"or so you've heard...."

??

A correction on the senior rates on Metro North: They do NOT apply during the morning peak hours.

This chart doesn't indicate any restrictions on senior fare:
http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/plannin.../hhfares13.htm

I was implying none of us have first hand knowledge, since we're all young...

Mom is 71 so we can try for the rates for her. I figure if we do pickup at 1030 AM, give or take, we'd need to be on a 10 AM train (right?)

Ooops, the senior rate is okay leaving New York during the morning commuting hours. The full rate is in effect for seniors traveling to the city at that time. Sorry!

So, flygirl, your mother will be paying the senior rate no matter what time she leaves the city in the morning, which is half price.

These are your morning off-peak trains

DEP GC Arr WP Travel time
9:22 AM 9:57 AM 35
9:25 AM 10:14 AM 49
9:48 AM 10:19 AM 31
9:55 AM 10:42 AM 47
10:25 AM 11:12 AM 47

Wow, thanks Howard and J62!