Doing More With Less: My 2-Point Plan to Bailout the MTA

Sometimes it seems as though as MTA budgets have a directly inverse relationship with the reliability of MTA service. In a little over a year, the MTA has managed two major service hikes, effecting (read: fisting) both unlimited and pay-per-ride straphangers, with the cost per ride now sitting at $2.25, and the monthly unlimited price jumping from what was just $76 a little over a year ago, and is now $90 and gaining.

A lasting lesson of the indie-filmmaking movement of the early 90's was to consider the resources you already have, and to plan around that. It seems the Mass Transit Authority could also learn from these teachings. It seems as though in their current mad grasp at revenue, they haven't considered leveraging their current advertising opportunities to raise maximum revenue.

Paterson and Bloomberg and the High Horse they Rode in On

Ball-less accidental Governor Paterson and Dollar Sign Mike famously stood up for Joe Subwayrider last summer, suggesting "lucrative" fundraising alternatives like raising the tax on cigarettes in NY Indian Reservations. This has left both Indians and commuters shedding a solitary tear over the sacrilegious cost of a few drags. Despite our officials' dynamic policy strategy which leaves us shelling out more for smokes, somehow, the MTA is more expensive and less efficient.

We'll ignore the fact that MTA Conductors seem to be either experiencing severe burnout, lack resources for proper training, or just don't give a fuck, and that in additional to budget-based service cuts, general inefficiency has made the NYC subway ride a uniquely torurous experience, full of garbled commands being barked through muddled speakers, classified-quality advertisements, and misjudged stopping distances.

In July 2008, the deaf, dumb, and blind Gov asserted his power and solidified his position as a people's advocate while holding a press conference from City Hall.

"Another fare hike this soon after the last fare hike, just in my opinion, is not wise," Mr. Paterson said at a press conference yesterday, adding that the MTA should look at its books once more. "This just cannot become the new way that the MTA solves problems: Every time there is an issue, pass along the increase."

Eager to back Governor Magoo, in hopes of getting a blank check, Dollar Sign Mike promised similar vigilance towards the MTA, later that same July day:

"Until we're convinced they're doing more with less, we certainly wouldn't support a fare increase,".

And yet, somehow, the fare increase has been passed along (and I do mean passed along), with the promise of future hikes arriving more rapidly than late-night subway cars. Doing more with less, huh? I can think of a few ways to do that.

Today I'll focus solely on the branding opportunities available to the MTA. It has become clear that MTA is interested in featuring multimedia-rich installations, like the germ-havens that allow you to plug in your headphones to a muffled audio source, or the projectors that could really use a quick recalibration. That said, they don't monetize this process to the extent they should, falling woefully short of potential advertising revenue.

Without being obtrusive or distracting, it's possible to provide more results-oriented opportunities. Through my 2-point plan, the MTA could offer high value real estate to advertisers and partners, thus attracting more lucrative contacts.

1. Buskers & Us: A Lesson In Harmony

A long-time scourge of the cavernous NYC MTA dwellings is the busker. Arguably cleaner than his less-sophisticated brethren, the bum, the busker derives his revenue through eclectic performances, whether that be providing musical accompaniment, through the juxtaposition of immaculately crafted street ballet, and heart-breaking spoken word performances about regionally-successful baseball team sans uniforms (but with M&M Peanuts), affordable battery promotions, and opportunities to invest in urban infrastructure through a micro-contribution in the form of pocket change to rebuild an apartment building that is probably still ablaze, judging by the orator's tattered clothing.

So...the first step is to get these jokers out of here. We monetize this process by confiscating any revenue earned through panhandling. A zero-tolerance policy is exercized, and confiscated revenue subsidizes the cost of increased Transit Cop presence. It also leaves the suckers, or in this, "customers", as the MTA affectionately refers to us commuters, with a few dollars more in their pockets for future cash-wasting opportunities, later in this very text.

Now, as you may have noticed, there are also officially-sanctioned Subway performers, as a part of the "Arts for Transit" initiative. These "performers" have the artistically-compelling directive to enrich our everyday commute, and to enrich themselves through selling recordings and merchandise, as well as securing new bookings and exposure.

According to the auditons section of the page, all these jokers have to do is show up in the Spring, fake their way through a couple ditties, and laugh all the way to the bank. NOT ANYMORE!

Here's how it now works: sure, we can still solicit demos and pretend we care about the quality of these performers. Regardless, we are now going to let performers bid on different Subway stations. They will pay a monthly rate to be the designated performer for that station, or a station can have a schedule, and allow several performers to rotate. Not only will these performers now make more money, as their "competition" has been eliminated from the environment, but now they can also strategically target the most appropriate station for their "art".

It's also worth mentioning we can make them declare their earnings, and then we can not only hit them with a leasee fee wherein we deduct a percentage of their merch revenue, but the IRS can join the action and DP them. Anyway, do this and BAM! Ten zillion dollars raised for the MTA right there.

2. Added-Value Service Broadcasts

Either the MTA audio broadcast systems are archaic and wholly inadequate, or a mischievous audio engineer has been playing Charlie Brown reruns for some time now. Either way, riders have no idea what messages the MTA is trying to communicate.

While the video screens on the new R160 trains are a good start, it's clear the system could use improvement. It seems to me a large speaker manufacturer might be interested in footing the bill of this endeavor, and in exchange we give them....a spot for the logo on the back of the Metrocard? Sounds good to me.

Oh, but we're not stopping here. Now that we have this great audio system, let's really utilize the broadcast feature. Right now we have service announcements that advise us about ever present delays, stern directives to stand clear of the closing doors, and double-speed regional highlights at each stop. It seems like if we're already going to announce the local high-points (say Port Authority or New York University), that it might be possible to let, say Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theater or a McSorley's Pub in the East Village) to pay for this consideration. They'll get an announcement every time the train stops there, maybe they could pay more for enhanced video-integration, and they get a sign at the Subway station.

Conclusion

Even though the NYC Mass Transit Authority has taken each and every opportunity to punish the "customer", we continue to have stronger brand loyalty to the MTA than almost any other product or service we interact with. I sincerely hope that knowledge I've dropped can benefit the MTA. Or at least get Marty Markowitz to go away from my Google Reader for a while.

Matt Rasmussen is an avid-walker, infrequent subway rider, and regular complainer. In addition to being a blight on society, he is the writer and director of the upcoming web comedy series The Tom Bonner Show, he has claimed to run Surf Astoria, a neighborhood cafe and artist collective in Astoria, NY, and maintains an erratically-updated Twitter.