Rallies over MTA fare hike proposal

(New York - WABC, November 5, 2007) (WABC) -- You're going to hear a lot of protesting over the MTA's proposed fare hike. Public hearings got underway Monday night.

State lawmakers are announcing new legislation that would give $660 million to the MTA to end talks of a fare hike scheduled for February.

Even local officials are trying to stop the MTA from boosting the $2 fare.

"I don't question the MTA's financial need," said Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign. "They have a bleak financial future, the question is are all the parties going to be asked to pay fairly?"

Some say the $2 transit fare is already high enough and even an increase of 25 cents is too much.

The MTA says it cannot improve and modernize the city's transit system without raising the fare.

"We need to make critical capital investments," an MTA official said.

The proposal calls for raising the base transit fare from $2 to $2.25, with toll increases on MTA bridges and tunnels. Off-peak discounts remain a possibility.

It is unclear if the extra money will change the MTA's mind. The first public hearings are scheduled for Monday night in Brooklyn and West Nyack.

Members of the Straphangers Campaign joined with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz today to hand out anti-fare flyers to rush-hour subway riders in Brooklyn.

The leaflet urged riders to call on Governor Eliot Spitzer to block a proposed MTA fare hike and increase state aid for the subways, buses and commuter rail.

The leafleting came on the morning of the first of eight evening fare hearings being held by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City and its suburbs.

The leaflet urges riders to "Tell Governor Spitzer What You Think of a Fare Hike!"

"Frankly, as the city considers strategies to reduce traffic congestion, this is no time for the MTA to be talking about raising fares for hard-working residents and commuters, who already pay more than their fair share," Markowitz said. "The state needs to spend more on public transit-to improve service and win back the trust of riders-and the MTA needs to give the legislature time to approve that funding increase, not 'railroad' transit riders into footing the bill."

"Riders pay more than their fair share," the leaflet noted. "In 2005, riders paid 55 percent of the costs of running the subways and buses. Metro-North riders pay 51 percent and LIRR riders pay 47 percent. But riders in other cities pay much less. The national average for the top 50 transit systems is 37 percent. In Boston, it is 29 percent, Chicago 43 percent and Philadelphia 37 percent."

The leaflet also said, "Dozens of state legislators have urged [the MTA] to delay a hike until after April 15 so Spitzer and the Legislature can provide additional funds needed in order to avoid a fare increase."

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