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"For any cash-strapped New Yorkers who use public transportation, tomorrow is doomsday. Just about 24 hours from now, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will likely vote to approve the most significant metrocard fare increase in NYC&amp;#039;s history. And this time, instead of just generally aggravating everybody, they&amp;#039;re really ticking off subway-dependent New Yorkers, specifically; the hike mostly effects monthly passes, which will jump from $89 to $104, a 17% increase, while weekly passes will jump from $27 to $29. However, I read in the paper this morning that &amp;quot;despite the rancor over the fare hike\u2026the rate is comparable to increases in other cities.&amp;quot; Not that it makes me feel better, but it does bring attention to how in ruins our economy still is. Over the last two years, Miami&amp;#039;s fare jump went from $75 to $100, a 33% increase; LA? $62 up to $75, a 21% increase. Chicago&amp;#039;s took a hit, too: bumped from $75 to $86. &amp;quot;Our goal was to try to increase revenue by 7.5% while keeping ridership at its existing levels and also not putting too much of a burden on our lower-income customers,&amp;quot; MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan told NBC about the NYC hike. Unfortunately, because people need to get to work to pay these ridiculous fares, I&amp;#039;m quite sure they won&amp;#039;t lose any riders, though it would certainly be something if we could all rally a strike. The worst part? This isn&amp;#039;t even the end of it. According to MTA officials, &amp;quot;the agency is warning that the actions will not even fill its widening budget gap,&amp;quot; which, in June, stood at $800 million. Betrayed and defeated, Brynn Mannino Assistant Editor "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/news/a45463/public-transportation-is-so-expensive-we-should-hire-private-drivers-1739/?src=shelter_footer>