Transit Cuts, Fare Hike Are as Severe as Expected — Photograph by phrenologist on Flickr After much speculation and the local papers preparing commuters for what was to come, the MTA made their official budget proposal today and as expected, the cutbacks were dramatic. In addition to the slashing of the W and the Z lines among other cuts listed Tuesday, today's 2009 budget also included the following: Increasing weekend wait times by 25% on most lines Raising express bus fares from $5 to $7.50 Getting rid of the X27 and X28 express-bus lines as well as 25 overnight bus routes Eliminating a total of 2,700 jobs An additional... [Tags: bridge and tunnel, budget proposal, bus fares, bus lines, bus routes]