Due to a series of complicated agreements between Metro-North, New York and Connecticut, our fair neighbor to the east may soon be paying the commuter railroad to keep down costs. Because Connecticut Department of Transportation can help Metro-North set fare rates, when the MTA implements a fare hike early next year, tickets to and from Rye and Port Chester would be more expensive than those from the nearby Greenwich station. Thus, riders would be encouraged to head to Connecticut to travel.
To avoid this situation, Metro-North is working with ConnDOT to control the fares. Martin B. Cassidy of the Connecticut Post has more:
Because of Connecticut’s decision to avoid New Haven line fare increases this year, Metro-North is seeking an agreement to lessen the effect on Port Chester and Rye riders by having Connecticut pay Metro-North the difference between the cost of a Greenwich and Port Chester, ticket.
The agreement, often called a “hold-down” fare agreement, assures that price levels remain even across state lines, as Connecticut chooses to put off fare increases, Anders said. Under the agreement, the state would pay Metro-North a certain amount for each monthly ticket sold at the Port Chester or Rye stations, thereby keeping the price of a monthly ticket at Rye and Port Chester to $237, Anders said.
Connecticut’s monthly payments would be calculated on total ticket sales at those stations, Anders said, including subsidies for all forms of peak and off-peak tickets. Metro-North Railroad is currently finalizing a similar agreement with New Jersey Transit, Anders said. “Finally when Connecticut DOT raises fares, Metro-North would then adjust the Rye and Port Chester, fare to $247 and the hold-down payments would stop,” Anders said.
While it’s clear that New York riders and Metro-North would benefit, Connecticut politicians are wary of the hold-down agreement. Connecticut Rail Commuter Council Chairman Jim Cameron says Metro-North is just trying to back-door its way to a fare hike. “These changes are really no more than a hidden fare increase and they are not helpful in encouraging ridership on the trains,” Cameron said. “It looks as though the MTA are scrambling to find every nickel and dime they can, and doing a stealth fare increase like this will just discourage people from wanting to take the train.”
I can’t imagine anyone who takes the train would find it less desirably to pay more than to sit in traffic on the Merit and Hutch for hours on end two times a day, five days a week. I can certainly see why Connecticut might view this as some creative fare work by Metro-North.
As the MTA gears up to host 
At its meeting this morning, the MTA Board voted to move forward on a plan to raise fares and tolls while slashing the number of station agents employed across the city. As the MTA has both the legal right and the economic need to raise fares in 2011, the vote was both expected and contested with transit advocates and labor officials protesting outside. 