A Proposal for Revising New York's Subway Fare Structure

Consideration of the effect of the fare structure on the efficiency with which transit facilities are utilized leads to the conclusion that operation of a transit system on a self-liquidating or cost-covering basis, either by a private utility company or by a public authority, will inevitably fall considerably short of arriving at an optimum adjustment. Any governmental unit whose finances are in reasonably good shape can materially improve the over-all welfare of its residents by raising the rates of some appropriate taxes and lowering transit fares to a level conducive to more efficient utilization of the transit facilities. The most efficient utilization of the New York subway system requires a fare structure rather drastically different from those now generally in use, and generally at a level which would yield revenues falling considerably short of covering total costs.

Operations Research, ISSN 0030-364X, was published as Journal of the Operations Research Society of America from 1952 to 1955 under ISSN 0096-3984.