My Machberes
By: Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Abolish NYC Subways Fares

Der Blatt, the Yiddish weekly published by the Satmar community, reported that Theodore Kheel, renowned nonagenarian labor mediator and philanthropist, has contributed $100,000 to the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility for a study to make the New York City Subway System free. If more people would use mass transit, traffic congestion would be radically reduced.

With the turnstiles completely removed, the cost of running the subways and buses would be derived from tolls on incoming bridges and tunnels. Those driving into the city would benefit from the decreased congestion. Free mass transit would pay for itself by reducing losses in time and productivity, and improving public health.

While the 92-year-old Mr. Kheel is personally chauffeured through the city in a private car because of a back problem, he said he is more than willing to pay for that privilege.

Questions whether the subway system would be able to carry the increased number of passengers can be answered by a review of the subway’s history. In 1943 the NYC subway system carried eight- million passengers daily. Today’s passenger load is less than four-and-a-half million daily. The fare in 1943 was five cents – one nickel.

During the administration (1966-1973) of New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, the idea of free rides on the subways for New Year’s Eve was introduced. In order to keep drinking drivers off the roads, subways continue to be free on New Year’s Eve and early morning.

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