Dear Editor:
After much cajoling and pushing from local public officials, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey is finally allowing senior citizens the opportunity to travel at reduced fares on PATH trains. But at a price! First, a rise in PATH fares for the hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans and Jersey City residents who travel on PATH each day. Then the cost for senior citizens to apply for the Reduce Fare Program.
The forms required to be filled out to participate in the PATH reduced fare program are too demanding. To be considered and/or become eligible to receive the discounted fare, senior citizens and physically impaired persons must submit not only proof of their age and disability, but a recent photograph of themselves and then have the document notarized. All at an added cost to the individual person applying for the reduced fare to ride PATH trains. This cost can be as much as $10 per person. It is ridiculous! And quite unnecessary. Why offer a reduce fare and then have the people for whom it is intended have to pay for the privilege to participate in the program. It is the old Port Authority practice of offering something to the public, a gesture or a concession so to speak, to calm the outcry of the overall fare increase, as well as an attempt to make itself look good to elected officials. Yet making those for whom it will benefit actually pay for their benefit. How kind and considerate? It smirks of insincerity and insult! We senior citizens should not have to bear this financial burden.
It is another example, in a long history of such practices, of Port Authority officialdom carrying a good program to benefit needy people to the absurd extreme once again. As if the big bi-state agency was going to lose millions of dollars by granting senior citizens or older Americans as we are now called, this reduced fare privilege. Do they think there might be some cheaters (those not eligible by virtue of age or another reason) using the reduce fare card. This form of application is a foolish and costly method for even the rich and unconcerned Port Authority to implement. All the unnecessary paperwork and time wasted in reviewing and checking the applications for authenticity.
Why reinvent the wheel? The wheel? Isn’t that what the Port Authority favors and fancies. Providing services for owners and operators of rubber wheel vehicles. Ever wait inordinate periods of time trying to get across 12th Street during the morning rush hours. Cars and other vehicles are backed up along Erie Street and Marine Blvd. For a long time as the traffic lights, controlled by the Port Authority, remain red for crossing traffic while vehicles headed for the Holland Tunnel into New York City get favored and priority treatment. This is costly in terms of lost hours of work and productivity endured by our residents trying to reach their places of employment. It is a health hazard as car exhausts pollute the air. It is a quality of life issue that must be addressed. More importantly, it is dangerous. Three schools are impaired by this — Cordero Elementary School, Saint Anthony High School and the Golden Door Charter School. Our school children are at risk.
It’s about time Jersey City public officials took the Port Authority to task for its inconsiderate and dangerous practice. As a candidate for Councilperson At Large in the upcoming Municipal Election on May 8, this will be one of my issues for immediate attention when I am elected. I will take on the mighty and inconsiderate Port Authority.
Why go through a costly and cumbersome applying process for the reduce fare when there is already in place a proven and less expensive method of providing lower fares for older Americans and physically impaired persons. The method that has been utilized successfully for over 25 years by NJ Transit on its trains and buses and other privately owned bus companies in New Jersey, and elsewhere in the United States. Have the senior citizens flash their Medicare card. If this is not feasible, since PATH does not have booths at each station, then the Port Authority should issue a plastic card that is magnetically activated and controlled but requires no photograph, thereby avoiding the hassle and cost of seniors being forced to pay to have to include a recent photo and then have the document notarized. Just let the seniors and the physically impaired persons make copies of their Medicare card and send this along with PATH’s Reduced Fare Application for verification and then issuance of an appropriate card to travel on PATH.
Wake up number crunchers at the Port Authority and do the most simple and smart thing. Stop being ridiculous and absurd. Make it easy for the people you are suppose to be helping. Smell the roses!
It’s about time for Port Authority moved in the Twenty First Century.
Anthony L. Grazioso