Michael Woyton reports for Patch that the Metropolitan Transit Authority voted last week to raise fares on the Metro-North Railroad. Monthly and weekly fares on the Metro-North Railroad will go up to 4.5 percent beginning Aug. 20. The off-peak discount on Metro-North will be go up to 26 percent, from 25 percent. MTA board member Neal Zuckerman played word games with the larger fares, saying, “This is an increase. I don’t want a hike.... A hike is something like double digits. This is no hike.” Riders going between Poughkeepsie and New York City will see their fares go from $469 a month to $489.50. Read more about this story in Patch.