The MTA board delayed a vote on a potential fare hike Thursday, as some members suggested the agency tie any future increases to how well it performs.
The plan to make transit bosses earn the right to hike fares through good service was first brought up by board member Larry Schwartz — a former adviser to Gov. Cuomo — right before the panel agreed to table a vote on a spring fare hike.
“I can never support a fare increase unless there is some sort of service-improvement metrics,” said Schwartz.
The board’s acting chair, Fernando Ferrer, agreed to consider Schwartz’s idea.
“Look, to have people expect us to perform at a certain level and measure us by that success is fair. I’m for that,” Ferrer said after the meeting.
“I want to find the best way to do that. And I think there is enough talent on this board and enough goodwill to make that happen.”
The MTA board members pushed off the vote after a slew of speakers urged them to look for other funding sources instead of putting the burden on straphangers.
“Riders are already paying more than $2.75 for a ride,” said Riders Alliance activist Michael Maskin. “They are paying in time lost from delays, missed hours at work, missed appointments with doctors, missed time with their kids, missed job interviews. They are paying for a woefully inadequate subway system rife with delays, inconsistency and inaccessible stations.”
The proposals currently under consideration by the agency would increase base subway and bus fares from $2.75 to $3. Riders would get a 10 percent bonus when buying a $6 MetroCard. Lesser-used single-ride tickets would go from $3 to $3.25.
The other option is to keep the base fare at $2.75 but scrap the bonus. Fares on commuter rails and tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels would also go up under the proposals.
Some riders complained they already struggle to pay the fare.
“Four of my siblings are working in minimum-wage jobs in which they can’t afford to buy a monthly unlimited MetroCard,” said Pedro Valdez-Rivera. “This could put a major financial strain on our family budget.”
Sources grumbled behind the scenes that the board had already planned to put the fare-hike vote off before the meeting at the behest of Cuomo, who has been declaring the agency should look for other ways to find the money.
The board could put the fare hike back on the agenda for February’s board meeting.
Board members estimate that the agency will lose about $30 million each month that the fare hike isn’t in effect.
The MTA is also losing more than $1 million a day in projected income because the for-hire industry is suing over the congestion-pricing plan for vehicles in parts of Manhattan, which was supposed to start on Jan. 1.
Cuomo’s 2020 budget includes a more robust congestion pricing plan that also “taxes” private cars.