Decline New York City Board of Transportation

a gm old-look transit bus bearing original green , white color scheme of board of transportation, , white circular bot logo. color scheme inherited transit authority.

following artificial operating surplus during world war ii, brought on gas , rubber rations leading increased mass transit usage, board of transportation had first operational deficit in 1947, amounting $18 million. on march 30, 1948, governor thomas e. dewey signed legislation allow bot increase fares approval of new york city mayor. on july 1, 1948, board of transportation raised fare rapid transit system 5 cents ten cents, approval of mayor william o dwyer. nickel fare had been in place in subway system since october 27, 1904, period of 45 years, , 1 of main provisions of dual contracts. new york city last major city have five-cent fare. bot created 14 new free transfers between formerly-separate subway divisions. fare increase put forward due increasing debt, inflation in post-war period, expenditure on new subway routes, equipment , facilities, , maintenance of existing system in disrepair. in addition, city planner robert moses pushed fare increase allow more city funding go towards highway development, while transport workers union of america leader michael j. quill supported fare hike in order give transit workers 30-cent per hour wage increase. in 1950, fare of bot surface transit raised ten cents. upon initial 1948 increases, twelve-cent fare had been put in place combined trip on subway , either bus or trolley, eliminated on july 1, 1952.

the fare hikes did not increase revenue board of transportation offset increasing operation costs, while system ridership plateaued due american car culture , increasing migration suburbs. after 2 years of financial surplus, bot experienced $1.2 million deficit in 1950, , $24.8 million deficit in 1952. bot criticized due influence of politics on organization, direct control on board mayor, , use of city s operating budget subsidize transit operations. in march 1953, new york state legislature created new york city transit authority (nycta), public authority without direct control political office, members appointed both governor , mayor. governor dewey signed bill approving creation of ta law on march 20, 1953. on june 15, 1953, operation of new york city transit system turned on transit authority, board of estimate leasing system ta period of ten years. board of transportation, meanwhile, dissolved. new transit authority modeled after existing port authority of new york , new jersey , triborough bridge , tunnel authority, latter of part of mta.