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Last week, Chicago’s Metra unveiled its proposed $613 million operating budget for 2010. The recession has caused sales tax receipts to hit a 10-year low, and although the budget does not include changes to commuter-rail service, it does propose a fare hike.

Metra would raise one-way fares by about 6 percent, or an average of about 30 cents per ticket, depending on the travel zone. Weekend fares would increase from $5 to $7. The fare hikes would take effect Feb. 1.

Metra already has adopted a series of other cost-control measures that have saved about $4 million in administrative costs, such as leaving about 150 open positions unfilled, freezing management salaries and asking non-union employees to pay more for their health insurance.

The agency will hold public hearings during the next several weeks to obtain feedback on the budget proposal.