Connecticut will try to stop plans for what a commuters' group calls "stealth fare hikes" on Metro-North.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Tuesday said Connecticut is "ardently opposed" to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's proposal to eliminate price breaks for riders who buy tickets by mail or over the Internet. Those discounts can be worth 2 to 5 percent.
The MTA is also proposing to make one-trip tickets worthless seven days after purchase, doing away with the current 180-day window. The agency also would begin charging $15 to redeem unused tickets.
"These proposals will have the effect of turning away passengers at the very time we are doing our best to make public transportation options more attractive," Rell said.
The CT Rail Commuter Council, a riders' advocacy group, lobbied Rell over the weekend to intervene. Chairman Jim Cameron said the changes would discourage passengers from buying online or by mail, leading to longer lines at ticket machines.
State officials will speak against the proposals at one of the MTA's hearings, which are set for Wednesdayat 6 p.m. at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus and Thursday at 6 p.m. at Union Station in New Haven.
-- Don Stacom