by Kim Gill
Hello New Yorkers! get ready for another devastating blow to the pocket book.
The city plans to raise bus and train fairs 23 percent by next spring.
This is all in part to meet the 1.2 million dollar budget plan.
The budget plan also includes cutting three major subway lines and over two dozen weekend bus routes.
This will happen unless Governor Paterson and the state’s legislator in Albany does not agree to help bail out the MTA.
If the plan for the proposed budget goes through, you could be paying $2.50 to ride the train and bus.
Also, the express bus fare will go from five dollars, to seven dollars and fifty cent.
You would also be paying nearly one hundred dollars for a monthly pass.
The MTA claims that it needs to raise the city fair revenue 23 percent in order to meet the budget gap which was worsened by the economic crisis.
Another problem that would arise from this situation in terms of the service cuts, are the waiting periods for the trains and buses.
If the plan is approved, then straphangers would have to wait twenty minutes instead of 10 for both the train and bus.
The MTA understands the frustration of straphangers but they claim that they have no choice if the system does not plan to take action.
Also, according to MTA Executive Director Elliot Sanders, the MTA is “required by law to balance out its budget”.
He also claims, “None of us want to see the kind of transit system that defined New York in the 1970’s”.
According to the MTA, this is the only way right now to balance the budget but all of these actions must be approved by the MTA board before they take effect.
There is also hope that the commission appointed by Governor David Paterson who examined the MTA’s finances and structure could make alternative decisions within the next month.
The New York subway commuters are not happy with this news and feel that it is not fair for the MTA to raise fare prices.
Partly because they feel that the service the MTA provides is sometimes inadequate and also because they feel that the prices are already high at their current price.
The commuters who take the J, Z, and W train are worried the most because those three lines are in danger of elimination if this plan is approved.
One straphanger has already planned to boycott the transportation service if the plan goes through.
According to myfoxny.com, local straphanger Louis Kenny plans on organizing a one-day boycott on June 9, 2009.
Kenny claims that he wants “to show the MTA who really runs New York City’s public transportation”.
He plans on passing out fliers to convince people to find other ways besides public transportation.
He claims “people should walk, ride a bike or call in sick that day instead of relying on public transportation.”
This is one way people feel would be affective in letting city officials know how the commuters feel.
All in all, as we wait to hear the final decision, we must all be prepared for whatever outcome may be possible.
The city has to wait in suspense to see if the legislative officials will come to the aid of the MTA during this economic crisis.
In the mean time, we should count our dollars or find alternative ways to commute in the city we love.
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