Get Ready To Shell Out More $$$ To Ride MTA

Nobody wants to deal with a fare increase when it comes to the troubled MTA in the city. After using the Tube in London, our system feels like something out of the third world. A regular ride here costs $2 ($1.60 when you count the buy 5, get one free system) and in London it is 1.60 in Pounds (or one quid and 60 pence). The difference in service is not even close. They have friggin couches in the cars for crying out loud, not to mention up-to-date service announcements on their website, clean stations and boards on every platform telling you when the next two trains are coming.

So after seeing how Londoners do it, it pisses me off to see the MTA getting ready to charge us even more for a woeful ride on the subway. The board is meeting in December to decide how much and based on comments coming out of the Mayor's office, he won't put up much of a fight. He'd rather possible congestion-pricing revenue go to system expansion projects instead (though it isn't even guaranteed).

The MTA needs more pressure put upon it to wait for a fare increase until next year. I am against any fare increase in three months and instead wait until more develops on the congestion pricing front. In addition to little ol' me, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign and many civic organizations feel the same way. I'm guessing a few million New Yorkers might be on our side as well.