New Haven Line Commuters May Get Reprieve On Four Percent Fare Hike
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A powerful committee in Hartford has taken a big step in favor of New Haven Line commuters, reports WCBS 880's Connecticut bureau chief Fran Schneidau.
New Haven Line commuters could get a reprieve now that the Appropriations Committee has voted to kill the four percent fare hike set to kick in next January.
WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau reports
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State representative Kim Fawcett, who heads transportation issues on the committee, says that the annual fare hike is just too much for commuters.
"This past January, just a couple of months ago, our fares for Metro North went up 5.25 percent," Fawcett told Schneidau. "5.25 percent was a huge jump, it wasn't a small fare increase. It's just too much, too many years in a row."
Eliminating the fare hike would mean a sacrifice of $4 million in transit revenue. It's not a done deal, however, as the new budget will not be finely tuned until the end of the 2012 legislative session in early May.
Metro North riders, how have fare hikes over the years affected your budget, if at all?
