MTA Subway, Bus Fare Hike Hearing To Go On Despite Nor'easter
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - As we've seen over the past week plus, weather can't bring New York City to a grinding halt.
WCBS 880's Rich Lamb On The Story
Podcast
So, despite the foul weather of a nor'easter, the MTA's Aaron Donovan says the agency will hold its first fare hike hearing tonight at 5 p.m. at the Brooklyn Marriott.
"We feel it's very important to let the process continue. We don't want to stimy this process or delay it and we're certainly looking forward to a very robust, wide open public debate on the proposal that has been put forward," he told WCBS 880's Rich Lamb.
The MTA is considering four different fare hike proposals for the subway and bus system.
All public comments made by letter, e-mail, testimony or via videotape dropped off at MTA stations or offices will also be condensed into a transcript for board members.
The MTA board will vote on December 19. The fares will go up around March 1 of 2013.
Lamb reports most observers believe the base fare will be hiked to $2.50.
As for the restoration of New York City subway service after Sandy, Donovan said, "New York City Transit employees continue to make steady and incremental process in restoring sections of the subway and today we restored the G train to its full length at 9 o'clock in the morning. There are still some sections that remain to be restored, including the L train between East New York and 8th Avenue in Manhattan. The R train is not yet running underneath the East River. The A train is not yet back to the Rockaway peninsula and the N train in Brooklyn remains out from 4th Avenue to Coney Island."
