September 14, 2004
No Photo Ban (Mostly) But A Fare Hike Might Happen
The MTA is not going ahead with a wide photography ban in the subways, but may work on a way to limit photography nonetheless. An MTA source tells the Daily news, "We are looking at a prohibition that will allow the police to make sure individuals are not photographing sensitive areas of the system - but that would still allow tourists and train lovers and people who just find beauty in the system - to photograph it without infringing on their civil liberties." In other words, the MTA still wants to crack down on possible terrorism, which is something that most people would find reasonable, if not ideal. [Via Satan's Laundromat]
In other news, the MTA is only holding on public hearing in Manhattan about the proposed fare increase - and only one hearing each in in Westchester and Nassau counties. The Daily news points out there were 10 public hearings before last year's fare hike. The Straphnagers' Gene Russianoff says, "I think it shows contempt for the riders." Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields sent a letter to protest this, but at this point, the hearings are scheduled in early November.
The increases, via the Daily News, include:
- Raising 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCards by $6, to $76, weekly cards by $3, to $24.Gothamist sometimes thinks the MTA should mobilize a citizens' task force to deal with issues like this - the MTA seems terribly out of touch with what the people's needs are.
- Boosting Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road fares an average of 5%.
- Increasing tolls at nine bridges and tunnels by 25 to 50 cents.
Gothamist on the proposed subway photo ban.
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Oh come on! They just raised subway fares! Raise the bridge and tunnel fares (since most of these commuters are taking the dubious luxury of driving when many could take public transit --maybe it'll encourage more carpooling). Raise the MetroNorth LIRR fares (since most of these commuters are taking their incomes out of the city to the suburbs while using NYC infastructure to do so).
Common Sense may yet Prevail! Photography is my hobby though I've not had the chance to exercise it too much lately, but I seem to cover a lot of Weddings Lately...
Nice to know if I pull out My Camera to snap an interesting shot, I have less of a chance to be arrested or fined.
Wow, Another public hearing. Yet Another Chance to Rant and Rave at a "Authority" that answers to just about No One. Hopefully, NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign will have some affect.
The MTA may be out of touch with what the people's needs are, but that also depends which "people" you are talking about. While I am not at all familiar with MTA's finances, I assume a large chunk of their expenditures are on their employee's benefit plans, such as health insurance and pension plans. While a fare increase may hurt the masses/ridership, it may also save the MTA from complete insolvency and horrible bond ratings, and from a union unlikely to budge regarding their benefits. At the same time, the MTA needs to be accountable to the public. Of course some more federal money will help, especially relieving some of the burden of increased security costs, but W done rise that deficit to such an extent that he won't allocate such funds to our fine city.
What a mess the MTA is in, and forever will be in. Don't you just love public financing?
I just don't understand how we can keep hearing about this issue in the news and yet no one ever mentions the fact that after the fare hike last year, it was revealed that the MTA had TWO books. The second "secret" one showed it had a huge profit. Can someone explain where the huge profit went to? Between the cooked books and the fare hike last year, something is up.
Also, shouldn't we be receiving federal money as part of all this anti-terrorism stuff to better protect the subways?
Jen W is correct. Even better than raising just the LIRR/METRONorth fares would be to reinstate the commuter tax (moronically repealed back during the bubble). Mere 0.5% on non-NYC residents (and needs to be for Westchester, Putnam, Nassau, and Suffolk folk in addition to NJ and Conn.). Brought in a lot of (needed) money.
Oh what a fabulous pain... I actually have a program thru work where the deduct the $ for my monthly from my paycheck pre-tax and I have this "atm" card that only works at metrocard machines so i can get my card. If they do go ahead with the hike I hope they notify people in advance so I could schedule for $3 more dollars to be taken out of each check prior to needing it!
If you make working in NYC such a hassle and such an expense, companies simply won't open up in the City. Raising taxes on people who don't live in the City won't help to keep businesses in or encourage them to open up in the City, where a majority of their workers do not live in NYC. What's to stop a major corporation from relocating to NJ, White Plains, or Stamford, CT, which they are in droves. Better to keep ridership up and businesses in the City by not making NY a hostile place for its workers. Don't forget too that suburbanites still take the Subway -- have you ever tried to get on at Penn Station or Grand Central at rush hour? It's not like they get on for free.
Now, I'm no fan of suburbanites or suburban living, but simply taxing those people who don't live in NY and expect them to work in NY is frankly a ridiculous idea.
The MTA should start focusing not on its inputs, or where they're getting the money, and start worrying about its efficient use of that money. That's where the true problem lies.
Oh but Hilton, suburban commuters use plenty of the NYC benefits that are paid by NYC taxpayers (via the NYC resident tax). Those suburbanites pay none of the taxes yet freely use the services, which is a LOT more unfair than taxing them a commuter tax for making money in NYC.
Those suburbanites produce trash here in NYC that city residents pay to pick up. Suburbanites need our police and firepeople to protect them while they're here, yet city residents get the bill. Suburbanites park in our municipal parking garages, they use our parks, they wear down our sidewalks, and they use our city to get their fat paychecks to go home to their huge picket-fenced houses, YET THEY PAY NO commuter tax! You call that fair?