New Yankee Stadium Metro North stop isn't very helpful for those in CT

MTA announced the details surrounding its new service to Yankee Stadium. The good news is that the station opens on May 23. The bad news is that Yankees fans in Connecticut won't find this "upgrade" very helpful. The New Haven line will only offer direct service to the Stadium on weekends and holidays.

But what about weekday games, you ask? MTA's official statement: New Haven Line customers will be able to transfer to Hudson Line trains, or special game-day shuttles, at Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street Station, using our new "Via" fares, which are slightly higher than fares to Grand Central.

It is true that the New Haven line will offer some direct return service for weeknight games. But that doesn't solve the problem of how to get to the game in the first place.

The answer is that Yankees fans in Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and any of the elitist towns in between, will do what they have been doing for years. They'll take Metro North to Harlem-125th Street and change trains. Only you won't be changing to the 4 train. Instead, you'll stay on the Metro North tracks and be charged the new "Via" fares which, again, are slightly higher.

Seriously, this is getting out of hand. The Yankees are trying to price out Joe Sixpack from attending the game on a budget. ($10 beers anyone?) Now MTA has entered the ring. More money for the same headache.

We CT residents will still have to switch trains at Harlem-125th Street, but we won't have to walk 2 blocks to the subway and we will have our own Metro North station at the Stadium. Big deal. They're still charging more money. And unless we get regular direct service from the New Haven line to the Stadium, I do not consider this an upgrade.

Okay, venting done.

Update: Andrew has informed me that the Harlem line will have the same problems (affecting Scarsdale, White Plains, etc.) Which makes me wonder....why did MTA spend so many millions of dollars to build this station if they are not going to offer regular service from all Metro North lines? What will end up happening is that people like Andrew's dad (coming from Scarsdale) and me (coming from Stamford) will end up switching from Metro North to the subway (4 train) at the Harlem-125th Street stop - thus defeating the whole purpose of building a devoted Yankee Stadium Metro North station.