New York, NY —

In a preview of the fight to come, a coalition of lawmakers and transit advocates has sent a letter to the MTA asking to postpone any fare hike until April 15th - after the state budget deadline.

REPORTER: Assembly Democrat Richard Brodsky says the MTA should give lawmakers a chance to find additional state funds before raising city bus and subway fares to $2.25 and also hiking the fares for commuter trains, bridges and tunnels.

BRODSKY: Every other time there's been a fare increase the MTA has gone to Albany and said I'm going to raise the fare unless you give us the money. That didn't happen this time. I think that was a mistake.

REPORTER: The MTA however says its four year financial plan already calls for hundreds of millions of dollars in state aid to close its 2009 deficit. Meanwhile, the Republican-led state Senate released a letter urging the MTA to postpone the fare hike by finding administrative savings. Public hearings on the proposed fare hikes will begin next month.