Every morning at 8:10 a.m., Georges Carrahas boards the Midtown Direct to New York Penn Station from South Orange. It's been his weekday routine for nearly a decade. Until recently, he had no thoughts of altering it.

That all changed when NJ Transit announced a 25 percent systemwide fare hike, expected to take effect May 1.

"I understand the budget crisis," he said, "but that's a big chunk of money. And there is nothing in it for us, no improvements. It's unfair."

Waiting on the platform, many of his fellow commuters agree when he calls the plans "outrageous." Others say it's "horrible" and "unbelievable."

For South Orange monthly pass holders, the fare hike will add $372 to a Hoboken commute and $468 to a Manhattan commute each year. Maplewood commuters will now pay more than $2,000 yearly to commute to either destination.

Cameo Rollins, an 11-year veteran of the Midtown Direct from Maplewood, is outraged. "It's unbelievable, unbelievable," she says, "that they would even suggest raising the price by the cost of two monthly payments, with the economy the way it is. It's just unbelievable."

When she started commuting, the roundtrip fare was $8. With fares rising, her days on the train are numbered. "I'll work from home two or three days a week," she says, "or carpool with friends."

Leslyn Cook and her husband, Mike Yaffe, didn't know about the increase until Thursday morning, while waiting on the South Orange platform. Yaffe's jaw dropped when he heard the numbers. "That's pretty steep!" he said. Within minutes, he was debating their options. "This is still the most convenient," he says, "but maybe we'll drive to Harrison and catch the PATH."

David Gershman of South Orange doesn't plan to stop in Harrison. He says he may just start driving to his Jersey City office.

But are either of these options actually more cost effective?

The roundtrip drive from South Orange to Hoboken is 38 miles. Department of Transportation studies show that the average passenger car runs 22.4 miles per gallon. With gas prices at $2.55 per gallon, the drive would cost approximately $4.35 per day. Factor in parking at about $12 a day, and the commute to Hoboken is around $340 monthly, if 20 days are worked each month. Driving from Maplewood, driving a larger car or SUV, paying tolls and parking in Manhattan would drive this cost up.

A monthly PATH pass from Harrison to New York is $54, daily parking in Harrison is $6 and the roundtrip drive from South Orange is 11 miles, or about $1.30. All told, the monthly commute would cost Village residents $200, plus the time it takes to drive to Harrison.

There is always the bus, but it's not nearly as convenient as the train. A monthly bus pass from Maplewood or South Orange to New York or Hoboken is $146. Getting to Hoboken takes more than an hour and requires a transfer at the New York Port Authority.

Citing the lack of alternatives, Maplewood resident Nicholas Vitiello, who moved to Maplewood from Hoboken three years ago, says he might just move back to Hoboken.

Vitiello is not pointing fingers at local government, saying the problem comes from the state. "While the hike is upsetting, the most upsetting is that [Gov.] Christie has pulled back funding for mass transit. If ever there was a place to prove mass transit works, it's New Jersey." He suggests raising gas taxes, currently the lowest in the nation, and using the money towards mass transit initiatives.

Not all passengers are protesting. Bridget Whalen, a South Orange resident who has been commuting to Jersey City for nine years, understands the fare increase.

"It's not optimal," she says with a laugh, "but quite frankly we've been getting a good deal for a long time."

Suzanne Holt, of Maplewood, seems defeated, as she says commuters are basically "held hostage." The only consolation she sees is that the increased fares will still fall within the state's $230 cap on tax-free commuter allowances.

While moving, carpooling, telecommuting and riding the bus were named as alternatives to paying more for the train, South Orange's Carrahas came up with a healthier idea, though it's certainly not for everyone.

"It's only 16 miles to New York," he said. "Build us a bike trail. I guarantee you people would bike. If you gave us a fourth option, people would take it."