Community Corner

MTA to Hold Hearing on Proposed Fare Hikes

Commuters invited to comment on proposed train ticket and toll changes.

Residents are invited to attend a public hearing hosted by the MTA Thursday night at The Garden City Hotel to address proposed fare hikes for 2011.

The MTA is proposing to increase fare and toll revenues by 7.5 percent in January 2011. As proposed, this increase could mean as much as a 9.4 percent fare increase for Long Island Rail Road commuters.

Other proposed changes include reducing the time period during which certain ticket types are valid, increasing fees for certain ticket transactions and eliminating the 2 percent Mail & Ride discount and the 4 percent MetroCard discount for joint purchase of monthly commutation tickets and MetroCards.

Find out what's happening in Garden Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the MTA's plan is adopted, residents commuting from Garden City stations would notice a monthly ticket increase by $19 in price (from $204 to $223).

According to a statement on the MTA's website, "In the spring of 2009 a multi-year financial framework was developed to address the MTA's budget shortfalls in recognition of the vital role that mass transit plays in the region. Fare and toll increases were a key component of this overall strategy, which also included enactment of new state taxes and fees to support the MTA. Fares and tolls were expected to rise in 2011 and 2013, and in each of these years the planned increases were to generate an additional 7.5 percent in new revenue."

Find out what's happening in Garden Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In recent years commuters incurred a 10 percent increase in June 2009, a 4 percent increase in March 2008 and an 8 percent increase in March 2005. Recent proposed fare hikes would take effect Jan 1., 2011, resulting in an over 30 percent increase over the past five years.

Garden City resident Jim Mullins, who's been riding the rails for more than 25 years, said he's learned to take the MTA's "chronic fare hikes in stride."

"However, given the current state of the economy, coupled with the lack of any real cost inflation to support their cause, the MTA should show more restraint," Mullins added.

"Ultimately, fare hikes and attendant service cuts would be easier to swallow were they married with improvements that would benefit all riders – such as the retirement of older trains, increased focus on cleanliness and the introduction of 'quiet cars' to allow sanctuary from my fellow riders whom are incapable of short and quiet phone conversations."

Sen. Kemp Hannon, R-Garden City, strongly opposes the proposed hikes: "When I voted against the $2.2 billion MTA bailout plan and the egregious MTA payroll tax in May 2009, I said repeatedly it was an unjust attempt to drive up costs for commuters while doing nothing to reform the wasteful spending of the MTA that has led us to the fare increases now being proposed.

"It's clear that the MTA won't be able to fix these deep-seated problems by throwing more money at them. We must reform the MTA before another dollar is taken from Long Island commuters," Hannon added.

In addition to these proposed fare increases, deep service cuts took effect Monday. The new schedules implement the second phase of budget-related cuts in LIRR service that were approved by the MTA Board in March. According to the MTA, the service reductions will save approximately $950,000 this year and $3.8 million annually starting in 2011.

"However, the LIRR will be monitoring the changes in the new timetable and will make schedule adjustments, as necessary, based on additional ridership and possible crowding on trains," the MTA website states.

Peter Haynes, president of the LIRR Commuters Campaign has attended a few meetings in the past, but said he believes that the "MTA just goes through the motions of listening."

"Then they do whatever they want," he added. "I think there are more productive actions to take against the MTA than attending meetings that are mandatory and just for show. They could establish a passengers advisory committee, where commuters and other interested passengers would be able to pass input to the MTA (and its sub agencies) on complaints, suggestions, etc. There would then be a formal review process and a resolution that would be publicly available on a website."

The public hearing will take place at 6 p.m. Registration opens at 5 p.m. and closes at 9 p.m. Speakers can also register online at the MTA website, or by calling 212-878-7483.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here