Mass Transit Tax Credit

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Now that the MTA is raising my MetroCard fees, I think it is high time for those who depend on public transportation to agitate for Federal tax breaks for using public transportation. If buyers of hybrid cars can get a Federal Tax Credit of up to $2,600, then why can’t normal Americans who get by without private transportation get the same tax credit?
Here is how I would propose the PTAX (because every bill needs a good name): every American would get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for every public transportation (buses, rail, subway, etc) dollar spent over some arbitrary number – say $500. As I buy the 30-day MetroCard every 30 days, let’s start there. As of March 2, 2008, 30-day MetroCards will be $81, and I will need 12 of them per year which is $972. Which would mean that I would get a Federal Tax Credit of $972 to reinvest into the economy, pay off my bills, or try to spend my way out of the looming recession.
What would the PTAX do to the Federal bottom line? Well, let’s take New York City Subway ridership and start there. According to the MTA, in 2007 there were an average of 7,262,7601 daily riders. Of those daily riders, the market share of 30-day MetroCard climbed to 31.3 percent2. So a good educated guess of how many people by 30-day MetroCards is 1,158,100 riders (if we assume that the 30-day MetroCard riders ride to-and-from work everyday). If we assume that all 1.1+ million riders are like me and need 12 MetroCards, then the yearly MetroCard revenue, and tax credit borne by the Federal government, would be $1,125 billion for New York City residents only.
Seeing how the new new 2008 tax rebate will cost the government $150 billion, the $1.2 billion is small change to the government; but the effect on the middle and lower class, not to mention myself, would be huge.3

  1. New York City Transit at a Glance &#8617
  2. NYC Transit Ridership Shows Continued Gains In 2007 &#8617
  3. But the fact that this tax credit would help those who need it the most is why it would never happen. &#8617

What do you think about a tax credit, and what would you like to see?