Comments on: MTA debate moving from fare hikes to fiscal focus http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/ A New York City Subway Blog Thu, 24 May 2012 05:35:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Second Ave. Sagas | Blogging the NYC Subways » Blog Archive » Tightening budgets, MTA proposes permanent bus service changes http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5778 Second Ave. Sagas | Blogging the NYC Subways » Blog Archive » Tightening budgets, MTA proposes permanent bus service changes Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:34:18 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5778 [...] part of its effort to shore up their fiscal future, the MTA has released documents that show how some service changes may become permanent. This is [...] [...] part of its effort to shore up their fiscal future, the MTA has released documents that show how some service changes may become permanent. This is [...]

]]> By: Marc Shepherd http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5614 Marc Shepherd Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:56:52 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5614 When you compare fare hikes to the rate of inflation, you need to consider the nearly half-century that the fare was stuck at five cents. To this day, many of the system's problems are rooted in the a decades-long refusal to price the service realistically. Furthermore, during the Pataki administration, much of the capital work was funded with debt service, which of course puts off the problem to another day. This is a typical political strategy, because those <I>incurring</I> the debts are almost never the ones stuck with paying them off. So Pataki gets to look like a hero (increasing transit investments without raising taxes), and Spitzer inherits a mess. The problem is that, even with the most wildly optimistic assumptions of increased government subsidies, there won't be enough money to run the subway, payoff the debt, and pay for capital improvements, without raising more farebox revenue. When you compare fare hikes to the rate of inflation, you need to consider the nearly half-century that the fare was stuck at five cents. To this day, many of the system’s problems are rooted in the a decades-long refusal to price the service realistically.

Furthermore, during the Pataki administration, much of the capital work was funded with debt service, which of course puts off the problem to another day. This is a typical political strategy, because those incurring the debts are almost never the ones stuck with paying them off. So Pataki gets to look like a hero (increasing transit investments without raising taxes), and Spitzer inherits a mess.

The problem is that, even with the most wildly optimistic assumptions of increased government subsidies, there won’t be enough money to run the subway, payoff the debt, and pay for capital improvements, without raising more farebox revenue.

]]> By: Gary http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5602 Gary Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:43:31 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5602 Oh, and here's a link to the history of transit fare increases: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_transit_fares Oh, and here’s a link to the history of transit fare increases:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.....nsit_fares

]]> By: Gary http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5601 Gary Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:35:53 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/11/29/mta-debate-moving-from-fare-hikes-to-fiscal-focus/#comment-5601 Ben, I wrote a briefer post about this article before I saw you had written about it. What we should be doing is pressuring elected officials to fund the MTA, not just accept a fare hike as an inevitability. As I posted on an earlier thread, fare increases in NYC are outpacing inflation . . . and Russianoff and Schneiderman have it exactly right. The MTA's funding problem is the direct result of a culture of governing (GOP) that despises government and prizes tax cuts and privatization above all else. NYC's transit system is a major engine of this state's growth and success, and the state and city need to step up and fund it properly. As for Giuliani, if he told me it was raining I'd leave my umbrella at home. I'm only surprised he didn't funnel off transit funds to pay for his Hamptons trysts. Cheers, Gary Ben, I wrote a briefer post about this article before I saw you had written about it.

What we should be doing is pressuring elected officials to fund the MTA, not just accept a fare hike as an inevitability.

As I posted on an earlier thread, fare increases in NYC are outpacing inflation . . . and Russianoff and Schneiderman have it exactly right. The MTA’s funding problem is the direct result of a culture of governing (GOP) that despises government and prizes tax cuts and privatization above all else.

NYC’s transit system is a major engine of this state’s growth and success, and the state and city need to step up and fund it properly.

As for Giuliani, if he told me it was raining I’d leave my umbrella at home. I’m only surprised he didn’t funnel off transit funds to pay for his Hamptons trysts.

Cheers, Gary

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