Thursday, March 26, 2009
doomsday
The New York Metropolitan Transporation Authority (MTA) has found itself dealing with a 1ドル.2 million budget gap (though no one is saying exactly why, which is slightly aggravating) and has consequently been forced to take drastic measures in the form of higher fares AND huge service cuts. Every New Yorker will be affected, and no one is happy about any of this.
Including me.
Aside from the fact that the higher fares will seriously eat into our already stretched budget, they're also making my already relatively small world even smaller. Without a car, I rely heavily on public transportation. Effective May 31st, not only will it cost me 2ドル.50 each way (up from 2ドル), but they're reducing the amount of trains on the line that extends into our neighborhood AND eliminating completely/reducing service for the two buses I use on a regular basis. This includes the bus we take to get to church, which is projected to no longer run on the weekends. By summer our commute to church will take over twice as long as it currently does. I shudder to think what this will be like once I'm toting two children across town each Sunday without the help of my husband, whose calling requires he be at early morning meetings.
And speaking of longer commutes, with the total elimination of one of the trains he often takes to get into work, his one-hour-each-way ride into and out of the city will undoubtedly take longer, keeping him away from his family more than either of us would like. Oh, and the price of the 30-day commuter Metrocard he purchases pre-tax through his job will jump up a whopping 22ドル.
I can't stop riding public transportation altogether (and no, buying a car again is also not the answer), but this "doomsday budget," as the media has coined it, will force me to think seriously about how often I board a subway or a bus. I project that soon we'll be sticking a little closer to home.
So, yes, I'm a New Yorker who is not happy about this. Not happy at all. And I know I'm not the only person who is desperately hoping the state government can get over their differences long enough to find a compromise to help ease the budget gap burden now weighing on those of us who ride regularly.
Including me.
Aside from the fact that the higher fares will seriously eat into our already stretched budget, they're also making my already relatively small world even smaller. Without a car, I rely heavily on public transportation. Effective May 31st, not only will it cost me 2ドル.50 each way (up from 2ドル), but they're reducing the amount of trains on the line that extends into our neighborhood AND eliminating completely/reducing service for the two buses I use on a regular basis. This includes the bus we take to get to church, which is projected to no longer run on the weekends. By summer our commute to church will take over twice as long as it currently does. I shudder to think what this will be like once I'm toting two children across town each Sunday without the help of my husband, whose calling requires he be at early morning meetings.
And speaking of longer commutes, with the total elimination of one of the trains he often takes to get into work, his one-hour-each-way ride into and out of the city will undoubtedly take longer, keeping him away from his family more than either of us would like. Oh, and the price of the 30-day commuter Metrocard he purchases pre-tax through his job will jump up a whopping 22ドル.
I can't stop riding public transportation altogether (and no, buying a car again is also not the answer), but this "doomsday budget," as the media has coined it, will force me to think seriously about how often I board a subway or a bus. I project that soon we'll be sticking a little closer to home.
So, yes, I'm a New Yorker who is not happy about this. Not happy at all. And I know I'm not the only person who is desperately hoping the state government can get over their differences long enough to find a compromise to help ease the budget gap burden now weighing on those of us who ride regularly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
That is stinky. Time to move back to Utah? Just kidding. Although the only thing I would complain about is not having friends to stay with when we go to New York.
I hate unknowns popping into my budget. I hope you still get to take some trips around the city (so you can blog about them, of course :)
no kidding! It really wasn't all too long ago when it cost @ 50ドル for a monthly.
That's really crummy news. I hope they pull some funding from somewhere. I don't know why cities make cuts like that at the precise time people need the service the most.
When the economy started going down last year the Nashville MTA cut a lot of bus routes, even though ridership was increasing. I now walk almost a mile to the bus stop, whereas a year ago the bus passed in front of our house. Prices have gone up too, but I'm fortunate to have a bus pass that my work pays for -- one of the few perks of a government job.
Mmmm ... sounds to me like you need to start looking for an apartment closer to work and church ... may be?! Would that be a possibility??
Good luck!
Unfortunately the church and the Blake's job are in two different directions, so we can't really move closer to both simultaneously. And besides, we love where we live -- we're in a safe, family-oriented neighborhood, our building is pest-free, and the rent is affordable. I think we're just going to have to suck it up and make a few lifestyle changes just like everybody else. I'm sure that once we get used to it, it won't feel so bad as it does now.
And don't worry -- we'll still be venturing into the city for adventures. (I think I'd go stir crazy if we didn't!) We'll just have to make sure we allot extra time for traveling and make sure that we keep our excursions succinct enough to remain affordable.
And Kelly -- 50ドル?! Are you serious? If a monthly unlimited pass was that cheap now, I'd be buying one of those instead of the pay-per-ride cards. It's too bad those days are gone, eh?
That is a big bummer. Chances are when the new baby comes, you'd be cutting back a bit on travel for a while. Maybe the next few months can be practice for that? :/
This is a huge bummer! Sorry to hear it! It's so hard when "others" are in control/ or have an effect on your budget. Like you said, I'm sure you'll adjust to the new cost, make a few lifestyle changes, and it'll seem not quite so terrible. Good luck!
Oh, man, I'm sorry. That's really a pain. That's a lot of trains and buses they're x-ing. Time to get bikes and mopeds?
Wow. That really is lame. I am sorry. Good luck adjusting. That isn't fun at all.
Everyday I think my hatred and anger for the MTA gets stronger. Maybe I need to be more forgiving. It's making me hate NYC. But I'm glad I've got you to help me remember the good things about living here. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that this whole fare hike thing is a bunch of Fat Cats playing political chicken. And wouldn't dumping $ into the MTA qualify as a "shovel-ready" green job for Mr. Obama's bloated stimulus? Why aren't we in charge?
Stinky! And just when we were thinking about moving back! Seriously, I need to talk to you. I told Scott this morning that I'm not going back unless I can live in Brooklyn so I can be close to you and Emily. We'll see... Any suggestions on where we should look for an apartment? I'm leery of doing the craigslist thing again...
Post a Comment