Jay Walder, the new chairman of the MTA, started work 15 days ago and he already has huge plans. The most significant: introducing a new computerized fare card to charge passengers different prices at different times of the day, including lower fares for riding late at night and on the weekends. Walder, who helped develop a similar plan in London, told the Times, “We have an infrastructure that is set for the capacity of the peak. What we really want to do is use that infrastructure all the time.”
His plans don’t stop there. Walder also wants to install digital arrival clocks on subway platforms and GPS devices at bus stops so passengers know exactly when the next bus will blow right by them. He wants no-swipe fare cards that are linked to credit card accounts too.
And yeah, these changes all sound innovative and amazing. But honestly we’d go back to paying with coins if it meant no fare hike.
M.T.A. Weighs Lower Fares During Off-Peak Hours [NYT]
