NIXING ACCESS-A-RIDE HIKE

assembly member micah kellner and state sen. tom duane are teaming up on a bill that would prohibit local transit authorities-essentially the mta-from hiking access-a-ride fares past that of standard mass transit riders. access-a-ride provides transportation to disabled new yorkers who are unable to ride in subways or buses. kellner and duane announced the bill at a rally on march 8 with comptroller william thompson, borough president scott stringer and representatives from several disability advocacy organizations. the bill was introduced on the heels of the mta's "doomsday" budget proposal, which was designed to close the budget deficit, as required by law. with fare hikes and service cuts, the mta proposed to raise access-a-ride fares to $6 from $2. the state legislature has until march 25 to enact revenue generators for the transit authority before mta officials say they are forced to ratify the budget.