Residents of the Bronx?s northern neighborhoods say a plan to eliminate a local bus line could leave them stranded.

Faced with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall in 2009, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced plans to raise fares and cut services, among them the Bx34 bus that runs down Katonah Avenue past busy commercial strips and several hospitals.

?We have a lot of seniors, we have a lot of students going to Fordham University, we have people going to Montefiore [Medical Center],? says Jamin Sewell, who works for Councilman Oliver Koppell (D-Riverdale). ?They won?t be able to get straight there.?

MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot Sander has said that to lessen the burden on commuters, he's hoping state legislatures will approve a proposal from the governor-appointed Ravitch Commission. The legislation calls for tolls on the East River bridges that are free. Also, businesses could be asked to shell out cash in the form of a payroll tax.