Student MetroCards Saved - Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., and the Senate Democratic Majority have achieved a major victory for New York children and families by securing $25 million in state funding for a reduced-fare student MetroCard program.

“I am proud to announce that student MetroCards will be fully funded in this year’s State Budget,” said Senator Joseph Addabbo. “Together we rallied to send a clear message that eliminating student MetroCards that allow students to ride the subway and bus at a substantially reduced cost would be catastrophic for working families. Our message was heard loud and clear.”

A budget agreement between the MTA, city and state will prevent cuts to the program and continue to provide students access to reduced-fare transit. Under the agreement, the state will pay $25.3 million to fund the program in addition to a city contribution. The MTA will cover the remaining costs. All students who were eligible for reduced fare MetroCards during the previous school year will continue to receive the benefit starting this September.

The $25 million in state funding is contingent upon the NYC Department of Education’s receipt of the reduced fare student MetroCards from the MTA.

This is a critical victory for the 1,300 concerned students, parents and teachers who signed Senator Addabbo’s petition to save student MetroCards, sending a resounding message to Albany that the cancellation of this vital service would not be tolerated.

“Losing Student MetroCards would have led to more absences ensuring that children would fall behind in their academics. Fortunately working together with Senator Addabbo’s office we were able to save the Student MetroCard and protect our children’s education,” said Katherine Alana, the Parents Auxiliary president from PS 254.

“Saving the Student MetroCards was critical to helping working families save money. I am thankful to all the concerned parents, advocates, and students who helped me get our message through to Albany and to the 1,300 individuals who signed my petition to save student MetroCards. I will continue to fight for our communities in Albany,” stated Senator Addabbo.

Facing a massive deficit, the MTA had proposed full elimination of the program, which would have affected the more than 500,000 New York City students who use the reduced fare MetroCards to travel to and from public school.

Saving Student MetroCards was a priority for Senator Addabbo in this year’s State Budget. In his district, a typical New York family of four with two working parents and two school-age children would see the cost of mass transit increase by approximately $2,300 a year. Since the average median income within the district is about $44,000, that would translate to 5 percent of a typical family’s income. Additionally, a mother of three commuting students would have to spend $267 for the now free monthly passes. If she earns $400 a week, she would be spending 17 percent of her income to send her children to school.

NY State Senator Joe Addabbo Responds to Constituents About MTA Proposed Service Cuts

In response to the MTA board’s mid-December vote approving a budget that calls for massive cuts to mass transit riders, students, and disabled users of Access-a-Ride, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., today wished to reassure his constituents. “Nothing is going to happen right away; the legislature is continuing to work on MTA budget issues and when the legislative session resumes in January, we will work diligently to minimize the pain of such proposed MTA service cuts.” The Senator stated that the MTA will hold public hearings on their budget proposals and there are other procedural steps to be taken before such cuts in service would become a reality. Constituents have been telling Addabbo that they are especially afraid to lose free MetroCards for student-commuters, the Q56 bus service along Jamaica Avenue, the Z train running between Jamaica and downtown Manhattan, as well as the convenience of pickups and drop-offs that Access-a-Ride provides the disabled and seniors in the district. “I intend to address all of these issues with the MTA,” Addabbo responded.

The MTA board has proposed the following service cuts to alleviate their budget shortfall: eliminating the Z and W trains (Q extended to Astoria, J makes local stops); cutting the G off at Court Square station at all times instead of 71^st Avenue/Forest Hills; cutting the M off at Broad Street station at all times; increasing wait times on “letter” subways on weekends to 10 minutes; increasing wait times on overnight trains to 30 minutes; cramming about 18 more passengers into every subway car; charging half price for currently free student MetroCards in 2010 and full price in 2011; eliminating a toll rebate for Rockaway residents who use the Cross Bay Bridge; ending door-to-door Access-A-Ride service for disabled and elderly riders, bringing them to the nearest accessible stop instead; service reductions on Metro-North Railroad and LIRR (Babylon, Port Washington and West Hempstead branches); cramming more passengers on Metro-North trains; cutting managers’ pay by 10 percent; cutting service on several Long Island, Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx buses in addition to X25, X27, X28 and X32 express buses. In Queens, the MTA proposes eliminating the Q26, Q56, Q74, Q75, Q84 buses; eliminating weekend service on the Q14, Q31, Q76, Q79 buses, and shortening hours on the Q30, Q42, Q48, and Q79 bus routes.

“I will coordinate with other elected officials throughout the district over the coming months to gather information for our constituents that comes out of the public hearings. I believe that before the MTA fixes its budget problems by cutting services and hurting our people, they should do the internal administrative cuts within the MTA to become more efficient and minimize the pain for its ridership,” Addabbo concluded.