New York Residents Blast MTA for Increase in Toll Fee

New York residents voiced their displeasure about the announcement that there will be an increase in public transportation fees. A bipartisan spread of transit workers, politicians, car drivers, and straphangers piled on Metropolitan Transportation Authority executives one by one on December 1.

The workers, drivers, and state politicians voiced their opposition to the possible toll and fare hikes at the first public meeting regarding the issue.

Possible fare increase

New York Senator Todd Kaminsky testified that the riders in the state could not afford another fare increase, especially during these difficult times. He added that increasing the fee is the wrong thing to do, primarily since they aim to attract ridership and encourage people to get back on the train.

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Numerous transit officials have given multiple options for toll and fare hikes in 2021. This is in line with the policy of the agency since 2009 to enact increases every two years, according to ABC.

Aside from increasing the $2.75 subway fare in 2021, the MTA is also thinking of getting rid of the MetroCards, a time-based unlimited card. If MetroCards are removed, it can decrease the number of commuter rail fare zones, and it can also eliminate the discount that Verrazzano Bridge's Staten Island residents get.

The Zoom hearing on December 1 turned out opponents from all corners of the MTA region and all political stripes. The opponents came from Long Island's Kaminsky to U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis, who testified in favor of maintaining the discount on the bridge.

Nicolas Seunarine, a commuter from Brooklyn, testified during the Zoom meeting and said that he finds it unacceptable that the fares will increase.

Seunarine called out both Republicans and Democrats and said that they should have a reasonable fare for everybody. The current fair is $2.75, and that is a rate that is reasonable for everybody.

Andrew Albert, a board member of MTA, told The New York Post that it made little sense to raise fares while simultaneously contemplating service cuts.

Albert added that if the MTA asks people to pay more for less service, people will stop and think twice before using public transit and what they want is for people to use the transit. He said that this is a different time, and it should be approached differently.

Pat Foye, the MTA Chairman, admitted that the proposals would not make a dent in massive deficits wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has cut the MTA ridership by at least 70 percent.

Foye said that their goal was to minimize the impact on New Yorkers in these difficult times. She added that they fully know that any increase will hurt the residents of New York, especially those in areas that depend on public transit the most.

Lost jobs

Last month, the MTA budget proposal presented at a board meeting showed it could chop off 9,000 transit workers.

However, the cuts could be mitigated if the MTA receives $12 billion from the federal government as part of a relief package, according to NBC New York.

The discussion about the budget is still open as the MTA is working on increasing the fare too. There has also been no update regarding the potential job loss of 9,000 transit workers.