Your Metro-Card is worth less Thursday. Straphangers already weary from digging out now have to dig deeper to ride buses and trains.

The long-planned MTA fare hikes went into effect at midnight, and for riders who have been dealing with days of stuck trains, no-show buses and long, frustrating delays, the timing couldn�t be worse.

Fares for buses, subways, the Long Island Rail Road, and the Metro-North, as well as most most bridges and tunnels, have gone up.

The price of a single ride on the subway rose from $2.25 to $2.50. A 7-day unlimited went up to $29 from $27. A 30-day unlimited increased from $89 to $104.

Despite the poor timing, MTA Chairman Jay Walder said the fare hike will go on as planned. �The fare hike is something that has been in place for six months.

We�ve gone through a process of consideration for public hearings. It has to go forward at this point. The agency fundamentally needs the resources.�

(Source: WCBSTV)