According to NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson , if the MTA gets it way, disabled riders are facing a 150% fare increase.
Here's a joint press release issued by Thompson and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer :
THOMPSON, STRINGER, ADVOCATES URGE MTA AND CITY TO PUT THE BRAKES ON PARATRANSIT FARE INCREASE
-Comptroller says 1993 agreement prevents MTA from moving ahead without City approval-
Under the MTA's proposal, the Access-A-Ride fare would likely jump from $2 to $5 - a 150 percent increase. Currently, the paratransit fare is pegged to the base price for a subway or bus ride. But Thompson cited a 1993 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and MTA requiring the Mayor's approval before any increase can occur.
"Raising these fares would place an incredible burden on people who already are, as a group, among the most economically vulnerable of New Yorkers," Thompson said. "Under the MOU, the Mayor has the legal power to stop this increase from moving forward. I call on both the MTA to the City to do the right thing for Access-A-Ride users."
Thompson - joined by Manhattan Borough President
"The MTA's proposal to double fares for Access-A-Ride and cutback on bus service is a double blow for the disabled community, not a solution to this fiscal crisis. The savings amounts to a rounding error in the overall budget. My office has collected over 1,800 petition signatures from New Yorkers who agree this is unreasonable. If leaving home becomes a luxury - we all lose," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. "I urge the MTA to find an alternative solution that does not attempt to balance its budget on the backs of the disabled."
Paratransit users would be hit very hard by a $5 one-way fare. For someone traveling to and from work, the cost would be $10 a day; just two weeks worth of back-and-forth trips via paratransit would cost $100 - about the same cost as a monthly transit pass, which gives purchasers as many rides as they want.
The Comptroller noted that if the Mayor simply declared that the City would not renegotiate the MOU, the fare would remain pegged to the base fare and any increase would be halted. Thompson previously had urged the Mayor to oppose any tolling at the East and
The MOU - which the MTA refers to in its November 2008 budget proposal - clearly describes the City's role:
"No decision by the MTA to set the Paratransit fare for trips within New York City at a level higher than that charged on a non-discounted basis for a one-fare trip on non-express mass transit shall take effect, except on the written agreement of the City and following approval by the FTA...." (Section 5.02, page 13)
The MOU, signed by MTA Chairman Peter Stangl and Mayor David Dinkins in May 1993, was agreed to when the paratransit system was transferred from City control to the MTA. It also permits a "private right of action" by paratransit users if the City or MTA violate the MOU.
"We applaud Comptroller Thompson's call to stop the unfair fare increase for passengers with disabilities," said Lawrence Carter-Long, Director of Advocacy for the Disabilities Network of NYC. "By using existing memorandum of understanding to put an end to the Access-A-Ride fare debate, the Mayor can -- with the swipe of a pen -- put the city on track toward finding real, workable budget solutions. It is a well-reasoned approach that places responsibility back where it belongs. An approach that stands in sharp contrast to the ill-conceived proposals put forth, to date, by the MTA."
"We appreciate Comptroller Thompson's efforts to call attention to this important agreement. At the time this was negotiated, I worked with the parties to the MOU to ensure that riders would be protected against regressive fare increases," said Jim Weisman, Senior Vice-President of the United Spinal Association. "We call upon the Mayor to use the power afforded him in this agreement to make sure that the MTA lives up to its end of the bargain regarding the paratransit fare. If not, it will be up to the riders."
"We are very concerned that the needs of people with disabilities are once more going unrecognized or disregarded. We know that the Mayor has the power to stop this foolhardy plan which will impact people with disabilities in every aspect of our lives," said Edith Prentiss Vice-President of Legislative Affairs for Disabled In Action. "We wonder why the Mayor has failed to speak out."
"People with disabilities rely on Access-A-Ride as an economical means of going to medical appointments, meeting friends and family, and going to work," said Marvin Wasserman, Executive Director of the
Advocates say they are prepared to sue if the fare rises.
Federal law does allow paratransit providers to charge double the base fare, but the MOU between the City and the MTA requires that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approve such a change and only if there is demonstrated financial hardship for the provider.
Since the MTA is likely to recover a very small amount - about $15 million - in relationship to its $11.4 billion budget, it is unlikely that the FTA would approve the MTA's proposal. But the Mayor could eliminate that as a possibility if he took action.
"While it is unclear," Thompson said, "one likely reason the MTA wants this big Access-A-Ride fare hike is that it believes it would suppress demand. The program now costs $233 million annually, with costs almost doubling by 2012."
However, Thompson offered one solution to curtail costs: convert the taxi fleets so that they are accessible. A number of current paratransit riders would then be able to use vouchers for taxis instead, costing the MTA substantially less.
However, the City's Taxi and Limousine Commission has resisted a mandate and only 237 of the City's 13,087 yellow cabs are accessible.
"If the City were actually interested in reducing Access-A-Right demand in a fair way, it would mandate wheelchair-accessible taxis," Thompson said. "However, City Hall has dismissed this idea, even though such a system would make Access-A-Ride more economical and efficient while giving Access-A-Ride users more choice."
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