Fare Hike March 1st

As of March 1st, it will now cost you an additional 4% for a monthly or weekly ticket. Daily, peak and 10-trip increases are even higher at ~5.5%. I would raise my hand in favor of these increases if we, the ridership, were going to receive additional value.

The main question is, does the MTA deliver sufficient value to justify the fare increase?

Here's the new fare tables on the MTA's Website: http://www.mta.info/mta/news/hearings/fareandtoll/lirr-sample.htm

This fare hike is just the beginning if the MTA doesn't get its act together. They are sitting on a mountain of debt and have no real strategy to rein in costs like labor and entitlements. The culture of the organization is totally archaic as well. Instead of focusing outwardly to deliver superior service to the customer, the MTA is an inward-looking organization focused on work rules and labor-management relations. We the customers are way down on their list of priorities. This is evident each time you ride a train off peak and they have cars closed off while people crowd into the open cars.

There is some hope however. The MTA is starting to figure out the value of technology as far as reducing costs and maximizing value. In the not too distant future, you will be able to use your RFID-embedded Visa or Mastercard to purchase a fare on the subway without having to purchase a Metrocard. Perhaps this technology can be adopted by the railroads as well, but don't hold your breath.