Crains New York - October 22, 2012 - (Page 12)

N OPINION How to price MTA fares ew York wouldn’t be New York without a raucous public debate on mass-transit fare hikes every couple of years. Four years out of five, though, is a bit much, and speaks to the serial underfunding of transit by Washington, Albany and City Hall. But that is where we are. No government rescue is imminent or even on the horizon. As a result, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has proposed four fare-hike alternatives that each generate the same amount of revenue. A cynic might say the agency is employing a psychological technique that parents of young children know well: offering several choices to distract us from the fact that none is especially palatable. Be that as it may, it’s indeed time to eat our vegetables. The question at hand is whether single-ride, multiride or unlimited-ride MetroCards should be favored in the new pricing scheme. Although public hearings have yet to begin, popular sentiment seems to be with multiride cards. Even MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota, who at a recent Crain’s forum had frowned on the 7% discount on these cards, is now suggesting that it only be trimmed, not eliminated. The thinking is that multiride cards are the most commonly purchased and thus should keep their discount to benefit the greatest number of straphangers. But perhaps they are popular because of the discount. It’s illogical to discount a product because it is popular. The purpose of a fare discount should be to induce transit riders to make decisions that are best for the system and the city. That’s why unlimited monthly and weekly MetroCards should get the biggest break. They empower and encourage people not only to commute but to shop, to socialize, to consume entertainment—in general, to make the most of our vast and diverse city without adding automobile traffic. Unlimited cards are good for the city’s economy, environment and quality of life. They increase ridership, and expanding mass transit’s constituency will translate into more political support for the MTA. The discount for purchasing MetroCards in higher denominations was put in place to deter straphangers from buying tokens. That rationale disappeared when tokens did. The MTA has also been charging more per ride when multiride cards are bought for under $10, a policy that punishes the poorest New Yorkers. The upcoming hearings will undoubtedly feature straphangers demanding to keep the discount to which they’ve grown accustomed. But the MTA, rather than put its finger to the wind, should adjust fares to encourage more subway and bus trips. In the long run, everyone will benefit. CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS editor in chief Rance Crain publisher, vp Jill R. Kaplan EDITORIAL editor Glenn Coleman managing editor Jeremy Smerd deputy managing editors Valerie Block, Erik Ipsen assistant managing editor Erik Engquist senior producer, news Elisabeth Butler Cordova news producer Lauren Elkies contributing editor Elaine Pofeldt columnists Greg David, Alair Townsend crain’s health pulse editor Barbara Benson senior reporters Theresa Agovino, Aaron Elstein, Lisa Fickenscher, Matthew Flamm reporters Chris Bragg, Amanda Fung, Andrew J. Hawkins, Adrianne Pasquarelli web reporter, producer Tania Karas art director Steven Krupinski deputy art director Carolyn McClain staff photographer Buck Ennis copy desk chief Steve Noveck copy editor Thaddeus Rutkowski data editor Suzanne Panara assistant data editor Emily Laermer researchers Eva Saviano, Amy Stern interns Ali Elkin, Emily Lundeen ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE SERVICES senior web developer, interactive Chris O’Donnell ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND PRODUCTION advertising director Trish Henry senior account managers Irene Bar-Am, Courtney McCombs, Sheryl Rose, Suzanne Wilson account executive Jill Bottomley Kunkes sales coordinator Danielle Wiener newsletter product manager Alexis Sinclair credit Todd J. Masura (313-446-6097) director, audience development Michael O’Connor senior marketing manager Catherine Schutten event producer Courtney Williams reprint sales manager Lauren Melesio production and pre-press director Michael Corsi advertising production manager Suzanne Fleischman Wies TO SUBSCRIBE: For print and digital subscriptions or customer service, e-mail customerservice@crainsnewyork.com or call 877-824-9379 (in the U.S. and Canada) or 313-446-0450 (all other locations). $3.00 a copy for the print edition; or $99.95 one year, $179.95 two years, for print subscriptions with digital access. www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe TO ADVERTISE: Contact Advertising Director Trish Henry at thenry@crainsnewyork.com or call 212-210-0711. www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise FOR INFORMATION ON OUR EVENTS: Contact Event Producer Courtney Williams at cwilliams@crainsnewyork.com or 212-210-0257. www.crainsnewyork.com/events TO CONTACT THE NEWSROOM: Unlimited MetroCards should get the biggest break CRAIN’S ONLINE POLL COMMENTS Frick and Fracking ENOUGH WITH THE FEARMONGERING Re “Fracking foes wield new weapon: crime” (The Insider, Oct. 16): This is unmitigated nonsense. It is part of an ongoing effort to create and exacerbate fears about drilling for natural gas. While there are legitimate issues surrounding fracking and its potential consequences, we would benefit from talking about them in fact-based discussions, not spreading unfounded fears. —mike uretsky Damascus, Pa. Incident Log.” I asked what that was for, and he smiled and said, “Well, when you have a bunch of 20-year-old men who are away from home and making lots of money, there’ll be some issues.” He indicated that drug use, drunken driving and prostitution were some of those “issues.” Draw your own conclusions. —heidi g. @unclerush. —daymond john via Twitter @TheSharkDaymond newscom INSIDER BECOMES A BLOG Final edition of Crain’s Insider newsletter!?! [Last Monday it became] a blog. Rhetorical question: Why must all good things come to an end? —darren dopp via Twitter @DarrenDopp Very excited about the new @CrainsInsider. @andyjayhawk and @ChrisBragg1 do great work. The Insider will be more of a must-read than ever. —michael j. murphy Via Twitter @MichaelMurphyNY Meet the new @CrainsInsider blog, via @AndyJayHawk & @ChrisBragg1. Definitely worth reading obsessively. —azi paybarah via Twitter @azipaybarah SHOULD THE YANKEES DUMP ALEX RODRIGUEZ? Date of poll: Oct. 18 285 votes ABOUT THOSE 30-SOMETHINGS Re your Oct. 15 “Reunion Issue” celebrating 25 years of the 40 Under 40 franchise at Crain’s New York Business: When are you going to do an article on “50 Over 50”? : ) —todd bassen Director, acquisitions Invesco Real Estate Always humbled & honored 2 get mentioned in @crainsnewyork articles with icons like @mr_dupri & 711 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017-4036 editorial phone: 212.210.0277 fax 212.210.0799 Entire contents ©copyright 2012 Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. ®CityBusiness is a registered trademark of MCP Inc., used under license agreement. … THEN AGAIN 25% No 75% Yes Last May, my husband and I drove through Towanda, Pa., because as farm owners in upstate New York, we wanted to get firsthand information on fracking and its effects. We visited the chief of police in Towanda, and the first thing I saw in his office was a big file labeled “Gas Company PUBLISHED BY CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. chairman Keith E. Crain president Rance Crain secretary Merrilee Crain treasurer Mary Kay Crain executive vp, operations William Morrow senior vp, group publisher Gloria Scoby group vp, technology, circulation, manufacturing Robert C. Adams vp/production, manufacturing David Kamis chief information officer Paul Dalpiaz founder G.D. Crain Jr. (1885-1973) chairman Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. (1911-1996) FOR THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS: Go to www.crainsnewyork.com/poll to have your say. CRAIN’S WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS to its opinion pages. Send letters to letters@crainsnewyork.com. Send columns of 475 words or fewer to opinion@crainsnewyork.com. Please include the writer’s name, company, address and telephone number. 12 | Crain’s New York Business | October 22, 2012 http://www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe http://www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise http://www.crainsnewyork.com/events http://www.crainsnewyork.com/poll

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - October 22, 2012

Crains New York - October 22, 2012
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business People
Opinion
Greg David
Report: Real Estate
Real Estate Deals
The List
Digital New York
Classifieds
For the Record
New York, New York
Source Breakfast
Out and About
Snaps

Crains New York - October 22, 2012