Nov 20, 2008 7:26 pm US/Eastern
Metro-North Riders To Get No Mercy Either
Trains, Ticket Booths Cut On All Lines; Passengers Miffed
HARRISON, N.Y. (CBS) ―
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority budget news isn't much better for commuters who use Metro-North.
As the many passengers getting on and off trains on Thursday illustrates, and all the cars at the Harrison station that were waiting for commuters to return shows, Metro-North ridership is up. However, cuts and fare hikes are coming anyhow. And among those hit will be college students, like Anna Pozo, who goes to school in White Plains.
"That's gonna affect me a lot because, I mean, it's already hard to pay $58," Pozo said.
Pozo has a student-discounted weekly commute between New York City and White Plains. She may have to add about $14 to that.
Metro-North will be eliminating three trains on the Hudson line, two on the Harlem line and four on the New Haven line.
At Grand Central Station, the station master's office will close and the Harrison ticket office, as well as ticket offices in Crestwood and New Canaan, Conn., will also close.
Passengers can expect the wait between trains to increase, anywhere from an extra 20 minutes, up to perhaps 75 minutes. One man, though, said it's absolutely necessary.
"It has to do with running a railroad and I think that they know what they're doing," said Arthur Morrison of White Plains. "And if it costs them more, you have to pay more."
Added David Best of White Plains: "I realize that it's a bad time in the economy now. Everybody has to make ends meet, but it puts a tough thing in my situation also."
One of the things CBS 2 HD kept hearing was mass transit is supposed to be the alternative to taking your car. Many people told us that they are thinking twice about taking the car.
The MTA said it does not have a ballpark figure for projected fare hikes yet, but a monthly commute from White Plains to New York City could go from $191 to over $234. And a one-way trip during peak hours could jump from $8.75 to nearly $11.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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