MTA Board Likely To Approve Fare Hike
Over the last few days, I have contemplated changing the name of this blog to “Fare Hike” since this is the topic that will dominate the entries for the weeks & months to come. Seriously though, I never did contemplate a name change but the reality of this issue dominating the content is the complete truth.
In what should come as a surprise to no one, the MTA Board is likely to approve the fare hikes that will start in January. John Mancini of NY1 has more:
The 7.5 percent fare hike in January is as certain as things get for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority these days. Next week, board members — some of whom tell NY1 they’re frustrated they haven’t been briefed yet — will learn how the hike is proposed to be spread around. Straphangers will also hear what they may have to fork over when they pay by the ride or by the month.
“Last month, we had the deepest service cuts in a generation and now we’re being asked to pay more as riders for our subways and buses. It’s just not fair. It’s not mass transit if the masses can’t afford it,” said Paul Steely White of Transportation Alternatives.
One idea would raise the monthly MetroCard from $89 to $100 and limit the number of rides. Another would force riders to pay an extra buck for cards when they don’t refill old ones.
“A new MetroCard, it’s not quite a dollar, but there is a cost there. There’s a cost in cleaning up when people just sort of toss the MetroCards on the floor after they’re done with them. So we hate to see any increase in cost, but that‘s one that at least has a rationale behind it,” said William Henderson of the MTA Citizens Advisory Committee.
Click here for the complete report.
No shock from this report as the fare hike was as sure a thing as death & taxes. The sad part is how board members have not been briefed yet. In one hand they should be upset but on the other hand, why are they not actively pursuing the information so they can make the best decision possible. Seriously get your act together over there!
My main priority is to finally see what the official fare hike details will be. There are way too many reports coming out that conflict with one another. It would be nice to know what pain we will endure & start going from there.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- MTA Vice Chairman Opposes The Fare Hike
- Huge Fare Increases For Express Bus & Access-A-Ride Riders?
- Speaking Of Numbers…..
- MTA Board Approves 17B Budget
- Metrocard Machines Partially To Blame?
Service Diversions 07-22-10
I have just updated the “Service Diversions” page with the latest weekend diversions. The remaining diversions scheduled to end by 11:59 PM Friday are still listed. The next update will be sometime after 12:01 AM Saturday when those diversions are officially over.
Don’t forget to read this entry if you plan on using any service that goes through the Broadway/Nassau-Fulton St stations. I suggest you print out a copy of the page to carry with you or use any mobile device to access the phone-friendly version of Transit Blogger. As always, have safe travels!
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- Service Diversions 07-16-10
- Service Diversions 07-29-10
- Service Diversions 06-18-10
- Service Diversions 05-20-10
- Service Diversions 05-27-10
East Meadow Joins Fight Against MTA Payroll Tax
Ah the infamous MTA Payroll Tax is back in the news again. As longtime readers know, I have been dead set against this funding mechanism since it was first proposed in December 2008 as a part of a package to help starve off the MTA’s “doomsday scenario.”
I was not alone in these sentiments as many businesses across the region were against them & the unfair impact they would have on them & let’s not forget school districts which were not immune either. The East Meadow Chamber has joined in the fight against the payroll tax as they have sued New York State due to their claims of the tax being illegal according to the State Constitution. Mike Caputo of the LI Herald has more:
Some local business owners are drawing the line.
The Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax, known as the MTA payroll tax, has become a bone of contention among business owners. The measure, passed in June 2009 but retroactive to March 2009, requires employers and the self-employed to pay a tax of roughly 3.4 percent, or 34 cents per $100, on their company’s payroll. School districts and nonprofit organizations are not exempt from the tax.
“Our money is paying for a system that is out of control,” said Richard Bivone, an East Meadow business owner and the co-president of the Long Island Business Council.
The tax was approved by the state Legislature in 2009 as part of its plan to bail out the financially strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which faces a deficit of about $750 million. The measure passed easily in the Assembly and, after much debate, was approved by majority Senate Democrats in a 32-30 vote.
One Long Island business owner, Bill Schoolman, decided to challenge the tax in court. In December, Schoolman filed a lawsuit against New York state for instituting a tax that he says violates sections of the state constitution. MTA officials have maintained that the tax is not illegal.
Schoolman said he is tired of paying for more than four decades of what he called “mismanagement” in the MTA. With just under 100 employees in his own transportation business, he pays $20,000 a year for the tax.
“I write a check for $20,000 a year to benefit a government competitor,” Schoolman said. “This is the place to say, ‘Enough is enough.’” He criticized the MTA for catering to special interests, paying high salaries and pensions and making poor business decisions over the years — “A 45-year history of corruption and fiscal irresponsibility,” he said.
Click here for the complete report.
I am unsure of the legality of the tax but I am curious if a judge would find it illegal. If so, would the MTA be responsible to pay back the entire amount it has collected from it? If so, that would be a huge blow to an agency that is reeling financially. I look forward to seeing how this case unfolds as time goes by.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- East Meadow Business Owners Protest MTA Tax
- Officals Want MTA Tax Repealed For Colleges
- Putnam County To Join MTA Payroll Tax Lawsuit
- Suffolk Wants To Join Nassau MTA Tax Lawsuit
- Gov. Paterson’s “New Idea”
TSTC Wonders About The Future Of L.I. Bus
The big news over the last 24 hours is the MTA’s intention to cut funding to the often neglected Long Island Bus due to its current financial crisis. The story has made headlines throughout online & offline media outlets. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is the latest to look into it via an entry by Ryan Lynch on their “Mobilizing The Region” blog:
News reports are confirming the worst fears of Long Island transit advocates: that the MTA may cut all of its funding for Long Island Bus, decimating the system. According to yesterday’s Newsday, the MTA has the cut on a list of budget proposals to be unveiled on Monday. The $40 million reduction would equal a third of the Long Island Bus budget.
The move would be the latest in a series impacting Long Island bus riders. Nassau County cut $1.6 million in this year’s budget and County Executive Ed Mangano has failed to plug the gap or address Long Island Bus’ long-term funding challenges. The county’s cuts, coupled with those from the state and MTA, forced elimination of 11 bus lines and reduced service on eight other lines last month.
County Executive Mangano’s only public response to the news was to blame the MTA and criticize the payroll tax approved last year to help fund transit. Hopefully, his response was a one-time misstep; it was certainly very different from the tone he took during last year’s campaign, when he said “mass transit has to be an integral part of the County’s plans… the [LI Bus] subsidy is small compared to the number of people who rely on public transit to get to work, make a living, support their families, and put that money back into the local economy.” Ultimately, cooperation between Mangano, the MTA, and the state will be the only way to save the bus system.
Click here for the complete entry.
The TSTC brings up a very good question about the future of Long Island Bus considering the state of future funding. Ryan’s entry highlights the hypocrisy of Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano who ran on a platform of how important transit funding was in Nassau County.
Like Mayor Bloomberg, his words were hollow as once he was elected, a beneficial follow through on his words failed to materialize. As is usually the case, it seems the liar will get away with it while the innocent riders get shafted. This comes as no surprise considering the history of transit funding in New York throughout history.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- MTA Offers To Keep LI Bus Running For 1 Year
- Groups Oppose Potential L.I. Bus Funding Cut
- Proposed Budget Means More Of The Same For Long Island Bus
- PPV Main Event: Staten Island vs Nassau County
- MTA May Cut Long Island Bus Funding
Service Diversions 07-21-10
I apologize for not getting to this sooner. I normally have the page updated after 5:01 AM Monday but I forgot to do it. The correct info was posted but I like to have the weekend diversions removed so the latest information for the upcoming week & beyond in some cases is at the forefront.
As always, I suggest you print out a copy of the diversions to have with you while riding. You may also use any phone or electronic device to access the mobile friendly version of Transit Blogger. Have a safe week & do your best to keep cool!
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:
