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City in talks with MTA to roll back commuter prices on Metro-North, LIRR: officials

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City commuters who use Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road may be in for a fare break.

The city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials are in talks to roll back prices for commuters who use the rail lines within the five boroughs, Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg told the City Council Thursday.

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Lawmakers in the outer boroughs have long been pressing the transit agency to make the commuter rail an affordable option for New Yorkers in the far reaches of the city.

Riders might also be able to get free transfers to subway and bus from the commuter rails, lawmakers said.

“These actions will reduce commuter times to top business districts throughout the city by up to 7.5 hours a week,” said Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-Queens).

“You cannot quantify the value of getting back five to ten hours per person, to their families, to their communities and to the city,” Miller said.

City Council member I. Daneek Miller (D-Queens) supports working towards an affordable option for New Yorkers in the far reaches of the city.
City Council member I. Daneek Miller (D-Queens) supports working towards an affordable option for New Yorkers in the far reaches of the city.

But the MTA has balked at the cost, which would drain $70 million a year from the agency’s revenues.

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The two railroads make more than 14 million trips a year within the city limits, according to MTA officials.

Long Island Rail Road commuters may also be getting a fare break.
Long Island Rail Road commuters may also be getting a fare break.

“To remain financially whole, MTA would need to be reimbursed for these discounts,” MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast wrote in a letter to the City Council transportation committee chairman, Ydanis Rodriguez.

The MTA’s discussions on the commuter lines with the city are part of talks over fare hike in 2017 for the city’s subway and bus riders.

The MTA needs to generate 4% more revenue from fares and tolls, officials said.

Currently, the MTA offers New Yorkers a discounted $4.25 one-way ticket to travel on the commuter rails between Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens on weekends.

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