Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
$140 Monthly MetroCards Will Save The MTA, Says Watchdog Group
By
Garth Johnston
Published Oct 10, 2012
Modified Oct 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
She Said Unprintable Things' flickr
By
Garth Johnston
Published Oct 10, 2012
Modified Oct 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
With the MTA getting ready to talk budgets and fare hikes next week, budget watchdog Citizens Budget Commission has released a report [PDF] calling the Authority's books into question and proposing a radically different budget that would cost commuters even more. But at least it would be worse on drivers—and leave the MTA with a chance to beat its debt?
The CBC's report first goes through the MTA's rough budget—which it says shows no sign of getting better. Not with outstanding debt, which increased from $14 billion to $32 billion between 2000 and 2011, expected to hit $39 billion by 2015. So what to do? The commission suggests a "25-50-25" budget. That breaks down like this:
- 25 percent of the MTA's budget would be paid for by drivers IN ADDITION their tolls and taxes would also have to entirely cover the upkeep of bridges and tunnels (which they do now). That would mean tolls going up to as much as $9 (the Verrazano is a different story).
- Mass transit riders would have to pay 50 percent of the MTA's budget as opposed to the 39 percent they pay now. That means subway fares up to a bit more than $3 a ride and monthly MetroCards for around $140!
- Finally, state and local taxes would cover the final 25 percent as well as 'catch-up' capital investments when needed.
It isn't necessarily the prettiest of solutions—nobody likes a fare hike—but it would in the end cost drivers the most, which is always fun. And the CBC feels confident their plan would raise more than $2 billion by 2016 without new taxes, which would be pretty useful. Still there is already some skepticism of the just released proposal. The Straphanger's Campaign, for instance, put out a release that praised the CBC's "emphasis on the vital need for capital repairs to the transit system and the financial impact of the MTA’s having to borrow more than $31 billion" but also expressed serious concern about the idea of asking New Yorkers to pay even more at the farebox when we already have the "highest fare box operating ratio—the share of operating costs covered by fares—in the nation."
Meanwhile, MTA chairman Joesph Lhota released this statment on the CBC's budget:
“We appreciate the Citizens Budget Commission's attempt to take a serious look at the MTA's financial challenges and offer thoughtful recommendations on how to meet them. The MTA has made great strides in cutting costs and stabilizing its finances, and has regularly said we need a stable and reliable funding source for the sake of all our customers and the entire New York economy. However, the CBC's choice of budgeting methods would create the appearance of a phantom deficit, instead of reflecting our fully balanced budget as required by law. Still, we are glad the CBC is helping to advance the discussion of how to stabilize the MTA's long-term finances.”
Tagged
budget
bus
cbc
citzens budget commission
fare hike
metrocard
MTA
subway
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A man who died on Rikers treated as ‘less than a human’ as family wages $25 million lawsuit
A DOC report reveals that John Price waited over three hours for medical treatment before he later died.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 7:43 a.m. ET
Flushing is getting a facelift. Some worry the project will fuel more displacement.
The multitower Flushing Commons project includes new public amenities, commercial space and condos.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Flushing is getting a facelift. Some worry the project will fuel more displacement.
The multitower Flushing Commons project includes new public amenities, commercial space and condos.
By
Arya Sundaram
School buses still failing to show up for many NYC students with disabilities
By
Jessica Gould
New apartments are coming and there’s nothing these 12 neighborhoods can do to stop it
By
David Brand
Man fatally stabbed on J train in Queens, NYPD says
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .