News

NEW YORK, NY September 25, 2007 —Straphangers aren't exactly warming up to the MTA's plan to raise the base bus and subway fare to $2.25 next year - even though the agency says a hike is necessary because of deficits starting in 2009.

REPORTER: Ann Jackson of Manhattan says it's hard to justify any increase.

JACKSON: I use the C train. I get on at West 4th Street Monday through Friday, I don't see why they should charge more money because 34 E trains go by before 1 C goes by and the C is much shorter than the E.

REPORTER: But fellow Manhattan train rider Mark Baum says the city's 24-hour mass transit system deserves more public investment.

BAUM: We probably need to pay more for it than we do, you know it's quite a unique feature of New York and we sort of rely on it but we need to pay for it.

REPORTER: Besides the base fare increase, the MTA is also considering two different plans to charge more for weekly and monthly Metro Cards. Public hearings will be in November, before the MTA board votes in December.