Feel the burn.
Straphangers are chafing at the eighth fare hike to take place in 10 years, which went into effect yesterday.
“I feel it. I’m a stay-at-home mom and we’re on one income, so that 25 cents really adds up over time,” said Jennifer Spenningsby, 43, of Astoria, Queens. She uses her husband’s “unlimited”card whenever possible and said she has found herself curtailing activities and trips as fares climb. “I walk more,” she noted.
The fares increased from $2.50 to $2.75 yesterday with a monthly passes going from $112 to $116.50 and weekly passes rising from $30 to $31.
John Adams, 50, of Canarsie, who does outreach work for Black Veterans for Social Justice, Inc. said the hike adds to the difficulties confronting his clients.
“They won’t be able to get jobs,” due to difficulties scraping together enough for a fare, complained Adams, who was angry about the increase even though his employer gave him an “unlimited” card for his outreach work. People with extremely low incomes are disproportionately affected by fare hikes, and his clients will find it even more difficult to get to food pantries, shelters, and important appointments, he said.
Jose Martinez, 21, a bartender and electrical worker who lives in Queens, was fatalistic — but still critical. “With the increase in fares should come cleaner subways and better service.”
Yet, he continued, cleanliness and service seem to get steadily worse and trips every more unpredictable.
“I pay $7.25 to get to Jamaica from the Long Island Rail Road,” even though fares rose on Metro North and the LIRR as well, because the trip is exponentially faster and more enjoyable, said Martinez: “I look at it as taking a cab, is how I look at it.”
