Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Fare Hikes

Transit Fare Inflation Hitting Health Insurance-Like Levels?

2:30 PM EST on January 5, 2010

That's the implication buried in a roundup of dismal news from urban transit agencies that ran in Saturday's Wall Street Journal. After noting the overall ridership decreases tallied by APTA and the specter of punitive service cuts in many cities, the newspaper noted:

3811098633_86047dae97.jpgRiders of Chicago's El train, shown above, were spared fare hikes in 2010 thanks to a last-minute deal. (Photo: ~JudyCrawford via Flickr)

The cost of riding public transit rose at a 17.8% annual rate in thesix months ended in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.Overall consumer prices were up at a 4.2% rate in the same period.

That statistic is a bit tricky, since it projects twelve-month inflation rates by looking at six months of data.

But it's still striking -- and scary -- to see transit fare inflation hitting levels that look as bad as price increases for health insurance, which in recent years has grown 8.7 percent faster than the annual inflation rate, according to the Kaiser Foundation.

Heading into 2010, it's easy to see urban transit agencies falling into a vicious cycle driven by state budget woes verging on the apocalyptic (see California), local resistance to fare increases that disproportionately affect non-car-owning commuters, and federal inaction on much-needed transportation reform.

If there's any upside to the grim picture, it may be that scarce funding is likely to force lawmakers into honestly apportioning scarce resources based on infrastructure projects' true value to local communities -- not the political popularity of ribbon-cutting ceremonies or promises of local job-creation that ultimately fail to materialize.

Such an outcome could well put transit and road projects on a more equal footing. But much like incremental emissions reductions taking shape at the state level, any change will surely take longer than most Americans would like. One thing that might help prod political leaders into action: more of a spotlight on the Journal's transit inflation number.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Maximum Rage: Delivery Workers Protest Low Wages, App ‘Lockouts’

Couriers with bikes and signs urge the city to step in as Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash withhold work, they say.

March 28, 2024

The Toll of History: MTA Board Approves $15 Congestion Pricing Fee

New York City's congestion pricing tolls are one historic step closer to reality after Wednesday's 11-1 MTA board vote. Next step: all those pesky lawsuits.

March 28, 2024

Company That Fought McGuinness Safety Project Wants to Seize Bklyn Street for Private Backlot

Broadway Stages to Greenpoint residents: "Street safety for me, not for thee."

March 28, 2024

SEE IT: Hit-and-Run Driver With Fake Plate Seriously Injures Cyclist

The 5 p.m. crash occurred at Flushing and Waverly avenue near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

March 28, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines: Shakira Shakira Edition

Pop superstar Shakira performed for a crowd of 40,000 packed into the Times Square pedestrian plazas. Plus congestion pricing news and more.

March 28, 2024
See all posts