With a failed budget that everyone is talking about, the NYC MTA is thinking about eliminating free MetroCards for students. With fare hikes and service cuts already on the plate, doing this could possibly balance the budget. Student travel funding was once covered by the city and state but is now covered by the MTA.
There is a budget gap of $343 million. This decision obviously angers New Yorkers. The City of New York is huge and students travel to many boroughs to get to school. You can have a student that lives in Manhattan, but attends a specialized school in Brooklyn.
My mother sent me to school downtown when we lived in a poor neighborhood in order for me to have a better education. I traveled on the train everyday and couldn't imagine paying for my ride. It's bad enough students have to worry about passing the ridiculous standardized exams, now they have to make sure they have enough money on their MetroCard? Think about the younger students that are being hurt by this. Even the high school kids, they have a lot of costs already.
Funds for transportation for students should be covered by the state. In NYC, we DO NOT have school buses that pick us up and take us to school so this is the least they can do for us.
If you live in NYC, how do you feel about this decision? If you're outside of NYC, do you think the city should pay for transportation? How do you get around to school?
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Comments (24)
YES, the city should pay for transportation. in toronto the frikin metropasses are $108CDN STUDENT PRICE per month - imagine getting that for regular price. the whole city would be hella broke. im complaining because im from vancouver, where bus passes for the whole month cost below $50CDN, and even then i still thought that was expensive.
Im from NYC and seeing how our schools dont offer school bus rides like rural areas, and the fact that NYC is dependent on the MTA I dont think they should cut back the school metro cards. If they do this, I feel there will be alot more absent kids
I think the city should definitely pay for transportation for students.
I've never heard of that- the city paying for student's bus fare. I have paid my own fare all my life, but, of course, I've never lived in a very large city. Now I live in LA, and I just scrimp to pay my fare to school... It's pretty damn expensive still though.
I remember when I was in high school, how glad I was to have that damn card. Even though I can no longer use it, I am pretty much outraged at the fact that they are thinking of doing that. The system sucks as it is, and with the $2.25 fare! They decrease service, hike up fares and expect parents to pay DOUBLE or TRIPLE depending on how many kids they have! One monthly card is expensive enough but now expecting them to pay for more than one? That's rediculous. That will help the economy ><
@Bbyphat22@xanga - agreed. I kno my mom would pull me out some days for that reason. That's doing damage enough to those kids already. Poorer kids already have to suffer, now to in essence deny them education. that's just wrong
That free Metrocard was the best part about being a high school student. The city should not take it away from them.
This can't be legal. Every other school in this country provides free transportation to and from school. In NYC it makes more sense to give the kids metro cards rather than adding enough busses to take 550,000 kids to school each day. Can you imagine the trafic with at least 11,000 additional school busses on the road each morning? It definitely save the city's schools a lot of money to give free metro cards to the kids.
Question is who pays? Well who pays for the school busses for all the kids outside of NYC? I would look to the state for that.
I am a reporter working on a story about the student Metrocard program. If any of you who are current or former New York City public school students would like to talk to me for my story, please call.
Karen Matthews
Associated Press
212-621-1670
kmatthews@ap.org
I'm glad I got out of school before shit like this started happening
I honestly think that the government is setting kids up to be drug dealers because people can't get to school now apparently
this is crazy because of the fact people or just kid live to far to be payin 1.10 every day that is alot of money if u think about it i have to take 4 bus to get to skewl && 1 train that crazy...that is $8.80 all day baq && foth to skewl && home...this is bull shyt they cnt do this...to much moeny a week
i think this is crazy i got to skewl && i cnt be pay $1.10 every day i take 4 bus && 1 train that is $8.80 fa one day && i wonder how much fa de week like reaalu that crazy.....kids or ppl live to far to be pay haf far smh....
THE MTA IS IN ESSENCE SAYING
WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN, THEY ARE NOT OUR FUTURE. WHO GIVES A DAMN IF THEY GET THEIR EDUCATION OR NOT. WE WILL EAT WETHER THESE CHILDRENS PARENTS CAN FEED THEIR FAMIIES, PAY THEIR RENT MORTGAGE ETC. WHO CARES IF THEY NEED MEDICATION...WE HAVE MANAGED TO MAKE A MESS OF THINGS FOR YEARS AND NOW WE WILL MAKE THE PUBLIC AND ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN PAY FOR OUR MISTAKES MTA SAYS FUCK THE KIDS......... WELL I DON'T AGREE AND IF THIS GETS PASSED WE WILL SHUT THE FUCKING CITY DOWNNNNNNNNNN
Asking families to pay for student metrocard fares is ridiculous. There are people from low income families that travel from another borough in attempt to receive better education and I was one of them. Some families may not have low-income by if they start cutting back on student fares, they might as well be sooner or later. I have friends who didn't have to travel as far but still needed the fares to get to school, and they lived about a few miles away. By making the students pay for their rides, they're making the students pay for a public education. In NYC, there are hundreds and thousands of students that depend on the opportunity to travel to their school and the idea of having the students choose a school closer to them when they could've gone to a better one because they couldn't afford it is ridiculous when it comes to the topic of student metrocard fares. More than likely, in the crowds of students, there will be even more overcrowded schools in local areas because students can't afford to travel to a school that probably has more space.
Even though this doesn't directly financially affect me because I am in college now and have to buy my own monthly, it's still outrageous the MTA keeps raising prices on everything. Now kids?
but*
When I was in school, I rode on a school bus. My roommate is in college, and she drives her car. But, these are not always (and apparently the bus is never) a viable option everywhere.
I agree with the OP. NYC should fund the student's transportation fares. I have a feeling that if they don't, the high schools are going to see a higher drop-out rate just because they can't afford to get to school like they should. And the colleges might see a reduction in students, as well as a reduction in new students.
If you can't afford to get there, you can't afford to get there. A place like NYC needs to help their students out at least this much.
LOL guys, I would cut everyday . Fuck I'm not making my parents buying me an unlimited. My fam is poor enough which is why I'm going to public school, okay?
thank god i live a mile away from school, so i get free fare... but a girl lives one block away from me, and she has to pay a 1.10 twice a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HUGS FOR HARLEM THINKS THAT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD SPEAK OUT ABOUT THIS
ISSUE OF HAVING TO PAY TO GO TO SCHOOL. WE BELIEVE HERE AT HUGS FOR HARLEM
THAT IF THE YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T SPEAK UP AND OUT THEIR FUTURE IS IN JEOPARDY.
@Shy___Away@xanga - We dont even have School Metros at our school in NYC and yet I still pay to get on the bus. But I do agree the School Metros being gotten rid of is just Plain Stupidity and like they arent using their Head first before they come up with a plan. If you ask me for any New Yorker the MTA is a disgraceful Transportation Corp. Not only that one person says he has to take 4 buses home and it costs 1.10, your wrong it costs 2.25 to take a Regular Bus so 4 times $2.25 is $9.00 the same amount for an Express Bus & two City Buses. Also another person says if the MTA dose this High School is going to have a Major Drop and most kids will if so some are saying get involved with "Gang involvement" and not only that will get them no where in life.
@MasterCheerios@xanga - And Yes I agree with you the MTA is fucked up already. There are so many Projects that arent even complete yet. Not only that the MTA shouldnt be doing this to kids. Its rediculous enough. I Just feel bad for kids geting into High School Next year because if the MTA gets rid of those cards I am expecting the worst to happen which I wouldnt be surprised, infact I may not even Live here anymore in NYC. There are so many stupid stuff that plagues this city and its people infact look whats going on with the 9/11 trials we dont want the case in the City and yet we still are possibly to hold it, and in the next couple of years(Hopefully dosent happen) the City is going to be hit again which even our NYPD Commisioner is even saying. What Happens in New York always turns out bad against its people and I hate to break it to you it aint gonna change.
Im 14 and Im trying to transfer schools so i can get a better education. And now that i hear about this whole student metrocard being cut, just makes me lose hope. Im not gonna live my dreams, im not gonna go to college. And i cant even drop out cuz im not 16. So im f*cked both ways. This whole thing is just influencing kids to drop out. First they raise the fares, and now cutting student metrocards? I read that they spend more money on the yellow bus than they do with metrocards. i think ALL students shud be taking public transportation unless they are disabled in any way or have parents who cannot take them to school. And MTA shud keep providing the metrocards. Becuz theres many people with actual dreams, and people need that in the society (Ex; Docters, Lawyers)
BTW; Now Im gonna need to get myself a job for the Summer, and raise about 950$ to go to school and come back. Is that even possible for a 14 year old??
There goes my vacation -___-
The MTA is government agency that is supposed to be self sufficient, why should they pay for student metro cards. I live on Long Island and my taxes pay for buses for kids to go to school. New York City should pay for the MTA for students metro cards from the taxes it collects from the residents of NYC. My family has a business on Long Island and we have nothing to do with the MTA but we are now paying a MTA tax on payroll and we don't use the trains, why should we finance all those student metro cards. Let NYC pay.