Commutation Costs
The straphangers of NYC are about to face an increase of $0.50 per trip on the subways. This calculates to $20 per week, or $86 per month, based on a 260-day working year (which doesn’t account for holidays and vacations, but neither does it account for working on weekends, so it balances out pretty much). I’ve screamed bloody murder at every fare increase myself over the years, and with good reason, from my perspective, which may be a little unfair, given that I am not running the subways, so my expectation that profit should go into the system rather than the pockets of executives may be out of line. There are millions using the busses and subways every day, and at $1.50 per trip, I’d have thought the system could keep its price in place, but it’s been eight years, and everything costs more than it does back then, so I suppose it’s reasonable. I don’t travel very much longer here in Sydney than I did in NYC, although the distance is a fair bit further, and I’m paying AUD$3.80 each way. This does, however, get me a bus ride and a train ride, and the system is zoned, as is done for public transport in many locations. NYC seems to be getting off cheap, but don’t forget that the population using their system increases beyond imagination every morning. Although the suburban lines are also going to increase in cost, someone may want to look at how revenues are allocated in order to achieve a fair balance between cost and benefit.