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But there was another roadblock we'd now have to face collectively as commuters: a $1 fee if we decided to buy a new MetroCard instead of replenishing the value on our old one.

Naturally, it's a pain for those who've lost their golden tickets but the measure was an incentive snuck into the fare hike to discourage New Yorkers from wasting plastic (by the thousands). You would think we'd think twice about tossing our MetroCards into the trash once their lives ended. Turns out we didn't... and now the MTA is making much more money than expected from the tiny provision.

So here's what you should keep in mind before you swipe your life away.

Cuomo and legislators OKd an accord on Sunday to provide money for the next three years of the improvement program -- which would cover the cost of projects like the Second Avenue subway and green bus programs, according to the Daily News.

Some financial intricacies reported by the News and The Associated Press suggest that a big chunk of this $13.1 billion deal would be funded by debt -- prompting protest from commuter allies such as Transportation Alternatives.

While this isn't exactly breaking -- the New York legislature long ago gave the green light to transit rate increases every two years -- what's worth mentioning is that transportation advocates have not given up the fight against these raised rates.

Here's what's up: Fares will go up 7.5 percent at some point in 2013, MTA Spokesman Kevin Ortiz tells Runnin' Scared. The exact number isn't clear because it will be based on revenue, he says.

Transportation Alternatives, however, is using the looming prospect of higher fares as an opportunity to voice concerns about the city and state's management of mass transit money.

Having to wait longer and pay more to commute to work, that is.

Unfortunately, it looks like that's exactly what's happening in New York.

Check it out: Transportation Alternatives, a commuter-advocacy group, surveyed a bunch of New Yorkers last week to see how happy they were with subway and bus service.