UPDATED (12:45 p.m):
Start saving your nickels and dimes now.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority expects to raise Metro-North ticket prices an average of roughly 9 percent, according to the agency’s fare hike plan released today.
“The reason why we are having fare and toll increases is directly related to the increase in our non-discretionary costs,” MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said today. “Our non-discretionary costs are growing at such a rate that we have no choice but to raise our fares.”
The agency’s pension payments, for example, are projected to grow an average of 6.4 percent a year over the next four years. The MTA is also saddled with soaring costs for energy and employee and retiree healthcare benefits, Lhota said.
Metro-North ticket prices vary because they are based on travel distance.
Riders taking the train to Grand Central from White Plains—the second busiest station in the Metro-North system – would have to hand over an additional $20 a month for a monthly pass, which currently cost $229. A weekly ticket on that route could jump from $73.25 to $79.75, according to the proposal.
Commuters from the New Rochelle station are facing a possible 8.9 percent increase for their monthly passes to Grand Central – from $204 to $222. That weekly ticket could go from $65.25 to $71.
Riders west of the Hudson will also have to fork over more money for their trips. The proposal calls for a monthly ticket price on the Pascack Valley line from Nanuet to Penn Station would soar from $270 to $288
Subway and bus riders are also facing significant fare increases. Under several options being considered, a 30-day unlimited MetroCard that currently costs $104 could reach as high as $125. There are also proposals to raise the base MetroCard fare from $2.25 to $2.50.
Drivers on the RFK, Throgs Neck, Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and Queens Midtown Tunnel could see their E-ZPass rate jump from $4.80 to $5.30, while those paying with cash could have to pay a dollar more than they do now. The current rate is $6.50.
Commuters on the Henry Hudson Bridge currently pay $2.20 with E-ZPass, but would have to shell out $2.43 under the proposed plan. Those without E-ZPass would have to pay $5 instead of the current $4.
At a news conference at MTA headquarters today, Lhota addressed charges that those who use commuter railroads are getting hit harder than subway or bus riders.
“Anybody who believes that the Long Island Railroad or Metro-North Railroad are subsidizing the subway system or bus system is completely wrong,” he said, noting that they operate separately.
He also pointed out that subway and bus fares cover a greater portion of trip costs than commuter rail fares. The commuter railroads receive bigger state subsidies than the rest of the transit system, Lhota said.
The MTA said the increases are expected to generate $450 million in revenue a year, with $78 million of it coming from Metro-North and Long Island Railroad. New York City Transit will provide $277 million, while rate hikes on the bridges and tunnels will generate $102 million.
The agency will hold a series of public hearings on the proposals before they go before the MTA board for a vote on Dec. 19.
A complete list of fare hike proposals based on station will be available on MTA.info later today, officials say.
8 Comments
Both Hudson and Harlem Division stations are one hour from my residence, including walking from my parked car, sometimes a half mile away from the platforms. That pretty much forces an auto commute to Manhattan for me.
Cost of the occasional auto commute for me is #56.00 per trip. Putnam and Westchester railroad station parking is the issue for me. I just can’t walk more than 200 feet. Commuting should not be a fitness program for thirtysomethings.
Maybe start by making the MTA employees pay for their commutes as well? I see lots of them pile on a Croton everyday, flash their ID badge, and get a free ride. Maybe if they were experiencing the pain, then so would their management. We’ve allowed the MTA to create a perpetual cycle of mismanagement and spending that will be borne on the backs of its commuters for a long time to come.
The MTA is out of control. I’m not too concerned about MTA employees not paying for their commute. It’s just a perk like any private sector employee has at their firm.
The biggest drain are the PENSIONS and HEALTHCARE. The pensions are simply unsustainable and so are the medical plans. You cant have taxpayers continue to subsidize retiree pensions. Either employees contribute more OR they switch to a defined contribution plan. Let’s not forget- taxpayers are on the hook for any shortfalls in the pension. Healthcare needs to be revisited too. Employees need to contribute more. They should consider High-Deductible plans with HSAs as well.
Bring in a McKinsey or other consulting firm and do a complete audit of the agency. You’ll find pay and benefits are very generous for a government agency and are even better than private sector. Public employees may complain private sector employees are just jealous or mad. But guess what, if you’re not happy with a private company, you can find an alternative firm to patronize. If you’re not happy with a public agency, you’re out of luck. Its the only game in town.
So that means that every morning when I get on the train to go to work, and every evening when I come home from work, I’m going to be able to find a seat, right? With this extra money, they will actually do something to benefit the rides, right?
Every day, I ride on a crappy train, with no heat, only AC, that smells funny, and it about 700 years old. They want to keep charging me more, I better see some results.
The issue here is that the MTA is created for one reason, to transfer money from the Suburbs to support the Subways, Buses and keep tolls off the East River Bridges. The percentage increase should be allocated based on the services an area recieves.
Hi all,
If you’d like to share your thoughts for my story, please email me at tjuva@lohud.com. I’m looking to get response on these proposals from commuters. Thanks! Theresa
Apart from free rides for MTA employees (sorry, I don’t agree to this expensive perk; even cafeteria workers have to pay for their food) and socking paying passengers for pension cost increase why the hell MTA have wasteful departments which prints hundreds of newsletters with basically useless information and homilies and staff to place them on seats of the trains for passengers who basically ignore them? To the President of MTA: get your head out of sand and reduce these DISCRETIONARY activites. As a fare paying commuter I feel robbed each time the fare jumps up.
Forget about nickels & dimes, we should start cashing in any retirement savings we have to pay for those hard working poor poor poor deprived employees of Metro North and LIRR.
The public hearings are a joke. Lhota claims things are beyond his control but they are the ones who give these asinine contracts to the unions. The MTA has also failed to do anything about the rampant fraud for disabilities. How about the routine internal affairs reports pointing out inefficiency, OT padding and fraud that nothing gets done about. How about the free rides workers, family members and friends are given.
Then we have our politicians excluding the $ 235 comuter tax exemption and yet raising the exemption for parking. It’s enough to make you feel like you’re liviing in a insane asylum. Time to pack up and leave NY.
Will the last middle class private sector employee please turn out the lights before you leave?