Stop the Access-A-Ride Fare Hike

Even though it now appears that a deal will not be reached before the MTA board votes to raise subway and bus fares, there is some good news. The MTA appears to be backing away from its plan to more than double the fare for Access-A-Ride, the van service used by disabled riders.

To:  MTA New York City Transit

Elliot G. Sander
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
MTA New York City Transit
347 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Dear Mr. Sander:

All New Yorkers have an equal right to public transportation. The proposed doubling of the Access-A-Ride fare places an unfair burden on some of our city’s most vulnerable riders. New Yorkers with disabilities are more likely to be living on low or fixed incomes than other transit users – 85 percent of Access-A-Ride users are unemployed; 64 percent have a total household income of less than $35,000 – and therefore rely on Access-A-Ride to participate in their communities. When barriers to transportation are created for people with disabilities, the stage is set for isolation rather than integration. If this happens, we all lose.

The MTA is in a financial crisis and all realistic options to close the deficit must be explored. However, doubling the Access-A-Ride fare will generate a trivial amount of revenue while burdening, if not stranding, thousands of New Yorkers. This cannot be the answer to the MTA’s budget shortfall. The MTA must act responsibly and consider a wide range of budget solutions before placing this financial burden on Access-A-Ride users. We urge you to withdraw the MTA proposal to double the Access-A-Ride fare.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Stop the Access-A-Ride Fare Hike Petition to MTA New York City Transit was created by and written by Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer (petition@manhattanbp.org).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.