Connecticut commuters have expressed opposition to a state proposal for a 4.5% fare hike and a reduction in service on Metro-North and Shore Line East trains.
The pushback came during public hearings held by the state Department of Transportation this week.
Commuters on Shore Line East, the train that runs between New Haven and New London, were the most vocal in stating their displeasure with the state’s proposed fare and services changes for bus and rail.
“Gutting services, raising prices, this is environmentally unsound, this is economically unjust,” said Lawrence Haines, who has been riding Shore Line East for 17 years.
“I have the luxury of paying for a cab from New Haven if I need to but I should not have to.” said David Byron Brown, a retiree from Guilford, who advocated for mass public transit services to be expanded.
“The right to a reliable frequent service is pretty basic particularly in an area where the car option is so awful,” Brown said.
In addition to the fare hike, the state is proposing cutting 21 Shore Line East and Metro-North trains. Officials say it's in response to reduced state funding for mass transit following a falloff in ridership since the pandemic.
