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Well this oughta be interesting.
Well this oughta be interesting.
In a move that could put money back into the pockets of millions of commuters, a judge has ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Wednesday to roll back the 50-cent subway and bus fare increase that went into effect earlier this month.
State Supreme Court Justice Louis York issued the ruling in a written decision this afternoon in response to a lawsuit filed by the Straphangers Campaign which said the MTA had misled the public about its finances.
It is unclear at this point exactly when the rollback will go into effect, or if the city?s seven million daily riders will be reimbursed for the extra money they have spent since the hike went into effect on May 4.
The lawsuit filed by the Straphangers Campaign late last month contends that the MTA?s public hearings about the fare hike were invalid because the agency didn?t give an accurate picture of its finances. The suit cited audits released by the state and city comptrollers that accuse the MTA of shifting a $500 million surplus to make a fare hike appear necessary a year earlier than when it really was.
The MTA defended the increase, which brought subway and bus fares up to $2, saying it needs the extra money to maintain services.