A spokesperson for the MTA says the transit authority is planning to propose toll and transit fare hikes that would take effect next July, according to the Times. MTA tolls and fares increased just this March. The authority says it’s facing a substantial budget shortfall and must also grapple with rising fuel costs. Sources say the fare increase would likely be around $.25. We’re not fans of fare hikes, said Gene Russianoff, staff lawyer for the Straphangers Campaign, but my view about the hikes will turn largely on how much the city and the state will pony up to pay their fair share. One of the main reasons the MTA is short on cash is that taxes from real estate transactions have all but dried up for the authority this year.
So Soon? Fares and Tolls Rise in M.T.A. Plan [NY Times]