Metroshare Unlimited - a little background

A former student asked yesterday where the idea for the campaign came from.  We met at a school for peace and justice, and so I knew he'd see the problem with a city that offers no transit assistance to lower-income residents.  Transit expenses are not optional, which means fare hikes burden people with lower incomes unfairly.  

Several things motivated me to make a campaign out of this idea. I have a long history of one-woman campaigns (vegetarianism, not using disposable water bottles, not ordering take-out, using the stairs instead of elevators). My excuse for going it alone, besides the fact that it's obnoxious to try to convince everyone of everything I believe, has always been that my work is my big campaign. But this year, I'm on sabbatical, which frees up about 65-70 hours a week.  I also get to go to school, and the metroshare logo was part of my final design project for a class I took this fall.

A friend of a friend remarked that if metrosharing becomes very popular, there is likely to be an institutional reaction to the loss of revenue.  She's right, of course, but institutional reactions tend to be really slow, which presents an opportunity for people to take action and lead the way. Among my goals are a cultural shift in favor of sharing resources more equitably (on an institutional basis and as a personal consideration, a la Peter Singer) and transit assistance for low-income people.

Obama's election definitely inspired me.  Community activism has always been important, but now it's enjoying a moment in the sun.  So step into the sunshine this February and metroshare.

MTA Public Hearing in Brooklyn

Last night's hearing was an educational experience.  I learned a great deal about the inadequacies of the Access-a-Ride service provided by the MTA.  The MTA's plan is to double the fares to $6 per trip (!@#), while cutting bus services that are far more accessible to elderly and disabled riders than the subways, since so many stations lack working elevators.  If anyone has ideas for extending the concept of metrosharing more broadly to help more people get around, please comment.

I distributed many Metroshare flyers at the hearing and finally got my turn to speak at 11:35 pm. The response to the flyers was very positive, but the audience had dwindled by the time I got to speak.  

Thanks for all of the support.  Some people have emailed (metrosharing@gmail.com) to tell me about problems trying to post comments on the blog and to offer great suggestions for the campaign.  The technological aspects of blogging are an unfolding mystery, and I will work to respond to comments as well as emails.  All suggestions are most welcome.  I did, in fact, design a button for unlimited riders to identify themselves, but need to give more thought to distribution. I'll be out of NYC at the beginning of February, but will continue to work on this challenge.

Special thanks to agentprof, who helped load the logo today, and to my sister, who helped with its design.  There is much work ahead and all hands are needed aboard this campaign.  

Don't forget to share a swipe!

METROSHARE UNLIMITED

Tonight, I am launching the Metroshare Unlimited Campaign.  Here's what I'm going to say at the MTA's public hearing about proposed fare hikes and service cuts:

A fare hike is the wrong move in hard times.  

Raising fares is a regressive measure, hitting low-income New Yorkers the hardest when they can least afford an increase of this necessary expense.  The impact on teens and young adults will be terrible, as they find themselves confined to their neighborhoods except when traveling to and from paid employment.

Today, I'm here to address unlimited MetroCard riders.  It's time to share a valued resource that we've paid for.  I'm urging unlimited card-holders to identify themselves on the way OUT of a turnstile.  Say "I metroshare" or "you can ask me."  And then swipe someone into the turnstile as you exit.  If you swipe someone IN on your way OUT, you help someone save a few dollars.  In the past, the MTA has encouraged riders to share unlimited MetroCards with other family members.  I'm asking everyone to consider other New Yorkers as part of your family and to share a ride.

Of course, it's always illegal to sell a swipe.  But the MetroCard is NOT non-transferable, which means that sharing a swipe is completely legal and does not violate the MTA's Conditions of Use.

On July 16, 2008, the New York Times published what they called "The MetroCard Bell Curve" to report the finding that the average user of an unlimited monthly MetroCard takes 56 rides, bringing the cost of a ride down to about $1.45.  That average included less than 1800 riders who take 100 trips a month AND over 10,000 riders who aren't really getting their money's worth from their monthly passes.  When the price of a monthly pass goes to $105, the MTA is going to find that these 10,000+ riders will trade the convenience of a monthly card for the 15% savings on $20 cards, and revenues will sink rather than rise.

Metrosharing, or swiping someone IN on your way OUT, is a way to get your money's worth and to help each other.  New York City fare-sharers are going to change the culture of the subway and the city.

It's time for the MTA to think big about the role of public mass transit.  It is never a good time to discourage the use of mass transit, but falling gas prices make this a vulnerable time for our city. More traffic would choke the life from New York.  The wealth of this city is its people and our capacity to get to work and go to school.  It is the people who breathe life into our parks and museums, theaters, libraries, and stores.  We're not a great city if everyone stays home.  Don't raise the fare.