Parking May Be Pricier At Many Metro-North Stations In 2020

Commuters who drive to most train stations on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties may have to pull more money from their pockets starting Jan. 1. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is proposing rate hikes at 25 stations.

The MTA, which has a big budget problem, also proposes ending free Saturday parking.

The parking increase would effect only the 37 percent of all Metro-North parking in New York State owned by the MTA and operated by LAZ. (In New York State there are roughly 40,000 parking spaces at stations.)

By the averages, customers who use daily meters will get hit the worst. According to the proposal, meters will jump by 50 to 75 cents for 16-hour parking, on average — $14.17 more per month.

Holders of annual 16-hour parking permits (66 percent of Metro-North customers) will pay, on average, $42.75 more a year. The cost per month for having a second vehicle on the permit will go up by $2 a month.

“After holding the line against increases for seven years, this incremental change works out to just 12 cents a day for a portion of our customers who are permit holders," said Metro-North spokesman Aaron Donovan.

Plus, the proposed rates will generally be competitive with fees charged for parking spaces owned by local municipalities, according to the staff proposal on the agenda for Tuesday's Metro-North and Long Island Railroad Committee meeting.

Reaction hasn't been positive in the Hudson Valley.

“The idea of the MTA raising parking fees at Metro-North stations is outrageous and bad news for too many working families in our region. Decent wage increases have been few and far between for most riders, and so having to reserve an even larger share of after-tax dollars will make paying the monthly bills that much harder," said state Senator Pete Harckham. "On top of premium fares that commuters are already paying, it is just too much. And in regard to taking away the free Saturday parking, it will affect our seniors and others on fixed incomes.”

It would be the first time Metro-North increased parking fees since 2013.

The fee hikes would bring the MTA $965,000 annually. The MTA has been running at a deficit, estimated at $500 million for 2019, and expected to rise even with fare and toll hikes this year and 2021.

The increase would not affect stations in Rockland and Orange Counties. Metro-North cut parking rates there in 2014 to encourage ridership. SEE: Metro North Sweetens Rockland Commute into NYC. In February the MTA Board voted to waive fare increases for Metro-North's West of Hudson rail riders, based on the ongoing problems experienced by commuters on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines. NJ TRANSIT eliminated two of the four Metro-North express trains on the Pascack Valley Line in June 2018, along with a third train on Pascack Valley and four trains on Port Jervis (Main/Bergen) line. Service on both lines has been plagued by equipment failures and shortages, staff shortages and other issues.

However, charging for Saturday and some holiday parking would affect West-of-Hudson riders as well those on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines.

The parking permit rate hikes range between $36 and $58 a year, with the exception of the garage in North White Plains, which is already twice as expensive as every place else. The parking permit would cost $114 more there.