Take MTA to Giants Games?

The MTA is looking to expand the reach of its commuter trains - and Giants and Jets fans will be among the first to benefit.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working on a plan featuring trains running from its Metro-North station in New Haven to the NJTransit hub in Secaucus, N.J., MTA CEO Elliot Sander announced yesterday.

Riders could then switch to a NJTransit shuttle train to the Meadowlands sports complex, he said at a Crain's breakfast forum at the New York Hilton in midtown.

The pilot program - which has the backing of Amtrak and NJTransit - is expected to be launched in 2009 and provide the new service to up to a total of 10 Giants and Jets games, Sander said.

It would also bring Metro-North trains to Manhattan's West Side - long a pipe dream for that line's riders.

Many details need to be hashed out, including what stops other than Penn Station would be made along the route. And there are significant hurdles, not in the least, different workforces represented by different unions, Sander said.

Still, Sander was optimistic this could be a major step toward a better, if not simpler, regional mass transit network - not just for sports fans but everyday commuters too.

The MTA also is looking at running trains between Riverdale and Montauk, linking the Metro-North and LIRR systems, Sander said.

Another goal for the 2009 pilot program is to have one ticket honored across the three state boundaries. The special ticket would likely be a rail-subway-bus combo with a MetroCard on one side so it could be swiped at NYC Transit turnstiles.