Aug 14, 2009 8:11 pm US/Eastern
MTA Eliminates Express Bus Service For Students
Lawmakers Furious, To Fight Transit Authority To Bitter End
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Hundreds of school kids in the outer boroughs say they've been stranded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and told to take a hike or face huge fare increases.
It's not yellow and it certainly doesn't look like a school bus, but for more than 800 kids in the outer boroughs -- where public transportation is scarce -- express bus service is how they get to school. But now, maybe not, because the MTA has eliminated the student discount, in effect saying "no express bus for you."
"I feel that they kind of did it sneakily. They didn't say it was happening. It kind of just took place, not a lot of people know about it," said Regis High School student Jonathan Trosa.
Trosa said paying the full fare of $11 a day, $55 a week, to get to Regis High School in Manhattan is hard for his family because he is just one of seven kids.
"It's gonna be a lot of money on our family and it could be difficult," Trosa said.
Local politicians are furious.
"I'm outraged. This is yet another MTA trick there trying to pull the wool over the eyes of people here in the community and throughout the city," said NYC Councilman James Vacca, D-Bronx.
"We're standing here today to send a clear message to the MTA: enough is enough," State Sen. Jeffrey Klein, D-Bronx, said.
Klein called it an MTA double cross, because when the agency asked the legislature for money to bailout its subways, busses and trains it promised to restore cuts.
"Well, this is a cut that greatly impacts my constituents in the north Bronx," Klein said.
"The increased bus fare would probably force me to go on the subway, where there's more risk going to school and from school," said 17-year-old Regis student Alden Rodriguez.
James Levine has two kids in the same predicament.
"For me, it is going to cost almost $5,000 a year," Levine said. "We're going to change a lot of things that we're doing and try to survive."
The MTA said this policy just brings the fare in line with other fares, but there is hope the transit authority will hear this plea and change its mind.
The lawmakers are demanding the MTA restore the student discount before classes start next month.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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