Comments on: Today’s Headlines http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/25/todays-headlines-536/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:07:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: cb3 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/25/todays-headlines-536/comment-page-1/#comment-59433 cb3 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:02:21 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5013#comment-59433 With regard to Thompson's Car-Registration-Fees-for-Transit Proposal, has anyone ever tried to tackle the problem of NYC residents registering their vehicles out of state to save on insurance? I'm not sure how much this goes on, but, if it is a significant number, what might the cost benefit of ensuring that residents vehicles are actually registered in New York be? Coudl this be accomplished through the use of neighborhood parking permits? If you take a walk in my neighborhood on any given day you can count numerous out of state plates. While some of the cars may, in fact, belong to visitors/tourists, my suspicion is that many belong to residents who are avoiding the high cost of insurance in NYC by registering their vehicles elsewhere. With regard to Thompson's Car-Registration-Fees-for-Transit Proposal, has anyone ever tried to tackle the problem of NYC residents registering their vehicles out of state to save on insurance? I'm not sure how much this goes on, but, if it is a significant number, what might the cost benefit of ensuring that residents vehicles are actually registered in New York be? Coudl this be accomplished through the use of neighborhood parking permits? If you take a walk in my neighborhood on any given day you can count numerous out of state plates. While some of the cars may, in fact, belong to visitors/tourists, my suspicion is that many belong to residents who are avoiding the high cost of insurance in NYC by registering their vehicles elsewhere.

]]> By: Boris http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/25/todays-headlines-536/comment-page-1/#comment-59423 Boris Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:03:58 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5013#comment-59423 In the NYT article, the cost per ride in 2007 is about $1.30. The inflation-adjusted subway fare in 1965 is $1. Assuming there were no free transfers or other discounts in 1965, our real fare only went up 30 cents. Considering the much higher increases in the price of labor (unions, construction, etc) it's pretty amazing we still get somewhat decent service and even occasional repairs! Note that there are also no new economies of scale and decreasing city and state contributions. In the NYT article, the cost per ride in 2007 is about $1.30. The inflation-adjusted subway fare in 1965 is $1. Assuming there were no free transfers or other discounts in 1965, our real fare only went up 30 cents. Considering the much higher increases in the price of labor (unions, construction, etc) it's pretty amazing we still get somewhat decent service and even occasional repairs! Note that there are also no new economies of scale and decreasing city and state contributions.

]]> By: Josh http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/25/todays-headlines-536/comment-page-1/#comment-59422 Josh Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:56:12 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5013#comment-59422 There's a bit of information overload in the NYT graphic about the cost of subway rides, but it certainly makes the point about the low level of subsidy fairly effectively, and makes the point (if a bit hidden) that "[t]he main beneficiaries of the savings [due to economies of scale] are state and city taxpayers, not transit riders." It goes hand-in-hand, I suppose, with the Daily News article making the point that the public's ire should be directed towards city and state government, not just at the MTA. There's a bit of information overload in the NYT graphic about the cost of subway rides, but it certainly makes the point about the low level of subsidy fairly effectively, and makes the point (if a bit hidden) that "[t]he main beneficiaries of the savings [due to economies of scale] are state and city taxpayers, not transit riders."

It goes hand-in-hand, I suppose, with the Daily News article making the point that the public's ire should be directed towards city and state government, not just at the MTA.

]]> By: lee http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/11/25/todays-headlines-536/comment-page-1/#comment-59421 lee Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:26:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5013#comment-59421 instead of raising the base fare and then having 4 or 5 different forms of discounts, which must be a pain to keep track of at least, why not eliminate the discounts on pay-per-ride cards? Based on the chart at the NYT link that looks to be about 50% of all usage. instead of raising the base fare and then having 4 or 5 different forms of discounts, which must be a pain to keep track of at least, why not eliminate the discounts on pay-per-ride cards? Based on the chart at the NYT link that looks to be about 50% of all usage.

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