The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is weighing a fare hike to help soften the blow of a massive $10 billion budget shortfall.
The potential fare hike would go beyond raising rates by 4% that the MTA has already scheduled.
MTA Chairman Patrick Foye says the federal government could step up and pass the $3.9 billion requested in a bill passed by the U.S. House in May.
“We are obviously aware that is not a certainty, but we are doing everything we can to play every card we have to make sure that we have maximized the likelihood of getting federal funding, and that’s what we are focused on.”
Foye says everything has to be on the table to offset the pandemic, that includes possible service reductions, layoffs and fare increases.
Ridership on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trains is still down.
