Rise Up Against Rising MTA Fares
By Jenna Tipaldo
Yet again, the MTA is proposing changes to pricing, trying to charge New Yorkers more money while they are reducing service. Among the various proposals are raising fares, eliminating reduced fare options, and eliminating unlimited passes.
However, there is now an opportunity for public comment, which means that anyone can make their voice heard through a written comment on the MTA’s website by December 21st, a phone call, or testimony at a hearing.At present, 38% of MTA funding comes from fares collected by riders, and with ridership down roughly 70% on subways and 50% on buses from 2019, there’s no question that the MTA is financially hurting. The MTA was underfunded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was seeing record ridership levels, and it now forecasts massive budget shortfalls due to a lack of federal relief. The burden of this financial hardship, however, should not fall on low income and essential workers who keep our city running, especially when the wealth of New York’s 1% has increased by $68.7 billion since March.
A 2016 report by the Community Service Society found that among the poorest New Yorkers (those below the federal poverty line), transportation comprised around 10% of monthly expenses. It also found that the majority of low income people use the subway or bus to get to work, and that, “Among low-income residents, Latinos and blacks are much more likely to report that the cost of transit limits their ability to carry out important responsibilities such as looking for and taking a job,” or accessing medical care, proving that transit access is also a racial justice issue. Considering this, raising fares on public transportation is inequitable and unacceptable.
Public transportation access is an essential part of a Green New Deal. Public transit use reduces demand for fossil fuels, lowering greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and also air pollution that contributes to health issues like asthma, most often in low income communities of color. As we shift back to in-person activities over the coming year, we should address racial justice by confronting pollution and climate change and investing in and incentivizing publication transportation.
The MTA’s proposed changes would disproportionately impact New Yorkers who are already struggling the most. But your voice can make a difference — you can submit a public comment on this issue. Your comment can mention who you are and why public transit is important to you, present evidence of why we need an accessible transit system, offer suggestions to raise revenue from elsewhere such as a tax on the wealthiest 5%, and include a reminder of the MTA’s mission statement, which “preserves and enhances the quality of life and economic health of the region it serves through the cost-efficient provision of safe, on-time, reliable, and clean transportation services.” Don’t be afraid to use facts, numbers, and your own stories to make a compelling case.
Access to affordable transportation is essential to lower-income people and students in New York. Your comment could be the one that secures affordable transit for New Yorkers.
Submit your comment by December 21st here.
