In an unexpected move Thursday, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board members motioned to delay a vote on proposed fare and toll hikes, after months of public hearings, to consider other options before they take up the issue again at their meeting in February.

The fare hike was supposed to take effect in March, but it's not clear how the schedule may change now that the vote has been delayed.

THE COMPETING FARE HIKE PROPOSALS

One proposal would keep the fare at $2.75 and raise the price of the 30-day unlimited MetroCards from $121 to $127. It would also eliminate the "bonus" riders get when they put $5.50 or more on their card.

A second proposal would increase the fare to $3, and raise the price of a 30-day unlimited MetroCard to $126.25. That proposal would also increase the bonus for riders putting $6 or more on a MetroCard.

Both would increase the price of a 7-day unlimited MetroCard to $33.

WHAT ARE THE PROPOSALS TO RAISE TOLLS AT BRIDGES AND TUNNELS?

The MTA is also planning to raise the tolls at its bridges and tunnels.

Under the MTA's proposal, using one of the MTA's five major crossings, including the R.F.K. Triborough Bridge and Hugh Carey Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, will go up by one dollar, to $9.50.

Drivers who enjoy a discount by using E-ZPass will pay more, too. The one-way toll on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge would go up two bucks, to $19. The discounted tolls paid by E-ZPass holders and Staten Island residents would go up as well.

The toll increase proposals for each MTA bridge and tunnel can be found on the MTA's website.

CUOMO APPEARS TO GET ANOTHER MTA WIN

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an interview Wednesday that he did not support the fare increase, and called for more reform at the MTA.

Hours later, one of his appointees to the board was floating a new proposal: Tying a fare hike to improvements in service. He brought it up at Thursday's meeting.

"We need to change the thinking and the culture of how we operate this system to make sure there's clear performance metrics tied to any potential future fare increase," MTA Board Member Lawrence Schwartz said.

The board suddenly said it needed more time to consider how to move forward. Not surprisingly, it was a move Cuomo supported later in the day.

"I believe the MTA needs additional revenues. I also believe they need to do management reforms. If you don't do both, you accomplish nothing," said the governor, who has pushed for congestion pricing to provide additional revenues but also wants to overhaul the MTA to place it more firmly under his authority. Cuomo already appoints the MTA chairperson and largely controls the agency, but says it needs structural changes in order to more aggressively address mounting delays and breakdowns.

The board's delay Thursday was the second time in the past month that Cuomo appeared to get his way with the MTA — a board he insists he does not control, despite appearances.

The MTA is poised to move forward with the governor's new plan for L train repairs which avoids a long-planned full-scale shutdown of service between Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The fare hike delay appeared to one more win for the governor.

"I didn't hear from Gov. Cuomo or any of his staff on this. I heard from my board members," Acting MTA Chairman Fernando Ferrer said.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

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