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[FortNinety]

Next year the rate will raise again. This is such fucking bullshit. How the hell can something which makes over 4.5 million dollars a day need more money? Granted, 2 million goes back to operating expenses, but that's another 2 million and a half in profit. What, the city doesn't make money elsewhere? And does mass transit have any competition? Of course not.

It wouldn't be so bad if the subways were decent, but it's a total joke and every MTA employee is a total tool. Anyone who's taken mass transportation in any other modern city knows how pathetic the New York trains and buses run. They know a vast amount of their readers have a hard time speaking English, yet those of us do still can't understand what they hell the operator is saying. And forget about any useful or timely signs that tell you of any service changes.

I swear, there's nothing I can't stand more than subway workers and their shitty attitudes. "But they work underground all day long!" Whatever. Like they didn't know that going in? I'm sure all those benefits and the fact that they can never be fired is enough to compensate for a lack of sun. If they hate their lives and jobs so much, they should all quit; I have plenty of good, honest, hard working friends still unemployed who are dying for work.

And now they have the same rights and protections as police officers? Ha! Cops and firemen are heroes, while I have NEVER seen a subway worker show a lick of concern when they see people getting harassed in the subways (often times, right in front of their booths!!!)

True story: once I was stuck in the Brooklyn for over three hours with no sight of trains (its was at the 36th street station, near Sunset Park), so I went up to the booth to get some answers. This woman was sound asleep, so I banged on the booth to wake her up (wasn't easy). The minute she awoke, she called the cops because I was "harassing" her. Needless to say, the cop thought she was the fool and told her to "do your job".

You know the drill; there's going to be public hearings for people to voice their opinions. And of course, it'll probably be in the middle of a work day in far off Queens so no one can possibly attend and have their voices heard like last time. The worst part is, I, like millions of other New Yorkers will HAVE to pay!

Okay, end of rant...

 

[FortNinety]

BTW, the rate will be $24 for a weekly Metrocard, starting early 2005. I forget how much the other cards will go up. For those who think that's nothing obviously don't live in New York.

 

[goodcow]

The problem is mainly due to the MTA being neck deep in debt due to all its bonds. If it didn't have that liability they'd be in much better shape.

What I don't understand however, is how they can possibly think of all these expansion projects now considering their financial position currently.

But the MTA isn't really to blame, both the city and state have pulled out almost all subsidies, mainly after 9/11, because they claimed poor. Now that the money is flowing again, they're not restoring those subsidies, and that's who we should be angry at, even if the MTA is mismanaged, and tons of fat can be cut at that level.

 

[FortNinety]

The problem is mainly due to the MTA being neck deep in debt due to all its bonds. If it didn't have that liability they'd be in much better shape.

What I don't understand however, is how they can possibly think of all these expansion projects now considering their financial position currently.

But the MTA isn't really to blame, both the city and state have pulled out almost all subsidies, mainly after 9/11, because they claimed poor. Now that the money is flowing again, they're not restoring those subsidies, and that's who we should be angry at, even if the MTA is mismanaged, and tons of fat can be cut at that level.

Sorry but the MTA IS to blame. What of all those crooked books from the heads of the MTA? The supposed surplus that the MTA has and is unwilling to reach into?

Though the city is to blame as well. First and foremost, the mayor who went on record by saying that the MTA would be sued a million a day if they went on strike. So what happens when they do? The city gives in! And before that, that idiot is telling New Yorkers to just go out and buy a bike. Bikes cost money, you fucking millionare jackass.

If the MTA needs help so much, the city should give it to them, since it's loaded afterall. I mean, they're building new sports stadiums, aren't they? But before that, maybe they should give those cops and firemen the raises they deserve.

 

[effzee]

I use to go to College in the city and if I wasn't moving, I'd be really pissed off about this.

 

[AlphaSnake]

$2.00 pissed me off to no end as is...spending $5 or more there and back would make me drive to school everyday instead; as opposed to drive once every other week.

 

[Joe]

that's fucking crazy. i was paying $170 a month for a monthly lirr pass, i cant believe its going up again. i wonder how much that will be now.

 

[Wellington]

$24 per week is a fucking rip off. At most I do 1 or 2 extra usages of the metrocard, so $21 was a great price for me to pick up the unlimited. Now I won't even consider it. Fuck it I'll stay home altogether, what with gas prices so goddamned high, as are tolls.

I just recently picked up a monthly card too. $70 for a whole month handily beat out the $21 a week for us thrifty people. I imagine the montly will go up to $80, which would still be a good sized savings over the weekly.

This is bullshit though, as FortNinety mentioned, they DON'T have any competition and that is what is killing us. The MTA can do whatever the heck they want and the entire city has to cpmply by it, since we really can't live without it at this point (or any point for that matter). I will start up my own railroad and name it the GAF railroad.

 

[PS2 KID]

$2.00 is a bargain compared to riding a Taxi. The MTA doesn't make a profit at all. They are operating under a deficit and have been for awhile. The MTA is also the least subsidized mass transit system in the country. IIRC 65% of operational costs are paid by riders. National average is 40%. Thus we're FUTA when it comes to getting subsidies on a level playing field.

 

[The Faceless Master]

monthly is going up to $76, saw it on the news this evening...

 

[Wellington]

$2.00 is a bargain compared to riding a Taxi. The MTA doesn't make a profit at all. They are operating under a deficit and have been for awhile. The MTA is also the least subsidized mass transit system in the country. IIRC 65% of operational costs are paid by riders. National average is 40%. Thus we're FUTA when it comes to getting subsidies on a level playing field.

I highly doubt that the same amount of people (going to the same places no less) ride taxis.

$76? I can live with that.

 

[PS2 KID]

That was a point of comparison. Not the point of my reply. You would see that NYC gets FUTA by the State and Federal government when it comes to getting subsidies. That doesn't apply to just Transportation subsidies, but also education (we won that court case against the state but where's the f'n money??), and also post 9/11 distribution of security funds. We're last or close to it. Basically just another case of NYCers getting FUTA again.
(Yeah, I know the MTA serves more than just NYC. )

 

[Grifter]

$24? Considering all the poverty level people that ride that train, that is seriously fucked.

 

[Dan]

As said above, it'd be one thing if NYC's subways were halfway decent, but they're so piss poor. It's the most unorganized system ever. After spending last summer in London I just can't stand dealing with New York's subways. They're beyond primitive in comparison.

 

[Joe]

new york city needs to get the 2012 olympics. everything from new stadiums to new subways, everything. it would be great.

 

[The Faceless Master]

As said above, it'd be one thing if NYC's subways were halfway decent, but they're so piss poor. It's the most unorganized system ever. After spending last summer in London I just can't stand dealing with New York's subways. They're beyond primitive in comparison.

tell me about it... i was in atlanta a few summers ago and their bus and train system is so much amazingly better!

 

[AlphaSnake]

You know what fucking ROCKS!? It takes me an hour to get to my school by train...and more when the trains are running like shit or get stuck for 45 minutes in the middle of the track (!!)...and it only takes me (quite literally) 10 minutes to drive to my school. That's how fucked up the metro system is. They to get the fucking piece of motherfucking shit (ARGH!) G-train running in full again. It's the only damn train that goes from Queens to Brooklyn without having to go through Manhattan. Seriously, WTF! I don't need the damn A train, motherfuckers. I need to go straight into Brooklyn! I hate you, MTA!

 

[Grifter]

I wasn't even aware that a train went from Brooklyn straight to Queens. It's the same damn land mass and people from my school were riding through Manhattan every day.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I wasn't even aware that a train went from Brooklyn straight to Queens. It's the same damn land mass and people from my school were riding through Manhattan every day.

The G-train goes straight into Brooklyn from it's last stop in Queens. God bless that green son of a bitch, but it hardly ever runs! I take the R, transfer to the F, go into midtown, into downtown, under the Brooklyn bridge and get off at Jay St. One whole hour...for a ride that should take no more than 20-30 minutes!

 

[goodcow]

The G-train goes straight into Brooklyn from it's last stop in Queens. God bless that green son of a bitch, but it hardly ever runs! I take the R, transfer to the F, go into midtown, into downtown, under the Brooklyn bridge and get off at Jay St. One whole hour...for a ride that should take no more than 20-30 minutes!

They've proposed to cut G service as well:

The G train, which now goes to Forest Hills in Queens, would terminate in Long Island City if the plan is approved.

We really need to band together and demand more subsidies from the city and state. It's wholly unfair that we keep getting the shaft so Pataki can spend all the money upstate.

 

[goodcow]

Subway and bus riders will be paying more for less under the budget proposed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Thursday.

Facing a deficit estimated at $500 million next year, the MTA wants to raise the price of unlimited-ride MetroCards, express bus fares and bridge and tunnel tolls, in addition to cutting service and closing token booths.

The discounted cards were spared the brunt of last year’s fare hikes, but under the new plan, the price of monthly MetroCards would go up $6, to $76, and weekly cards would jump $3, to $24. Tolls on the nine bridges and tunnels operated by the MTA, such as the Triborough and Verrazano, would rise by 50 cents, and fares on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North could also go up.

The preliminary budget also includes reductions to overnight bus service and calls for closing 164 more token booths, including 49 full-time booths.

The G train, which now goes to Forest Hills in Queens, would terminate in Long Island City if the plan is approved.

The MTA plans to keep the basic bus and subway fare at $2 for at least three years.

Transit officials say the hike is very small, estimating that the average price paid for subway and bus rides, now $1.26, would only rise to $1.32 with the discounts.

quote: “You’re increasing the fare in small bites. This so-called fare increase, if we pass it, means a fare increase of 6 cents,” said MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow. “It’s a small increase.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg opposed the hikes and says there are other ways to fix the problem. His three appointees to the MTA board voted against proceeding with public hearings, saying they needed more time to examine other options.

quote: “I think that we need the opportunity to go through the details,” said Mark Page, one of the board members appointed by the mayor. “We need the opportunity to ask staff what choices have been made here, what other choices might be available to us.”

The outlook is even bleaker in 2006, when the budget shortfall could surpass $1 billion. To balance the budget, the MTA says it may have to cut subway service by 10 percent, meaning late night trains would come every 30 minutes instead of 20. A total off 33 bus routes could be discontinued, and service on many other lines could be suspended from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

 

[goodcow]

Good Day New York just said Pataki vetoed a plan to raise minimum wage here because it would hurt the "upstate economy." Fuck that, we're the ones here in the city dealing with all these price hikes, not to mention the insane cost of living. He needs to get the fuck out of office.

 

[The Faceless Master]

You know what fucking ROCKS!? It takes me an hour to get to my school by train...and more when the trains are running like shit or get stuck for 45 minutes in the middle of the track (!!)...and it only takes me (quite literally) 10 minutes to drive to my school. That's how fucked up the metro system is. They to get the fucking piece of motherfucking shit (ARGH!) G-train running in full again. It's the only damn train that goes from Queens to Brooklyn without having to go through Manhattan. Seriously, WTF! I don't need the damn A train, motherfuckers. I need to go straight into Brooklyn! I hate you, MTA!

oh shit, when i went to devry, taking the g train from bk into queens was slow as fuck... sometimes, i swore taking another train thru manhattan would be faster than the relative straight line of the G...

 

[Odoul]

The downright shittiest public transportation has to be the one in Detroit. No subways and a shitty bus system. Honest to god some lines take an hour and half to see another bus. The drivers are rude as fuck and they show up randomly. Schedules mean nothing to them. And if you want to get to the burbs you have to deal with another line. I wish the SMART would buy the DOT. If they have to worry about a bottom line instead of a city department that gives less than a shit. If you don't have a car in Detroit you are completely fucked.

 

[Mejilan]

$76 a month isn't bad.

Pay hikes every fucking year are.

 

[Scoobert]

new york city needs to get the 2012 olympics. everything from new stadiums to new subways, everything. it would be great.

Aren't the Yankees proposing a $700+ million stadium?

Either way, should be lucky you don't live in Florida with all the tolls. 2 bucks for less than a 30 minute drive, one way. Oh yeah, that's nice. Oh and don't forget all the on/off ramps that have tolls! I mean...WTF!!!

 

[Diablos]

Shit, I'd never want to live in NYC. How can you people stand it?

 

[Mejilan]

Because I have a job I like that pays 45k a year, I'm close to school, and I don't need a car, license, or car insurance to get anywhere. Yeah, I'm still a student. I'm not going to get this kind of job if I go back to NJ.

 

[All Hail C-Webb]

Shit, I'd never want to live in NYC. How can you people stand it?

You're misunderstanding the point of this thread.
The MTA knows that New York is the greatest, they know that they can raise the prices and get away with it. We're going to bitch about fair hikes, but in the end, we're better off than the rest of the country/world.

 

[djtiesto]

Yeah, I just came back from DC a few weeks ago... comparing their Metro to the NYC subways (which I've only taken a few times, I drive my car when I go to the city, I'm a suburbanite)... the DC metro is amazing, every station looks really cool (like a time machine hangar or something), the subways are clean, they run pretty frequently, there's not a lot of creepy people on them. NYC's subway really needs a total repair, that's why I'm hoping we get the Olympics, so NYC modernizes a bit... The european subways (especially Paris) kills everything...

 

[Prospero]

Yeah, I just came back from DC a few weeks ago[...] the DC metro is amazing, every station looks really cool (like a time machine hangar or something), the subways are clean, they run pretty frequently...

Yeah, the DC subway looks like something in a Ridley Scott or Alex Proyas movie. On the other hand, DC is the only American city I've ever been in that actually figures out ways to be more expensive than NYC.