Monthly tickets on Metro-North Railroad would jump 4.4% under a slate of Metropolitan Transportation Authority price hikes proposed Wednesday, increasing to $500 in the furthest reaches of the commuter rail’s New York territory.

Commuters in closer Westchester County towns like Hastings-on-Hudson and Irvington on the Hudson Line and Scarsdale and White Plains on the Harlem Line would pay $11.50 more than the current $260. New Haven Line commuters in New Rochelle and Mount Vernon would pay $243.25 for monthly rides in New York, an increase of $10.25.

And riders West of the Hudson River on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines would, depending on distance traveled, pay between $337 (Pearl River, Spring Valley, Nanuet) and $518 (Port Jervis) for a monthly ticket, up from the current range of $329 to $502.

The MTA board will vote on the proposals, which include price hikes on the Long Island Rail Road and New York City subways, in the fall. If approved, the increases would be in place by January.

Metro-North ticket hikes 'modest,' MTA says

MTA officials have tried to downplay the hikes, characterizing them as “modest.” They've noted that with a 10% discount applied to monthly tickets in 2022 and the suspension of a fare increase during the pandemic, a ticket will cost riders about as much as it did in 2019, with adjustments for inflation.

The MTA has had to rely on billions of dollars from the state and federal governments to close budget shortfalls created by massive ridership declines during the pandemic. Using 2019’s ridership of 86.6 million as a baseline, Metro-North’s ridership alone was down 200 million since the start of the pandemic, which means roughly two years of lost fare revenue, according to an analysis by the USA Today Network published in February.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in October that if paid ridership doesn’t rebound soon, the MTA could be facing budget gaps of nearly $700 million in 2028.

Janno Lieber, acting head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, along with elected officials, held an event marking the completion of Metro-North's White Plains Station Renewal Project Nov. 1, 2021. The renovation included a remodeled entrance, lobby, restrooms, and waiting area. It also included wood ceilings, extended platforms, a new ADA compliant elevator, and digital information screens.

At Wednesday’s board meeting, the MTA said it has narrowed its budget deficit by nearly $200 million with plans to save $500 million annually.

“Kudos to Governor Hochul and our partners in Albany, and also to the MTA team that has found ways to save $500 million per year, even as we continued to increase subway, bus and commuter rail service,” said MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber.

Bridge, tunnel tolls also going up

Tolls on MTA’s nine bridges and tunnels would also go up under the proposals. On the RFK, Whitestone, Throgs Neck, and Verrazzano bridges and the Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey Tunnels, tolls would increase to $7.46 from $6.94. On the Henry Hudson Bridge, tolls would go to $3.42 from $3.18. The Cross Bay and Marine Parkway bridges would increase to $2.80 from $2.60.

The base fare on city subways and buses would increase 10 cents to $3.

There was some good news for commuters in Wednesday’s announcement.

Seniors, others would be able to use discounts during morning Metro-North rush

Under one proposal, the MTA would allow for seniors, disabled and Medicare-eligible New Yorkers to use their discounts during the morning rush hour on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

“Extending reduced fare hours for seniors and people with disabilities to include the morning peak period addresses a long-standing issue for both riders and conductors,” said Ed Valente, a conductor and the General Chairman of the Association of Commuter Rail Employees. “It has always been a difficult conversation for a conductor to have and has actually been a policy pet peeve of mine over the years.”

Added Lisa Daglian, the executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA: “What better way to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act than through this tangible and meaningful change, which will reduce barriers to employment, education, and health care options for riders who depend on the railroads.”

Thomas C. Zambito covers energy, transportation and economic growth for the USA Today Network’s New York State team. He’s won dozens of state and national writing awards from the Associated Press, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Deadline Club and others during a decades-long career that’s included stops at the New York Daily News, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Hackensack. He can be reached at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Metro-North fares likely to rise in January. Check out station-by-station increases here