Since the fare increase on all New York City transports, there was supposed to be improvement on services however, has any improvement occurred at all?
On the 20th of August 2023, New York City public transport, including all MTA subways, buses, and commuter railroads, increased its fare from $2.75 to $2.90. The MTA claims that this increase was due to the ridership growing. Additionally, the MTA stated that with the increase of fees, it would allow the system to maintain current service levels and even increase service frequencies.
Although a mere 15 cent change may not seem like a big financial burden, in the long run, a full round trip would cost you approximately $5.80 a day which some New Yorkers including Leman students have expressed annoy them. However, the 15 cent increase isn’t the true burden for most New Yorkers and it is not the focus of this article.
What I want to know is whether there will be concrete change in the services of public transport. When there is an increase in fares, one expects an improvement in service. However, since the increase of fees, trains have had more delays, and the problem of aging infrastructure have contributed to breakdowns and delays.
To understand how the Lèman community felt, I asked Mr. Sheehan his opinion on the matter. When asked whether he had noticed any improvements in the subway system since the fare increase, Mr.Sheehan stated; “I haven’t noticed any visible improvement, subways look the same physically to me. I think also in terms of service, sometimes I’m in a car where I can’t hear the announcements because of the static intercom, which can be frustrating. Sometimes stops aren’t displayed, so there’s definitely some service issues, but nothing really glaring that I would say I would be upset about, but I am definitely aware of the issues.”
As of now, no concrete change has been made. Trains still come delayed, the subway is still dirty and unsafe but overall it's too early to expect major changes to the whole New York City