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MTA raising money the old fashioned way: with fare hikes

Graffiti subway car
At least it was cheaper to ride then. Via Wikimedia

Remember how the MTA discovered the G train has a lot problems and then promised to fix them? They still will, but we’re all going to pay for it through fare hikes. NY1 reports the MTA is planning to raise fares in 2015 and 2017 to maintain service and pay health care and pension costs. There’s no mention of how much they’re increasing, but fares have gone up 83% in the past ten years — that’s on par with inflation in Belarus. At this rate, every single Citi Bike will be in use at every single moment of the day and we’ll all have to buy cars just to save some dough.

“We need to have have to have regular, predictable fare and toll increases,” says MTA CFO Robert Foran. We all crave meaning and regularity in this random, wind-tossed chain of seemingly unrelated events called life. It’s human nature to try to assign meaning and structure to the cruel chaos that surrounds us. We appreciate your existential search for meaning in a meaningless universe, Mr. Foran, but don’t force your belief system on us and burden the everyday rider with more fare hikes. You want regularity? Eat more fiber.

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