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MTA Cost Recovery

NYC Transit High, Commuter Railroads Low

The Metro Section of the NY Times has offered a wealth of information on metropolitan area transit financing in recent months and weeks through its graphical "Pulse" feature. This week, it highlighted the amount of transit operating costs the various MTA transit operations finance through the farebox, as opposed to revenues from taxes, fees and other sources. The Times showed the ratios projected through this year, but the Straphangers Campaign recently obtained figures that project the ratios for 1996 that assume the MTA's entire fare hike proposal is enacted. Thus, we are able to show you the dramatic impact, especially for NYC transit riders.

PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING COSTS COVERED BY FARES

NYC Subways and Buses
---------------------
YEAR    
89      53.9%
90      57.5%
91      57.5%
92      62.7%
93      62.1%
94      58.9%
95      60.3%
96      71.7%

          

MTA Commuter Railroads
----------------------
                 1995    1996

LIRR            44.9%   48.7%
Metro-North     56.5%   60.0%





City/transit system
-------------------
Atlanta                         27%
Boston                          29%
Chicago                         47%
Los Angeles                     32%
Miami                           29%

PATH                            37%
NYC Transit*                    71%

Non-metro area systems avg.     32%

*Assumes $1.50 fare:  currently 60.3%

An excerpt from:
Mobilizing the Region
A Weekly Bulletin from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Electronic Edition Number 42 and 43
18 & 25 August 1995

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Last updated: 4 April 1999