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New York City’s subway and bus service is already in crisis. It could be getting worse. And more expensive.
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.
[...] The system’s financial straits have gotten worse in part because it has fewer riders, and is collecting less money in fares. Expected passenger revenue over a five-year period has dropped by $485m since July.
“They’ve entered this death spiral,” said Benjamin Kabak, who runs the transit website Second Avenue Sagas. “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.”
Bike-sharing and ride-hailing apps have emerged as alternatives for commuters. Is mass transit finding itself in a valley of death between those who are price-conscious and those who want maximum convenience?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 22 2018, @03:30AM
NYC did an equivolent study not long ago and came to the same conclusions. The net offsets from highway maintenance, emergency response etc. per seat-mile outlayed for cars was higher than the seat-mile costs for every customer riding public trans, including all of the outlay for the PPE and operating costs. I remember seeing a documentary on it a few years ago. Which is to say, while the transit systems budget may not allow it to operate properly those cost cutting measures aren't saving money. In fact they are increasing the cities capital liabilities, just on a different part of the balance sheet.
If I was to guess I'd say what you're probably looking at, is some old fashioned embezling.
SSDD