Subway fares in New York City are like the price of bread in pre-Revolution France. They’re a cost tied to a necessity of life. And that’s why they produce emotional reactions when they go up.

But the existence of the subway is also one reason why New York has become such a world city. Pope John Paul II called it, with reason, the “Capital of the World,” and not just because the United Nations is based there.

In 1789 France, rising bread prices caused a riot during which a mob killed a baker. The crowds were less violent in 1995 New York, when the subway fare rose dramatically, from $1.25 to $1.50, but they were not calm either.

“Right now I don’t know how to express myself because I’m so upset,” one straphanger then told The New York Times, which also reported, “No one was arrested for misbehavior, the police said, but for many on both side of the [token booth’s] bulletproof glass it was a losing game.”

It’s now time for another fare hike, and the masses for whom buses and subways are the lifeline to jobs are none too happy about it. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to raise fares to help make up for a $900 million shortfall in a budget that also includes bridges and tunnels. If that goes through, this would be the first time since the early 1980s that fares were raised two years in a row.

The likely increase in the base subway and bus fare would be to $2.25 from the current $2. Is this cause for riot? We think not. New Yorkers should know how lucky they are to have a sophisticated mass-transit system.

Consider the costs if they had to drive. A gallon of gasoline costs on average $4. The driver commuting from Sheepshead Bay, in Brooklyn, to Columbus Circle, in Manhattan, and getting 20 miles to the gallon spends twice as much for the trip. And that’s not counting the huge expense of car ownership. Many New York families don’t even own a car, and those that do can usually get along with only one.

Then there’s the time factor. In heavy traffic, a 40-minute trip on the subway could take two hours in a car.

Furthermore, few commuters in New York pay the base fare. Most use unlimited-ride MetroCards or pay–per-ride MetroCards that offer a 15-percent bonus.

Very crowded areas like Times Square or the downtown financial district simply could not exist without mass transit. They would choke with traffic. The ability to pack so many people and businesses into a small area is what gives them their vitality.

New York’s subways and buses are experiencing ridership levels not seen for 40 or 50 years. That’s a success story. And while we don’t expect New Yorkers to happily accept a higher fare, we do think they should know that their public-transportation system remains a very good deal. For that matter, the economy and society of any area benefit hugely from a good mass-transit system, as a look at Boston, Chicago and some other cities quickly demonstrates.

A good mass-transit system can mean the difference between a thriving metropolitan economy and a mediocre one. With energy and environmental concerns around the world likely to get even more pressing in the years ahead, good mass transit will become even more of a city’s comparative advantage.