MTA To Hike LIRR Fares

KL January 2, 2013 at 07:38 pm

Well Wayne since the OBX is managed by the port athority and not the LIRR i doubt they will allocate $$ towards it

KL January 2, 2013 at 07:45 pm

you mean the same politicians that just voted to save us from the economic fiscal cliff? you want those guys?? LOL
you are kidding about the 100 miles per hour trains aren't you? can you imagine the accidents. Tehre is also the technology to run a train to London - do not see that happening either

Follow the Money January 2, 2013 at 07:56 pm

Chris. What is your point

sadeto January 2, 2013 at 08:29 pm

Those 100mph trains around the world are not short-distance commuter trains, they are inter-city trains (like Amtrak). 40 minutes to get to Manhattan is not too bad considering the stops and the age of the tracks. And of course the limited tunnel access under the East River.
And train service in places with 100mph trains is not cheap, even for commuter trains, in fact in many places it is more expensive. But driving in most places is much more expensive than here. No politician is going to get anywhere promoting an "overhaul" of the regional rail system here. To do so would mean serious investment that nobody is prepared for now or any time in the foreseeable future. Most voters would rather subsidize gasoline and road infrastructure, and war.

Chris Wendt January 2, 2013 at 08:40 pm

Supply sider said: "The MTA is completely the problem...."
Wayne D then brought up the Outterbridge Crossing as part of the problem. Ergo sequitur, the MTA is not completely the problem, because the problem also encompasses the Port Authority.

Joe January 2, 2013 at 09:16 pm

He is showing you how smart he is. Pretty much the same with all his posts.

Frank January 2, 2013 at 09:53 pm

Well the OBX might be the exception to the rule. 1/3 of the bridge tolls also go to subsidize the LIRR and subways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTA_Bridges_and_Tunnels

robkoz January 2, 2013 at 11:00 pm

What do all you expect? You keep voting Democratic. Who do you think is allowing the MTA to dip into everyone's bills and services? This is what happens when a super majority is in power for too long. NY is following in California's footsteps. Keep this up and before you know it they'll be an MTA tax on your paystub! Count on it!
There needs to be a balance of power. You don't need everyone to be Republicans/Conservatives. You just need enough to keep all the tax and spend liberals in check. But many of the NY voters aren't smart enough to figure that out yet.

sadeto January 3, 2013 at 02:57 am

Frank, where did you get the 1/3 figure? I don't see that in your link (it's a pretty poor Wikipedia entry). I thought the transit subsidy was much higher.

sadeto January 3, 2013 at 03:02 am

Complete nonsense. We have had Republican control of the State Senate. Support of mass transit is not a partisan issue, it's a patronage issue.

Frank January 3, 2013 at 03:21 am

You gotta do a little math. Almost $900 mil a year in revenue and over the last 40 yrs $10bil went to mass transit so thats almost a third. I am sure its a lot more but if they admitted it people would go even more nuts being the bridges are crumbling. Most people probably dont even know their toll money, along with tons of extra taxes, is subsidizing the trains

sadeto January 3, 2013 at 04:27 am

The MTA B&T web site shows $400 million in operating budget and $900 million in mass transit subsidy. With 280 million trips per year there is more money unaccounted for but it's clear they are committed to huge transit subsidies at the cost of major capital investments.
http://www.mta.info/bandt/html/btintro.html

Chris Wendt January 3, 2013 at 11:59 am

Support of mass transit is an economic imperative, not a political plum, and certainly not a partisan issue. I attend MTA hearings, especially those concerning their capital programs. Financial support for capital infrastructure is heavily dependent upon federal and state subsidies. That is a permanent condition.
Did you know that approximately 580,000 public school students use free or reduced fare metro cards to get to school every day? As far as what another reader termed "unaccounted for" revenue, you should know that a significant portion of B&T toll revenue is pledged to repay bonds. That is a settled constitutional issue (Contracts Clause) which cannot be changed by lawmaking.

Frank January 3, 2013 at 05:17 pm

@ chris. That is true. No denying it. Mass transit is both economically and environmentally important. With that said, how do you propose to increase ridership? Hiking fares doesn't seem logical... The point of mass transit is to encourage ridership, not deter it.
On a positive note: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/17224/fiscal-cliff-deal-restores-transit-benefit/ Still less than the cost of a monthly pass, but I'm sure people will be happy.

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JEFF GORDON February 28, 2013 at 12:15 pm

I rode the LIRR to work from 1974-2011. In 1974 a monthly ticket Hicksville to Penn Station was $56 - median household income in 1974 was $11,000 per year. In 2011 the monthly ticket was $256 - median household income was $50,000 per year. Source - Government census reports found on internet. It looks to me like the ticket price rose about the same percent as median income.

Joe February 28, 2013 at 02:14 pm

They reinstated the full value non-taxable value now. Not that they should have taken it away in the first place, and I agree service is poor during a system problem, they really struggle when something happens, mostly because it seems management is home by 3pm and not supporting rush hours, or anticipating problems. Newsday editorial hit it pretty well today. And please they should not hurt themselves patting themselves on the back for the blizzard that happened over the weekend.

Rob February 28, 2013 at 04:43 pm

Not sure about your longitudinal study Jeff but my income is not up by 9% vs. last year. And by the way, the train I took into work today was probably built in the early 70's - seats destroyed, an ingrained odor in the car, dirt everywhere and despite increased ridership, advertising EVERYWHERE and not significant station enhancements it's pretty hard to justify or defend this fare hike.

TTTT February 28, 2013 at 05:01 pm

You are right on the money. I started taking the LIRR from Mineola to Penn Station in 1974 and it was $35 month (tokens were 35 cents each). The next year, it rose to $42 a month and tokens to 50 cents each, and I had to ask for a raise to get by (I was making $8,000 a year). Gas was about 25 cents a gallon. I bought a new Toyota Corolla for about $3,500. Amazing how the world has changed.

Robert Demarco February 28, 2013 at 06:20 pm

Over 37 years the fare hikes may mimic the average wage, but the fare hike come in chunks, unlike salary increases. The service is better than in 1974, but it still has a long way to go. The LIRR personnel still do not know how to manage a crisis during rush hour; just visit Penn Station when service is suspended to see the chaos. We have a right to expect more for the higher cost.

JEFF GORDON February 28, 2013 at 08:25 pm

To TTTT - Mineola is zone 7, same as Hicksville - monthly fare in 1974 was $56 not $35 - here is a table of fares 1974-now
http://www.lirrcommuters.org/A55D10/home.nsf/79ac00a06b2683fa852567ca007965b7/3b9ad596464fcbf2852573a20058ff46?OpenDocument Also, gas in 1974 was 53 cents a gallon, not 25 cents a gallon - http://www.1970sflashback.com/1974/economy.asp

Geoffrey Walter (Editor) February 28, 2013 at 08:31 pm

@JEFF GORDON: Mineola is currently in Zone 4, Hicksville is currently in Zone 7 – http://mta.info/lirr/about/TicketInfo/Fares2011.htm

sadeto February 28, 2013 at 08:42 pm

Most of the rush hour crises I have experienced in my fifteen years of commuting on the LIRR have been related to incidents that restricted tunnel access (track fires, disabled trains), and weather affecting the third rail (flooding at Bayside). There's not much the personnel can do about that. Also, Penn station itself exasperates a crisis since it so poorly designed and inadequate to the traffic it handles.

Joe February 28, 2013 at 09:14 pm

actually $5.00

Robert Demarco February 28, 2013 at 09:18 pm

This is true. But I have seen very dangerous conditions because whovever is responsible does not shut off the escalators at the appropriate time. I have seen incidents where people exiting Penn Station are not clearing the top of the escalator fast enough for the people coming up. That is a recipe for disaster. It has to be in the crisis plan for some to shut the escalators in a more timely manner. They can do something about that.

JEFF GORDON February 28, 2013 at 09:28 pm

OK - Then a monthly ticket from Mineola to Penn Station in 1974 was $50.75

Chris Wendt March 1, 2013 at 11:39 am

@ Robert Demarco re: Penn Station etc. You do realize that the LIRR/MTA have almost nothing to do with the operation of Penn Station, which is an Amtrak facility. As tenants of Amtrak, LIRR & NJ Transit operate trains in and out of Penn, and sell tickets, but that is about it.
There was a service interruption between Jamaica and Penn yesterday morning. LIRR and NYCTA cooperated to cross-honor railroad tickets on the subway at Hunterspoint, and it was a very smooth transfer. LIRR & NYCTA are both part of the MTA system.

Had Enuf! March 1, 2013 at 12:05 pm

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Chris Wendt March 26, 2013 at 10:10 am

Tonight, Tuesday, March 26th at 7:30 PM, the Wantagh Preservation Society is presenting a program on The LIRR Jamaica Station headquarters building, which was 100 years old on March 9th.
Retired LIRR Branch Manager and railroad historian David Morrison wrote a book on the Jamaica Station in the Arcadia Publications “Images of Rail” series. He will present a digital image program about the history of the Jamaica Station complex from the earliest days, to the massive 1913 improvement project, to the current historical restoration project. Wantagh Public Library Community Room, 3285 Park Avenue, Wantagh Free Admission Free Refreshments