As NYC Goes, So Goes Metro?

New York fare increases sign of things to come?

As Metro board members go back to work Thursday to try to find ways to close a $29 million budget gap -- and at the same time avoid service reductions -- another major East Coast transit agency is making serious changes.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, also known as New York City's subway and bus system, voted Wednesday to impose steep fare hikes and painful service cuts to close a $1.2 billion budget gap.

So WMATA's $29 million may not look so bad right about now...

What is MTA doing about its budget woes? It's raising fare rates. The base fare on MTA subways and buses will rise from $2 to $2.50.

But that's not all. Two subway lines and 35 bus routes will be eliminated entirely and service will be curtailed on other lines.

Fares also will rise on commuter rail lines, and bridge and tunnel tolls will go up.

MTA officials blamed the economic downturn, of course. They said ridership is down and revenue from taxes on real estate transactions have fallen steeply.

Will Metro find a similar fate when it finally closes its budget gap? It's still too early to tell. Some bus routes may go away. Others will be reduced. But each of the three jurisdictions have to find ways to close their portion of the gap, so outcomes will vary.

Once the details are hashed out, public meetings will be scheduled to discuss any and all changes that could take place. So the battle may just be beginning.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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