{"id":437797,"date":"2017-02-01T13:34:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T09:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nhub.news\/?p=437797"},"modified":"2017-02-01T20:43:31","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T18:43:31","slug":"metras-fare-hike-takes-affect-the-third-increase-in-3-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nhub.news\/de\/2017\/02\/metras-fare-hike-takes-affect-the-third-increase-in-3-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Metra\u2019s Fare Hike Takes Affect, The Third Increase In 3 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

$\"NewsHub\"$ CHICAGO (CBS) \u2013 Commuters who use Metra are paying more for their rides starting Wednesday.
Metra\u2019s fare increase took effect Wednesday, which is the third increased in the last three years. WBBM\u2019s Bernie Tafoya reports.
\u201cEvery year they are increasing,\u201d said passenger Kamil Yenice. \u201cIt\u2019s ridiculous. Our incomes are not going up at the same rate, so it\u2019s not fair.\u201d
Metra one-way passes have increased by 25 cents. 10-ride tickets have increased by $2.75 and monthly passes have increased by $11.75.
\u201cIt is what it is. We\u2019re stuck taking the train downtown.\u201d
Bill Stermer is among those who figure that, prices seem to be going up for everything and that Metra has to pay its costs too.
Others are not as charitable, such as Maria Pineda who said she now pays $171 for a monthly pass.
\u201cI think it\u2019s too much, too much increase,\u201d Pineda said. She believes she is not getting her money\u2019s worth.
Commuter Sheril Escartin is also not happy.
\u201cThings are getting more expensive, but we have no choice,\u201d Escartin said.
Depending upon the kind of ticket you buy and how far you are traveling, fares are increasing from about two and a half percent to more than 12 percent.
Escartin said she would like to see improvements go along with the fare increase.
\u201cMaybe, you know, they could be better on time,\u201d said. \u201cThey are always having signal problems, especially when the weather is bad. Improve on those [issues]. Maybe better technology, more Wi-Fi.\u201d
Metra said the money generated by the increase will goes towards capital projects.
One month after approving this latest hike, the Metra board voted to give CEO Don Orseno a $28,000 pay raise. Board members said Orseno, who now makes $317,500 annually, was underpaid compared to his peers.
(CBS Chicago\/WBBM and The Associated Press contributed to this copy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)<\/p>\n

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