Metra board approves price hike

Metra board approves price hike
The Metra board approved an 11 percent price hike on its 10-ride tickets on Friday. Flickr/Larry Amaloo
Metra board approves price hike
The Metra board approved an 11 percent price hike on its 10-ride tickets on Friday. Flickr/Larry Amaloo

Metra board approves price hike

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The Metra board voted to raise the price of its ten-ride tickets today.

The board voted 8-2 in favor of the fare hike. The price of ten-ride tickets will jump about eleven percent starting in February.

“The price of a ten-ride ticket actually is the price of nine full fares,” said Metra spokesperson Meg Reile. “Today the board voted to change that so that the ticket is actually the cost of 10 full fares.”

Depending on the distance of the ride, the 10-ride tickets will cost between $2.75 and $9.25 more.

Rates for monthly passes and single ride tickets will stay the same.

“In the meantime, (10-ride) tickets purchased between today and January 31…will only be valid until February 28,” Reile said. “That was also a measure today passed by the board to prevent stockpiling.”

Metra officials said they expect to make more than $8.3 million from the price hike in 2013. The money will be used for capital improvements.

The news comes after a major fare hike for all Metra customers earlier this year — where some travelers saw prices rise by more than 30 percent.