping' which we discussed in another post will grow by leaps and bounds?

I wonder what is going to happen to the MTA. That night I came home from my screenwriting class and got a free ride. The machine that takes tokens and money was broken. They lost a lot of money last night.

Woo hoo, free rides for everybody. I wonder if it's possible to measure statistically the drop in revenue they will see as a result of so fewer attendants.

Do those machines take tokens? What kind of tokens?

@BroadwayBK I don't think any of the MTA devices still take tokens .. don't the signs on subway turnstiles specifically mention this?

Sorry. I meant Metrocard and money. They used to take tokens when I first came to NYC. They still take coins, just not tokens. Sorry for the mix up.

I think I vaguely remember something about tokens... I think the first time I visited the city they were still around, but by the time I moved here they had just gone away for good. Apparently they are still in "rotation," though: http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/nyc-subway-token-still-in-heavy-rotation-1.1713157

@BroadwayBK that AMNY link seems to be broken but I think I remember the article I think those tokens are collectibles now and are being collected by a city artist for his artwork.

@Uptowngirl: I also remember reading somewhere that tokens were discontinued. I also read somewhere that even change will soon be discontinued. The only way to get on the bus is by Metrocard. I wonder if that is true.

Ah, the long ago days of tokens...

@Everybody Actually, the real consequence of booth operators being cut down will be in terms of safety. I think the presence of a person at those booths deters a lot of crime in some of the shadier areas and in the more dangerous subway stations. That would be a real point of concern if they're replaced by those automated turnstiles that can't be jumped.

Apparently the MTA is holding public hearings of its proposed cuts in services, layoffs and ending of free student cards..here's the schedule if anyone is interested-
http://www.mta.info/news/stories/?story=11
http://www.mta.info/news/pdf/hearings.pdf
Has anybody been to any of these hearings? wonder if they are just a farce or do they provide a platform for some kind of dialogue?

@uptowngirl Weird, the link works for me? But, yes that's exactly what the article is about. I actually looked into getting one of those necklaces made from a token, but I wanted it to be on a better chain without having to go buy one for it.... Thanks for the links!

@DBlack I agree. It always bothers me when there is not booth operator at my stop, and not just because people are getting to take the train for free.

@uptowngirl I can't speak specifically to the MTA public hearings, but so many of these municipal meetings are a lot of people just flapping their lips and a lot of nothing getting done. I'm not saying that to discourage people from getting involved, but to say that more people should get involved, and whip those politicians into getting more done!

@BroadwayBK thanks the link seems to be working now perhaps the website was having issues yesterday when I looked at it.

@DBlack I so agree with you... only a massive collective effort will get politicians to see the light if they ever do.

I went to a booth operator and asked to get my Metrocard refilled. He said to use the machines. Operators do not refill Metrocards anymore. If this is the case, what are their duties at the station?

As for the meetings, I have someone on the inside, who gives me the scoop on the meetings. He told me the public meetings are just for show. They hold the meetings to be courteous. Once the time is up and the audience leaves, they go ahead and vote yes or not, without considering what those in the audience said.

So if you want to waste your time, go to the meetings.

@hhusted unfortunately what you say is true no amount of protesting by straphangers at these meetings has amounted to much in the past..
as for station personnel I think they are they to give directions, help you with your Metrocard if there is a problem not refills and keep a look out for crime which is bound to to increase once the 450 odd station agents are done away with as is the plan.

Well, so much for those who travel by bus and subway. I think we are all going to get screwed (not literally) in the end. And the bad part is we can't do anything about it. Even if we did protest, MTA would not listen anyway. I don't even think MTA listens to politicians. At least they don't seem to.

Ugh - I think the most important thing, especially, is getting disadvantaged kids the ability to commute to school - I feel like that ought to be a no-brainer! I know money doesn't go on trees, but really - REALLY?

@ajadedidealist I completely agree - I am on the verge on this one. MTA is crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed in my opinion.

@hhusted I accidentally bent my Metrocard so that it didn't work when I tried to swipe it at the turnstile. I gave it to the attendant, and voila! He issued me a new one that was worth the same as the bent one. No idea how he got it to scan inside of his little booth, but it turns out they are good for something.

So... is it even possible that MTA's plans can be foiled via these hearings? And if not, what is the point? Are they just some kind of public announcement that everyone is being done dirty in the guise of public meetings?

Neversleeps: That's pretty awesome that the MTA attendant did that for you. I bent my card once last year and they made me send it in to get reimbursed for the balance -- even though an attendant was in the booth when it happened.

Haha, really? I just thought the guy was doing his job, the only thing that he ever did besides hand out the occasional map.

The attendants have been good to me whenever I got flaky and needed to ask for directions. One attendant even called up the main number they have and gave me directions based on them looking it up in the computer somewhere. I was very far from where I was supposed to be. They're definitely not useless.

Guess those guys are good to have around... It also helps to have them open that gate if you are carrying something massive that won't fit through the turnstile.

I think the help you get will depend on the station. I got help from MTA employees at Union Square, Penn Station, and Grand Central, but not at the smaller stations.

Thankfully I don't have the experience of having a bent card. But I wonder if I would have the same experience with the attendant as others in this forum. I don't think I will try it to find out.

As for the kids, I don't think it is right that they be forced to pay either. They should get free passes.

What about seniors. I overheard someone in a bus the other day say that MTA was going to stop giving discounts to seniors. The old guy was obviously upset. I could see it in his face.

@everybody did you know that the MTA employees and their families get to ride for free on the system. I can understand if they are given a free ride but their families and dependents? Even the MTA head honcho Jay Walder gets a free pass.. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/03/02/03/4052-82/index.xml

@Uptowngirl: That is too much. If they are going to take free rides away from children, they should also force employees to pay. I'll put it this way, the employees themselves could get free rides, not the entire family or dependents. That is going too far. If the MTA charged families, dependents, and even head honcho Jay Walder every time they used the subway or bus, perhaps MTA would not be crying so much.

Man, this goes to show how dumb and disorganized the government is. I'll bet if I went in and did an audit, I would find many ways MTA could save and at the same time make money to.

@hhusted agreed!!

@hhusted You're completely on point there.

Shaking my head once again at the corrupt stupidity of the MTA...

@Everybody: Yep. bureaucracy at work. Don't you just love it. :(

@uptowngirl That's just so wrong!

So wrong, but why does it not surprise me in the least little bit?

What's especially crazy is how people go on (rightly) about pollution and problems with excessive car use, then make public transport increasingly less financially feasible!

Hey, do you know that cops also get free rides on buses and subways. I was on a bus Monday night. The bus stopped and let in passengers. About five cops got into the bus from the opened back door. They did not pay anything when getting on. They just went in and sat down. If cops can get free rides, why can't kids.

@ajadedidealist That's a really fair point.

@Ajadedidealist: I do agree with you. It is irony. On one hand, they do not like people using cars, but on the other hand, they want to make access to public transportation hard. Double standards if you ask me.

@ajadedidealist so much for Clean and Green NYC!

@Uptowngirl: There are other areas of the country that are focusing on green and hiring to deal with it, like California. I have no idea what NYC is doing or going to do about going green.

The Velib system in Paris - where you rent a bicycle for free from a stand using a metrocard-like device, then return it to another stand elsewhere in the city within a certain timeframe (or else pay a charge) is a great way to commute - it works very well indeed in Paris! I believe Copenhagen and Vienna also have similar systems

@ajadedidealist actually quite a few European and other global cities have communal bike systems . Wikipedia offfers more info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_sharing_system

I haven't used a bike in years. I think the last time I even touched a bike was back in 1976 when I purchased my first car. I haven't been on a bike since, although my girlfriend keeps harping about buying or renting a bike for the day, especially when we go to the beach.

@hhusted same here ! I havent ridden a bike in years but you dont really forget do you..

@hhusted, uptowngirl Hah! The streets of Manhattan are so terrible and the traffic is so dangerous, there's No Way you could really bike much in this city. People do, but I just wonder how crazy they have to be.

I bike in NYC now and then, @Dblack. It's not so bad. The fact that streets are straight and usually one-way makes things easier - I don't have to worry about turning down a narrow corner and into a one-way street, etc....

@ajadeidealist Fair enough, but I bet you have never ventured downtown, then. It's Scary down there!

@DBlack I've biked all over this city - it's crazy, yes, but doable. And I have a lot of friends who bike all over the place, too. My experience with biking is that it is actually better in the city. Drivers are more aware of pedestrians and bikers here than they would be in, say, any city in Florida. I think I've almost been run over by a car more times in Tallahassee, Florida than in New York City while on a bike.

@BroadwayBK: I saw a cab driver run over a biker about three weeks ago. Bikers are not immune to dangers in this city. There are bikers who are careful and there are those who are not.

@hhusted Never said they were? Just said that I feel safer biking around here than in Florida. And I've had plenty of run-ins with cars myself, so I can tell you from personal experience that biking in traffic is never exactly the safest activity. Caution is pretty much a way of life for bikers, unless you are one of those crazy bike messenger dudes.

I agree with everyone here. the MTA gets away with too much because they can. a .60 climb is too high but people still have to get to work.

ouch! we pay 1.50 for a bus fare here in Pa, i couldn't imagine paying 2.50! But i guess it sounds about right because its the subway right? hmmm..... haha i guess im cheap haha

@landee believe me these fares pinch us.. and every increase eats into the household budget as living in NYC we tend to use public transport extensively and I hope that the MTA doesnt plan on now curtailing free transfers in their effort to cut costs. Currently you can transfer from a bus- subway or bus-bus (under certain conditions) within a two hour period for free however some straphangers would prefer that the MTA did away with these free transfers rather than raise fares / eliminate routes.

@BroadwayBK: Yes, I agree with you regarding bikers and safety. I do see a few bikers wear helmets, but not all of them do, and that will spell trouble for those who do not wear one.

@Elysium: If I were allowed to tell you the truth about the MTA, I would get into trouble.

@Landee: No, it is considered NYC. Every business wants to get rich at the expensive of others.

@Uptowngirl: That would be a sad fact if the MTA were to do away with transfers. I hope they don't.

@uptowngirl We have zones here, i think the furthest is like zone 3 or zone 4 and once you start going into those zones the fare goes up by some change and i think our highest fare is like 2.50 but that's to go pretty far out. i could'nt imagine adding that to our household budget. I'd have to set aside a lot for that. How much are the monthly passes over there? I pay 32 for a base zone pass. not bad I think. It's cheaper than Miami that's for sure.

@Landee: I don't buy monthly passes. I just put $40 or $20 on my card at one time and use it until all the money is gone. Then I refill it. Does anyone use monthly pass cards?

I use a monthly pass. I've tried just putting money in and it is way more economical to buy an unlimited ride.

hhusted: what's with all the cop hate? Of course cops ride for free. It's the same sort of thing that happens with cops and donut shops. They get free coffee and food and their presence in the area ensures that the shop won't get held up. These people get shot at, hit, and otherwise assaulted every day to KEEP US SAFE. I'm alright with them getting from one end of the city to another for free.

They say it's only economical to buy that pass if you use it at least eight times a week, is that right? I can't really imagine not using it that much but I can understand why not everyone buys the monthly pass.

And, I'm glad that cops get on the subway for free. Welcome, cops, to the subway!

@Landee an unlimited ride pass currently costs $89 a month but it only makes sense if as NeverSleep says that you use at least 8 times a week since I mainly work from home I buy a pay per ride card.. I usually refill it with $45 a month and I think you get a $6 bonus.. it seems to suffice for my gallivanting around the city..here's more info on the various passes-http://www.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm

I never buy the monthly pass...because I drive. And I don't use public transport enough to get my $89 worth out of a monthly pass. So it's way more economical to not buy that thing...for me, personally. I actually used to buy it before I realized that I was spending more money on a Metro card than I should be.

@JenMac and @NeverSleeps: I don't care of the cops get in for free. I am only stating that the MTA cries about their budget constantly. I'm just saying that if they charged everyone who got on the bus, perhaps they wouldn't have a shortage of money. That's all I trying to say. Also, I don't purchase a monthly pass. It is a waste of money. I don't use the subway that often, so I would rather use the pay-as-you-go system.