“According to his press release this morning, Governor Spitzer is urging the MTA to adopt their proposed budget, which includes a 6.5 percent fare increase,” said Assemblyman David G. McDonough, ranking minority member on the Assembly Transportation Committee. “More than 100 of my Assembly colleagues joined me in urging the governor to get the MTA to wait until April 15 before taking action on their proposed fare hike. This would have allowed us to seek a compromise during budget negotiations before implementation of any fare hike plan. However, the governor once again refused to listen to the Legislature or seek an alternative prior to imposing an additional tax on our already overtaxed suburban commuters. The proposed fare hike will affect both LIRR and Metro North commuters and those individuals who use Metro Card.”