42 The Queens Courier • October 25, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com
42 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 25, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
sun
THE QUEENS
editorial
WWW.COURIERSUN.COM
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
CO-PUBLISHER
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
STAFF REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS
PRODUCTION MANAGER
INSIDE SALES MANAGER
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PRESIDENT & CEO
VICE PRESIDENT
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
BOB BRENNAN
ROBERT POZARYCKI
NIRMAL SINGH
EMILY DAVENPORT
JENNA BAGCAL, MARK HALLUM, KATRINA MEDOFF,
CARLOTTA MOHAMED, ALEJANDRA O'CONNELL-DOMENECH,
BILL PARRY, NAEISHA ROSE
CLIFF KASDEN, SAMANTHA SOHMER, ELIZABETH ALONI
DEBORAH CUSICK
CELESTE ALAMIN
MARIA VALENCIA
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
www.qns.com
editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com
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Entire Contents Copyright 2017 by The Queens Courier
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STORY: Queens residents should pay a MetroCard fare for a ride on the
Long Island Rail Road, Stringer says
SUMMARY: City Comptroller Scott Stringer unveiled a plan on Oct.
16 that would lower all commuter rail fares to equal the current
MetroCard fare of $2.75 and allow for free transfers between railways,
subways and buses.
REACH: 21,996 people (as of 10/22/18)
Finding a transit bargain in Queens
Should a Long Island Rail Road ticket to points within Queens and
Brooklyn cost the same as a subway ride?
For City Comptroller Scott Stringer, the answer to that question is a
resounding yes. Last week, he put forth a plan to equalize subway/bus fares
and trips on the LIRR or Metro-North Railroad within the city limits.
Th ere are many questions to be answered about such a plan. How much
will it cost long term? How will it be funded? Can the commuter rails handle
the demands of extra ridership?
Stringer seemed to suggest that the plan could be an option for commuters
who use the 30-day unlimited MetroCard. Currently, purchasers shell
out $121 for as many subway and bus rides they want over a 30-day period.
Stringer suggests that they could get the same access to the LIRR and
Metro-North within the city limits for an additional $29 a month, raising
that price to $150.
Commuters always grumble at the thought of a higher cost of public transit,
but a golden ticket to subways, buses and commuter rail at that suggested
retail price is a steal.
Consider this: a Laurelton resident who needs to get to Bayside generally
relies upon a slow, unreliable bus system. If they wanted to avoid that, they
could take the LIRR from Laurelton to Woodside, then transfer to a Port
Washington-bound LIRR train to Bayside.
Th e LIRR is broken up into many diff erent fare zones, and the price
jumps as you travel between them. Laurelton and Bayside are in zone 3, but
Woodside is in zone 1. Th at means our traveler would have to pay for two
trips between the zones, which comes out to roughly $15 for a single trip.
Th at’s not counting peak-hour surcharges.
Even if you make just the trip between Woodside to Bayside by LIRR,
you’re traveling through two diff erent zones. A 10-day pass costs $63.75
off -peak, and a monthly pass is $218. Add that on top of a 30-day unlimited
MetroCard ($121), and you’re spending more than $325 a month just to
get around.
Th e MTA and city already has a discounted LIRR program within the city
through the Atlantic Ticket program, but that only covers trips between
southern Queens and the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. Undoubtedly, its
long-term future depends on whether enough people buy into it to make it
economically feasible for commuters, the MTA and the city alike.
Whether Stringer’s equalized fare plan can work remains to be seen, but we
think that the city and MTA should work on a plan to make it much cheaper
for Queens residents to use a combination of subways, buses and commuter
rails to get around.
Publisher & E ditor Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Co-Publisher Joshua A. Schneps
Chief Operating Officer Bob Brennan
E ditor-In-Chief Robert Pozarycki
Art Director Nirmal Singh
S ocial Media Manager Emily Davenport
S taff Reporters Katrina Medoff, Ryan Kelly, Angela Matua
Contributing Reporters Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni
Production Manager Deborah Cusick
I nside Sales Manager Celeste Alamin
Chief Financial Officer Maria Valencia
President & CEO Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Vice President Joshua A. Schneps
Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
www.qns.com
editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com
for advertising e-mail: ads@qns.com
Entire Contents Copyright 2017 by The Courier Sun
All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should
include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation,
indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request.
No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. The
publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by
the error. Errors must be reported to THE COURIER SUN within five days of publication. Ad position
cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication.
VIctoria Media Services assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes
all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold The Courier SUN and its
employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the
publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.
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