Photo by Adam Fagen.

Fear not, Metro riders: A decision on whether to increase fares and cut service is on hold, for the time being.

Yesterday, Metro Board officials held a public hearing in regard to possible fare hikes and service cuts. The proposals, which outlined a 10-cent increase for all rail and bus fares, as well as a cuts to service hours, comes after Metro chief financial officer Dennis Anosike’s hefty proposed operating budget, which didn’t sit well with a lot of local jurisdictions. From the Post:

In November, Metro’s chief financial officer, Dennis Anosike, proposed a nearly $2 billion operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, which called for $919 million in financial subsidies from the eight counties and cities that help pay for transit operations. That would be $140 million more than this fiscal year’s $779 million in subsidies. But local jurisdictions balked at the hefty increase.

Under the plan put forth before the public hearing yesterday, in addition to the fare increase, riders would see a decrease in the frequency of trains running, as well as the possibility of service ending at midnight on weekends, instead of 3 a.m. Furthermore, the plan could see bus service to Dulles airport cut out completely.

After more than a dozen people testified agains the proposals, the Metro board decided to table a decision for two weeks, which is probably a smart move, considering how much scrutiny the agency is under after last month’s fatal smoke incident.

You can see the complete details of proposed fare hikes and service cuts here.