What do we get out of this? What do we — the 2.3 billion of us who ride the subways — get out of this upcoming fare hike?
That’s the question, isn’t it? Somehow, it’s a lot easier to swallow a fare hike when the increased cost to ride returns some tangible benefits. In December, right before the holidays, the MTA announced a $46-million plan to upgrade service provided that the agency’s finances held steady. In other words, if the tax revenue came in as projected and the fare hike met financial expectations, riders would see some much-needed service upgrades.
Well, good news. With less than a month to go before the new fares go into effect, the MTA is believed to have the funds to ensure their plan. Pete Donohue and the Daily News had more:
It looks like the MTA will be able to afford a $46 million program to upgrade subway and bus service across the city, including more frequent trains on some lines and new bus routes for growing neighborhoods.
The program was adopted last year when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved fare hikes, but officials were unsure if there would be enough money to carry it out. So far, the MTA’s tax revenues are sufficient for transit officials to approve the Service Enhancement Program in a month or so, according to experts and sources.
According to Donohue, since approving the fare hike, the MTA has drawn in an additional $23 million in tax revenues, and their 2008 taxes are right on target.
Putting aside the fact that the MTA has again seemingly discovered more money in their coffers after approving a fare hike, what can the riders expect? Well, riders on the 1, 4 and 6 lines should see decreased wait times during the evening. The B and W trains will run until 11 p.m. instead of 9:30 p.m., and the G train will head to Church Ave. in Brooklyn. The R will run to Queens at all times, and the 3 will become a 24-hour train as well. Increased bus service will shuttle New Yorkers from Red Hook to Manhattan via the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.
There’s no word yet on when these changes will take place, but it’s good news with the fare hikes looming just three weeks away.
The old Transit Authority logo courtesy of flickr user AllWaysNY.
Leave a Reply