By KRIS VENEZIA

STAFF WRITER

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has increased the price for bus, subway and Metro-North services in New York City, and students are feeling the pinch.

Joe Lynch, FCRH ‘15, estimates that he’s spent between $200 to $300 this year on transportation alone on trips to places like Manhattan’s 5th Avenue and Greenwich Village. He said he is not a fan of the MTA raising the cost for the Metro-North train.

“I always thought Metro-North was a little pricey, and to up the price is ridiculous,” Lynch said. “It’s just a kick in the nuts.”

The sophomore said he did not know about the fare increase until he went to take the Metro-North into the city on Saturday morning.

“I think, perhaps, more should have been done to make it more well known for people in the city,” he said.

The Metro-North from Fordham University at the Rose Hill campus to Grand Central station has gone from $5.75 to $6.25 during off-peak hours. A city ticket on the weekend costs a quarter more, going from $3.75 to $4.

Subway and bus transit has gone from $2.25 per swipe to $2.50, and purchasing a new MetroCard now comes with a $1 fee.

Martin McCormack, FCRH’15, uses the subway to travel into Midtown Manhattan about three or four times a month. He said the subway price increase is annoying.

“It’s ridiculous, especially the price for a new card altogether, the $1 fee they slap you with is completely unnecessary,” McCormack said.

The MTA has stated that the fare increase is necessary as a way for the organization to close a budget deficit. The price hike also comes after Superstorm Sandy caused around $5 billion in damage to the transportation system, according to the MTA.

Jack Griesedieck, FCRH ‘15, drives the Ram Van for Fordham University, and he goes into Manhattan around two or three times a week. He said he’s not opposed to paying a little more if the extra money improves city facilities.

“If it gets us nicer subways, I’m okay with it,” Griesedieck said.

According to the MTA, the fare increase will bring in an additional $450 million to a service that is still trying to get back on its feet after Sandy.

Victoria Affrunti, GSB’15, said while she will not stop going into Manhattan, she might opt to take different forms of transportation.

“It might keep me from taking the Metro-North,” Affrunti said. “I just might take the D [train] more often or the Ram Van because the Metro-North is more expensive.”

Affrunti goes into the city about two or three times a month, and said she usually spends $5 to $8 per trip to the Big Apple.

Zoe Sanders, FCRH’15, is a Residential Assistant in O’Hare Hall, and her position as an RA requires her to plan programs for residents. She sometimes takes residents into different parts of New York City for the various activities. Sanders recently took residents to play laser tag and said the fare increase is going to be a burden.

“From a Residential Assistant perspective [the higher cost] is a big pain because [RAs] provide transportation during programs, and if it’s a longer trip [RAs] will take the Metro-North,” Sanders said. “[The fare increase] might cut down on the number of residents we can take.”

The higher public transit costs went into effect the first week of March. The last fare raise with the MTA was in 2009, when a MetroCard swipe went from $2 to $2.25.