Newtown State Rep Testifies in Metro-North Rate Hike Hearing

NEWTOWN, CT — State Representative J.P. Sredzinski, who represents the 112th district of Monroe and Newtown, joined fellow House Republican legislators in testifying at a hearing Wednesday that gave the public the opportunity to voice their opinions on the Department of Transportation’s proposal to raise Metro-North fares by 5 percent in December.

Over the past several weeks, Rep. Sredzinski and other House Republicans created a petition against the increases, and met with commuters at stations along the Metro-North line as well as on the trains to encourage them to sign the petition. Rep. Sredzinski spoke about his experience meeting with these concerned commuters when he testified at the public hearing.

“These commuters usually do not have an alternative for getting to work, so they are forced to go along with whatever increases the DOT imposes on them,” said Rep. Sredzinski. “We went directly to the commuters to hear their concerns about how these increases would affect them, and we heard time and time again their frustrations with having to shoulder yet another fee increase from the state.

“I stand with the commuters and am firmly against these proposed increases.”

Rep. Sredzinski also signed onto a letter with seventeen other House Republicans against the fare hikes addressed to DOT Commissioner James Redeker and presented it to the commissioner at the public hearing.

Image by Emmanuel Nicolas via Flickr Creative Commons