MTA officials, responding to what they said was an unprecedented level of feedback from riders to proposed fare changes, are pulling back a proposal to reduce the validity period for some Long Island Rail Road tickets to just four hours, and are also expanding a discount for families traveling with children.

Ahead of a planned rate hike vote Tuesday, Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said Friday they have reconsidered a proposal to shorten validity windows for one-way tickets from the current 60 days to just four hours. The original proposal also would have done away with the need for customers to activate electronic tickets, which instead would have been valid from the moment of purchase.

Under a new proposal, which would apply to both the LIRR and its sister railroad Metr

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