MTA Chief Brushed Off Over Fare Increase

Elliot Sander's PR people must be scrambling this morning after the MTA chief failed to convince anyone at Grand Central that the fares must be raised to combat rising costs. First of all, a man in a suit standing at Grand Central during rush hour is hardly going to get much notice. He should be careful not to get knocked over by commuters scurrying about to get to their next train. But when someone notices who he is and what he is doing there like Jean Callaham did, thats when Mr. Sander really should run for cover.

From The NYT City Room:

.....Mr. Sander told her that the authority was facing rising costs, and he invited her to send him her opinions in an e-mail message through the M.T.A.’s Web site.

The woman, Jean Callaham, said she lives in Staten Island and that it takes her two hours to get to work. She told Mr. Sander that the $20 she pays each week in subway fares and the $9 toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that her relatives have to pay when they visit her were both high enough as it is.

Speaking to a reporter after her brief exchange with Mr. Sander, Ms. Callaham, who works at a financial services company near Grand Central, said she did not plan on taking Mr. Sander up on his offer. “He just wanted to get out of there, that’s all,” she said.

The fares are too high, especially for people that have long commutes such as Ms. Callaham. Plenty more riders have trouble with trains that are delayed and especially with certain lines that are notorious for their inconsistencies. Trying to make people shoulder this additional financial burden when they are making their way around this expensive city is wrong. Expecting to convince them with a PR stunt is just pathetic.