Transcript for MTA Main

The Economics of a subway fare hike

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VOICEOVE! "or most Americans# the car is a necessary means of transportation$ %ut
&ew 'ork City is (ifferent$ )ith the biggest subway system in the country# &ew 'orkers
mainly ri(e the train rather than (ri*e$ More than + million people in the city use public
transportation the way the rest of the country uses cars$ To get to work# to go shopping#
to *isit family an( frien(s# an( to go out an( ha*e fun$ Instea( of paying for gas# &ew
'orkers buy Metrocar(s to get from place to place$ %ut (espite that (ifference# they
respon( to price changes like e*eryone else$ )hen the price of a subway ri(e goes up#
commuters who take the train e*ery(ay begin to consi(er other ways of getting aroun($
That,s e-actly what happene( in mi( .//0$ The go*ernment agency that runs the
subways propose( raising the fare from 1.$// for a single ri(e to two (ollars an( fifty
cents$ That means a roun( trip woul( cost more than a gallon of gasoline$ 2o with the
fare hike looming on the hori3on# we aske( &ew 'orkers about the importance of public
transportation in their (aily li*es$
4A5' )A67E! I ri(e the subway8 I woul( say# on a*erage# maybe# I (on,t know# ten
roun( trips a week$
5'6A& O4E28 )ell# my commute is about a half hour each way$
4A' MOOE! 'es# I tra*el$ I tra*el$ I still mo*e aroun( regar(less of how I am
because I gotta see (octors an( stuff$
AMA&5A TOO7E! I usually ri(e it twice a week$ )hene*er I can fill it up$ 96aughs: I
(on,t ha*e the money to buy a monthly car(# so$
5$ 5AVI5 MA&&! Oh# I ri(e it ;uite a bit$ I ri(e it to an( from work si- (ays a week#
an( I take at least four other trips a week$
VOICEOVE! The new fare woul( mean that subway ri(ers woul( ha*e to spen(
hun(re(s of e-tra (ollars a year# (epen(ing on how often they ri(e the train$
4A' MOOE! I (on,t think it,s fair for anybo(y$ %ecause# for one# e*erything is going
up$ E*erything$ 'our rent going up# Con E(ison going up# you know# but your paycheck
stays the same$
4A5' )A67E! 'ou take the train8 say you,re on the train four times a (ay# that,s ten
(ollars$ That,s a lot of money$ 'ou know# an( not to mention# we li*e in &ew 'ork City#
you gotta go# you wanna go get like milk an( cereal an( toilet paper# that,s like <=
(ollars right there$
5'6A& O4E2! I,( probably cut back on foo($ &o steaks for me$ amen &oo(les$
9laughs:
AMA&5E TOO7E! If it costs more for me to go *isit# I,( probably tell them to come
*isit me instea($ 9laughs:
VOICEOVE! )hen the subway fare rises# &ew 'orkers from the southern en( of
%rooklyn to the &orthern en( of the %ron- consi(er se*eral alternati*es to taking the
train$ )alking# (ri*ing# spen(ing more time at home# an( e*en relocating$
4A5' )A67E! I mean# I,m not going to walk to (owntown Manhattan# but it,s not
that far away# I feel like it,s not a fi*e (ollar roun( trip$
4A' MOOE! The thing is# I,m gonna ha*e to get me a bike$
4A5' )A67E! Maybe a bike woul( be the key$ %ut like I sai( man# to be honest
with you# being a musician# I,m self>employe(# I (on,t ha*e health insurance$
5'6A& O4E2! I,( rather (ri*e into the city than wait thirty minutes on the 4 train#
which har(ly e*er runs$
AMA&5A TOO7E! I mean# I (on,t think (ri*ing woul( be too goo($ An( I woul(n,t bike$
I ha*e to go to work# I,m in heels$ &o biking for me$
5$ 5AVI5 MA&&! It woul(n,t really# uh# change what I (o because I (on,t really ha*e a
real alternati*e to get to work or into Manhattan apart from public transit$
VOICEOVE! An( unfortunately# there,s no guarantee that the price of a subway ri(e
won,t go higher$ 2o we aske( &ew 'orkers# what woul( they (o if the subway fare
(ouble( to four (ollars?
4A' MOOE! I,m gonna stop ri(ing the train$
5$ 5AVI5 MA&&! That woul( be a big shock an( I woul( really begin to resent it at
that point$
AMA&5A TOO7E! I mean &ew 'ork City,s alrea(y so e-pensi*e anyway# so it woul(
probably a(( to the list of hurts$ I know I,( probably wanna go some place else for a
little bit$
4A5' )A67E! I,( probably really consi(er mo*ing$ Maybe back to Massachusetts
or something$ @Cause I woul( probably be so angere( by that$
5'6A& O4E2! If things got worse# I,*e kin(a thought about maybe mo*ing
o*erseas$
4A' MOOE! I won,t lea*e &ew 'ork# though$ %ecause this is where I was born$ I
lo*e &ew 'ork$ 9laughs:
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