Astoria, Transportation Jul 30, 2014 On the Subject of MTA Fare Hikes in 2015 A number of news outlets published articles on what’s in store for us in 2015 re: MTA fare hikes. From what we can tell, prices will go up but not (…) Share this Scoop by Meg Cotner total shares! Twitter Facebook Email Print A number of news outlets published articles on what’s in store for us in 2015 re: MTA fare hikes. From what we can tell, prices will go up but not (…) by Meg Cotner Share this Scoop total shares! Twitter Facebook Email Print Related scoops Astoria Blvd Station is NOW OPEN! Astoria Blvd Subway Closure: What You Need to Know What To Expect For The New Round Of Astoria Line Closures Photo credit: Adam E. Moreira via Wikimedia Commons A number of news outlets published articles on what’s in store for us in 2015 re: MTA fare hikes. From what we can tell, prices will go up but not as much as feared. The NY Daily News has the clearest explanation: Updated budget plans unveiled by the MTA on Monday show that a previously planned 2015 fare and toll hike of 4% will not be increased…. The MTA had originally planned to raise transit fares by 7.5% in 2015 and again in 2017. Late last year, officials promised to limit the planned hikes to 4%, but there was concern that increased labor expenses from the recent labor agreements would force officials to go back on that pledge. PIX 11 reports on how they will keep costs down: “Instead, the MTA will pay for those higher salaries by dipping into reserve funding.” Empire State News reports that apparently the MTA has “higher-than-anticipated fare and toll revenue” in the bank, along with a variety of savings involved with lower fuel and electricity costs, savings from programs like Access-A-Ride, and “favorable underlying budget trends”—perhaps that means they think the economy is looking up. It’s unclear how the 4% increase will be dispersed, but usually the pain is spread out evenly. Here’s a prediction from Greg Mocker at PIX 11: Single ride would go from $2.50 to $2.60 Weekly unlimited pass would rise from $30 to $31.20 30-day unlimited pass would jump from $112 to $116.50 So, we didn’t totally dodge a bullet. BTW, the preliminary MTA budget for 2015 is $14.2 billion, which includes paying for new subway, bus and Metro North/LIRR service, safety improvements, and operational and maintenance needs. MTA goes forward with 4% fare and toll hikes for 2015 [NYDN] Oy!: MTA plans toll and fare hike — and another one looms after that [PIX 11] MTA’s proposed 2015 Budget and Four Year Financial Plan maintains fare and toll increases at projected levels [Empire State News] Twitter Facebook Email Print 4 percent increasebusextended serviceLIRRMetro NorthMTAsafety improvementssubway About Meg Cotner Meg Cotner was trained as a harpsichordist and now works as a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of "Food Lovers' Guide to Queens," and is a skilled and avid home cook, baker, and preserver. Related scoops Astoria Blvd Station is NOW OPEN! Astoria Blvd Subway Closure: What You Need to Know What To Expect For The New Round Of Astoria Line Closures No Comments Samantha July 31st, 2014 Tangentially related to the MTA — I have a hunch that there are credit card skimmers on the ticket machines at the 30th avenue NQ, after months of serial credit card fraud, I’ve deduced this is the most likely culprit. Has anybody else wondered this or encountered problems? The Chase bank right near the station had a skimmer on it last month, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the ticket machines had them too. The MTA is incredibly unresponsive to my concern… Reply Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Samantha July 31st, 2014 Tangentially related to the MTA — I have a hunch that there are credit card skimmers on the ticket machines at the 30th avenue NQ, after months of serial credit card fraud, I’ve deduced this is the most likely culprit. Has anybody else wondered this or encountered problems? The Chase bank right near the station had a skimmer on it last month, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the ticket machines had them too. The MTA is incredibly unresponsive to my concern… Reply