New York MTA Threatens Service Cuts, Increased Fares

"Officials at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) warned last week that without a major infusion of cash, they will have to drastically cut service or increase fares on the system that carries millions of New Yorkers around the city," reports Erin Durkin.

Specifically, the MTA is proposing both a 25-cent increase in the cost of fares—from $2.75 to $3. "They are also proposing $41m a year in service cuts, mainly increasing the time between trains and buses on some routes. And, if approved, the plan would delay the launch of faster bus routes," according to Durkin.

The headline of the article quotes Benjamin Kabak, who runs the transit website Second Avenue Sagas, who says the MTA subway has entered a "death spiral."

"The subway service and the bus service has become unreliable enough for people to stop using it. If people aren’t using it, there’s less money, and they have to keep raising fares without delivering better service," adds Kabak in the article.