HYDE PARK, NY—Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) today slammed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for failing to provide Dutchess and Putnam Counties with a chance to be heard on their proposed fare hike plan and urged them to hold a hearing locally on the issue.

“Time and time again our community gets shortchanged by the money-hungry MTA,” said Senator Serino. “It’s bad enough that they continue to shift the burden of their out-of-control finances onto the backs of hardworking New Yorkers by proposing these fare hikes, but it’s even worse that they are once again disenfranchising a large number of riders by failing to hold public hearings in each of the affected counties. Those who utilize the MTA to commute daily will absolutely be impacted by the current proposal and they have just as much right to be heard— I urge the MTA to give them a fair chance.”

The MTA recently announced a set of public hearings to air its newest fare hike plan with locations being set in each of the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester and Rockland Counties. The schedule leaves out Dutchess, Putnam and Orange.

Serino urged local residents who utilize the MTA to make their voices heard by submitting comments online at mta.info (http://mta-nyc.custhelp.com/app/hearings/comment/h_id/24) or by mail to MTA Government Affairs, 20^th Floor, 2 Broadway, NY, NY 1004. For a full list of hearing dates, click here.

-30-