The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District got an earful from a handful of riders Tuesday night at the last public hearing on a proposed 10% fare increase for South Shore Line passengers.

The fare increase would be the first since 2018, the riders were told in the meeting at Hammond Public Library.

Riders complained about packed trains and late trains, among other issues.

“On top of doing away with the BOGO, you’re increasing the fare,” one rider said.

The buy one month, get one free promotion was begun as a way to boost ridership when the COVID-19 pandemic caused ridership to tank, Director of Strategic Planning and Grants Kelly Wenger said.

One of the riders said she boards the train at Hammond and disembarks at 57th Street in Chicago. “I’m barely on the train 20 minutes,” she said, but the new fare would be $203 a month. “That’s a lot of money just to go from Hammond to 57th Street,” she said.

Even with parking, a monthly ticket from Metra would be cheaper, she said.

Allen Hammond, NICTD’s grant developer and administrator specialist, said Metra owns the stations the South Shore uses in Illinois and determines the fares on that side of the state line.

“You have a monthly fare, but in all reality, you also have specialized fares” with Metra, Hammond said. Metra riders can buy a ticket for an entire day, and it’s a flat fee. “That one fare basically pays it all.”