In a dramatic election year proposal, Mayor Bloomberg today suggested that the fare on some crosstown buses be lowered to a figure every rider could embrace — zero!
Bloomberg said eliminating the $2.25 fare on selected routes would speed the notoriously slow crossings since there would be no more slowly-snaking lines at the fare box, where a single passenger fumbling for a Metrocard or for exact change can delay everyone else.
If the mayor gets his way, the first route offering the freebie rides would be the M-50, which runs along 49th and 50th Streets in Midtown.
In a press release from his campaign, the mayor didn’t say how the cash-strapped MTA — which would have to approve the idea — would recover the lost revenue.
MTA approval would also be required for most other transit initiatives Bloomberg unveiled today in what is expected to be the first of a series of policy pronouncements spelling out his third term agenda:
* Re-instituting F train express service.
* Gateless tolling to reduce congestion and pollution at bridges and tunnels.
* Expanding CityTicket, which allows riders within the city to travel on Metro North and the LIRR at a discount, from weekdays to every day.
* A 311 system for mass transit
* Exploring light rail service on the Brooklyn waterfront
* Expanding train service on Staten Island by re-opening unused rail lines
* Adding livery cabs and commuter vans to neighborhoods with few mass transit options
“Now is the time to act,” said the mayor, who in the past has generally supported the MTA against its critics.
“New Yorkers deserve better and more affordable transportaton. Unfortunately, the lack of accountability and efficiency is crippling our service and, rightfully, eroding taxpayer confidence in the system. My plan puts the government back on the side of the people and provides greater mass transit access virtually citywide.”