Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that Metro-North riders may be paying more to travel through the Hudson Valley next summer after the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority increases fares. The board previously looked at raising the cost of commuting by four percent in 2023, and by four percent in 2025, but during its November meeting the board considered raising fares by 5.5 percent both years, with the first hike taking effect next June. How the increase will impact individual ticket prices on Metro-North has yet to be determined, according to MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez. The MTA Board will vote on the hikes as part of the 2023 spending plan on December 21. The proposed fare hike is part of a larger plan the MTA has to fill the giant budget deficit the authority has experienced as the result of low ridership since the pandemic began in 2020. Ridership is still only at 63 percent of pre-pandemic levels and is expected to rise to 69 percent in 2023, according to MTA Chief Financial Officer Kevin Willens. This was the primary reason the MTA was projected to suffer a $1.9 billion deficit this year. The proposed fare increases would at first generate an additional $50 million a year and an additional $100 million a year after the 2025 hike. Public hearings will be held before the proposed increases take effect, according to Cortez. Read the full story in the Times Union.