After backlash, MTA offers discounts for Lower Hudson Valley ferry, bus passengers

Thomas C. Zambito, New York State Team
Updated ·3 min read

The MTA, facing a backlash over state-backed discounts for New York City commuters, has come up with a plan to appease Lower Hudson Valley residents who need to cross the Hudson River to catch trains into New York City.

For the first time, Metro-North Railroad will offer weekend service on the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry, which links riders west of the Hudson in Orange and Rockland counties to Grand Central-bound Hudson Line trains.

Orange and Rockland residents who park at Metro-North’s North White Plains garage for Harlem Line trains into New York City will get a 25% discount. And monthly tickets on cross-Hudson buses and ferries will be slashed under a pilot program that runs through Veterans Day.

The New York Waterways ferry from Haverstraw to Ossining approaches the dock in Haverstraw.
The New York Waterways ferry from Haverstraw to Ossining approaches the dock in Haverstraw.

It’s not the 10% discount commuters who ride commuter rails inside New York City will receive but it’s something.

“It is no secret that the folks who live west of the Hudson River don’t get the same quality of frequency and reliability of service as we have on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines,” MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said. “As we approach the onset of congestion pricing, we want to make sure there are a few more options for people in Orange and Rockland Counties to get to this amazing Metro-North service.”

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It started with congestion pricing

Frustration with MTA service west of the Hudson has gotten louder in recent months as the start date for the authority’s controversial congestion pricing program nears. At the end of June, drivers of passenger cars will pay a $15 toll for travel below 60th Street.

Janno Lieber, acting head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, along with elected officials, held an event marking the completion of Metro-North's White Plains Station Renewal Project Nov. 1, 2021. The renovation included a remodeled entrance, lobby, restrooms, and waiting area. It also included wood ceilings, extended platforms, a new ADA compliant elevator, and digital information screens.

Rockland County has joined New Jersey in a court challenge of congestion pricing.

The upset heightened earlier this month when the MTA explained that the discount plan would not extend to Lower Hudson Valley commuters.

“This is yet another example of Hudson Valley residents paying their hard-earned tax dollars to the MTA, only to watch all the benefits go to New York City,” said Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes Orange County.

The MTA says the discount plan was established by state lawmakers to create incentives for intra-city travel on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

Gov. Kathy Hochul supports congestion pricing, touting the impact it will have on reducing traffic and pollution.

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Health care workers in scrubs board a northbound Metro-North train from the Fordham Station in the Bronx, Feb. 8, 2024.
Health care workers in scrubs board a northbound Metro-North train from the Fordham Station in the Bronx, Feb. 8, 2024.

Ferry, bus discounts

As part of the new pilot program, monthly tickets on cross-Hudson buses and ferries – the Haverstraw-Ossining, and Newburgh-Beach ferries, the Newburgh-Beacon bus and the Hudson Link – will be deeply discounted.

The monthly UniTicket fare for the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry, currently $43.75, will drop to $13.75. And a ride on the Newburgh-Beacon ferry, now $14.50, will cost $1.

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The monthly fare for the Newburgh-Beacon bus will also go to $1 from its current $10. And a monthly Hudson Link Bus ticket to either Tarrytown or White Plains will be cut by half to $30.

“Rockland County residents are clamoring for public transit service into New York City,” said State Sen. Pete Harckham. “The new weekend ferry service and the UniTicket discounts on the Hudson Link bus service and the MTA two ferries are a good start toward exploring new ways to enhance travel options for Rockland.”

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: MTA offers ferry, bus discounts for Rockland, Orange commuters