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Before we begin, I think the MTA already hemorrhages a lot of money they are being bailed out by the Fed and Albany year after year. They can't turn a profit regardless.
If the subways and busses become free, what it will do is reduce the amount of policing necessary to catch people fare beating.
More people would take mass transit than take Hail rides. More low income people would move into NYC and increase the amount of workers and help them with income.
Transportation costs is already a huge expense for many low income workers. I would make NYC mass transit free but increase taxes on local businesses because it helps them the most.
Allowing free mass transit will immensely increase tourism, commuting, and reduce the amount of traffic.
Of course, the reality is that the government do not really care about any of this. Their goal is to create problems in order to create revenue from the problems they create and compound.
The speed camera is a perfect example, it doesn't reduce traffic accidents. They seem to pop up where nobody walks and few accidents occur.
Congestion pricing will simply make Manhattan into a paradise for the rich to enjoy their neighborhoods free of honking traffic and they will still enjoy being driven around even better and willing to pay the $25 surcharges.
Is there evidence that ride cost is the prohibiting factor to tourists (or locals for that matter) taking the subway in NYC? Is there a source that there would need to be less policing needed? (in my (professional) experience, if it was free, policing would need to be increased if free).
Is there evidence that ride cost is the prohibiting factor to tourists (or locals for that matter) taking the subway in NYC? Is there a source that there would need to be less policing needed? (in my (professional) experience, if it was free, policing would need to be increased if free).
The more people that ride the less policing overall because the public would thwart those empty train crimes. But you would need policing regardless. More people that use the mass transit the less crime occurs just like it rarely happens during rush hour.
The problem is now after 7pm the trains are empty and robberies happen. I got attacked at 10pm on a Thursday night because there was lack of ridership.
The reason I took the subway that night was a Uber ride was over $40 from Queens into NYC.
The more people that ride the less policing overall because the public would thwart those empty train crimes. But you would need policing regardless. More people that use the mass transit the less crime occurs just like it rarely happens during rush hour.
The problem is now after 7pm the trains are empty and robberies happen. I got attacked at 10pm on a Thursday night because there was lack of ridership.
The reason I took the subway that night was a Uber ride was over $40 from Queens into NYC.
The subways and buses can not be 'free' because nothing is free. Taxpayers will have to pick up the entire costs. MTA bonds are backed by fare revenue so the fare can't be eliminated. A 'free' transit fare wold turn the subway/bus system into more of a route for the criminal class in the ghetto areas to spread crime to middle-class/upper-class areas of the city. Many subway/bus routes start out in ghetto areas but pass through middle-class/upper-class areas of the city. There was a reason why back in the 1970s '2-fare zone' neighborhoods were generally safer and nicer than '1-fare zone' neighborhoods.
If the subway was free, you would need more law enforcement, not less. Just look at the stories when they stop and frisk (they don't use this term, but it is what it is) a turnstile jumper and it turns out he has an illegal gun on him. Will be plenty more of that.
I doubt tourists and people who take Ubers instead of mass transportation really care about the cost to ride subways and buses. It's all about safety and quality of life issues. So making them free will solved nothing.
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