Local Residents Sound Off on MTA Fare Hikes

If the city's handling of the snow removal throughout Brooklyn angered you, then the MTA fare hikes taking place tomorrow won't make you much happier.

Starting tomorrow, the long-debated increase on prices for subway rides will go into effect throughout the city. Single rides will go up 25 cents, from $2.25 to $2.50. The biggest increase will be for monthly Metrocards, which will rise from $89 to $104. In addition, there are plans to reduce service on several subway lines that serve the Brooklyn community.

"The city that never sleeps has been rendered comatose by incompetence and a lack of adequate preparation at City Hall and the MTA," said Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, representative of the 57th district. "In the communities that I represent in central Brooklyn, there were three subway lines (Q, B and Franklin Ave. Shuttle) that were completely shut down and extremely limited bus service remains prevalent. This is a failure of leadership and should be investigated by the state legislature."

 "The decision by the MTA to increase transit fares to record levels for service that remains limited, unreliable or non-existent is completely unacceptable. The MTA should suspend the fare hikes indefinitely until it can assure the riding public that this kind of massive system breakdown will never happen again."

While some Bed-Stuy residents are begrudgingly accepting the new costs, saying that its still cheaper than owning a car, others view the price increase as directly affecting their quality of life. We asked five community members their thoughts on the MTA fare hike, with their responses after the jump. 

We want to know what you think too. Tell us your thoughts on the issue in the comments section.

Tenekqua Cauthen, 27, Pre-school teacher

To pay that much money for a monthly Metrocard is really expensive. There isn't really an option for me to ride a bike around or carpool though. I need to take the subway every day and so do most people in this city, so there isn't a choice but to accept the new costs for most of us. 

Sara Planchon, 21, Actress

I don't make very much money now, so to increase the price like that definitely affects me. I grew up in Paris, and the subways there are less expensive and have better service, so I feel like it doesn't have to be this way here.

Andrew Green, Social Service Agency Worker

I don't agree with the idea of paying more for less service, but do feel bad for the MTA in some ways. They have a lot of financial obligations that are not related to the daily operations of the subway system. It's also a lot cheaper to take the subway here than in other cities. We still pay a flat rate for all rides as opposed to paying by zone like in other cities. When I went to London recently, it cost about $4.00 per ride to get anywhere.

Jean-Marc Joseph, 40, Banker

The fare hikes are another example of how the city is continuing to drive out the middle and working class. The subway system goes beyond Manhattan and the people who ride the 4 or 5 train. If you live in an area like Jamaica and already have a major commute to work, more delays directly affect your quality of life.

For a lot of people in this city, $104 is a major sacrifice. It's a monthly trip to the supermarket. It's one or two utility bills. If you have kids, it's Christmas for them. A monthly Metrocard was just $67 back in 2000. The MTA has not only drastically increased prices every year for the last four or five years, but they've also far exceeded the rate of inflation.

Victoria Keddie, 25, Archivist

When people relate public transportation to owning a car, that's a problem in itself right there. A car should be more expensive because having one is a luxury in this city. Public transportation is not. It's put in place to be accessible to an entire community and not just those who can afford it.