MTA Cuts (New York, Albany, York: high school, salaries, live)

[queensgrl]

The vote in in. Service cuts are coming
M.T.A. Approves Cuts in Subway and Bus Service - NYTimes.com

[analyticalkeys]

Originally Posted by queensgrl

The vote in in. Service cuts are coming
M.T.A. Approves Cuts in Subway and Bus Service - NYTimes.com

The service goes down, but the fare goes up... how does this make ANY sense?

[znycgirl]

The MTA lost a lot of money on the economic downslide. Bad/ risky investing: It's that simple.

Operating costs are the same & they need to fund the pension plans of the retired workers who are living longer.

Their 2nd avenue subway project must also be quite costly. Looks like it's taking a lot longer (meaning more $$) than they had originally thought.

So, to me it sounds like bad investing plus steady operating cost plus poor budget assessments equals big deficit.

[Newherebutny]

I say instead of making the students pay to go to school, make the MTA workers that travel for free pay. As those 2 accounting books that was kept by the MTA not so long ago needs to be thoroughly audited and they should be held accountable for it why do you keep 2 books? We go through the same nonsense every year on one level or another with the MTA needing more money for what????? The fares go up on a regular, it's one of the only jobs I know where you don't have to be on time or even close and no one bats a lash or cuts your pay. Pleassseee I say make them give up some of their cushy benefits there is the deficit right there.

[Cyclops99]

I say instead of making the students pay to go to school, make the MTA workers that travel for free pay

I don't get why the MTA has to give students free metrocard passes...shouldn't that be something the Board of Education has to pay for? Sure, they're both govt agencies but free metrocards for students shouldn't be a liability on the MTA's books. They're job is not to educate kids or to get them to school...

[dhanu86]

I don't think free-loaders or free rides for students is to blame because if cost effective that can always be enforced through machinery or workers.

To me it seems that the way out of a budget or debt hole would be to keep the trains and buses running and ridership high.

[SobroGuy]

I just read that NY Times article and they are already talking about a 10-12% increase in fares, and tolling bridges (congestion pricing), in order to close this gap. Things are going to get much worse for the MTA and specifically for those that ride buses/trains and/or drive into the city. Things are gonna get very interesting real soon..

[Cyclops99]

Ahh Congestion Pricing...if they had passed it earlier, we woulda gotten $500 million from the Feds. If we pass it now...we get nothing, nada from the Feds. So remember everyone...please vote out those idiots in the NYS legislature. Especially the most powerful one...(Sheldon Silver). I don't even know if he's running??

[SobroGuy]

That $500 million is looking mighty nice now...but you know how it goes..a few loudmouth groups make a raucos and the vote pandering politicians cave at the expense of our city and residents. Can't do what's right, only what gets you re-elected.

[dhanu86]

I wonder how real estate will be hurt. I think people are basicly paying the same or more in exchange for less so it can't help real estate. I think the population is steadily rising in NYC yet 30 buses are being eliminated.

NJtransit could see a whooping 25% increase in fare if approved by May or June. The governor is against it though. So this isn't just a MTA thing.