In a memo to the Straphangers Campaign, MTA head Jay Walder says that the agency plans to keep down its proposed fare increases on lower-cost MetroCards, since those are the cards most often used by lower-income riders. People who buy the pay-per-ride or unlimited weekly MetroCards have an average household income of about $36,000. There’s a 75 percent jump, to $63,000, for the average income of straphangers who buy the 30-day pass. Right now, says Walder, the fare discounts that you get for monthly passes are higher than discounts for cheaper cards, adding that it needs to be more “equitable.” In order to do that, weekly cards will go up only $1 to $2, but monthly cards will increase between $10 and $15. There’s no word on how the income estimates were derived. But if it passes, that means MTA fare hikes will be more progressive than our national income tax policy.
