NEW YORK — Tensions over government pensions, like those that triggered New York's transit strike, aren't going away.

After a three-day walkout, the nation's largest bus and subway system and the union representing its workers reached a deal this week that tiptoed around the contentious pension issue. But similar tensions likely will surface in other cities and states, as more governments wrangle with fast-rising retirement costs, experts say.

Lawmakers and public officials across the country are increasing their scrutiny of pension plans for state and local workers. The pressure comes as many governments — including some that went for years without making any contributions to worker retirement plans — now find themselves having to double or triple payments to underfunded plans.

At the same time, worries are growing about new rules that will require governments to account for the fast-rising costs of retired employees' healthcare.

Critics say the current pension benefits are too expensive and unfairly punish taxpayers. They say cities and states should follow the lead of many private employers and switch from traditional pensions to plans similar to 401(k) plans.

Defenders say the problems with pensions are overstated, and they caution that pensions are essential for attracting and retaining public workers.

"We don't want a situation where your firefighters or your school teachers are jumping out of a job after three or four years to get a better salary offer," said Keith Brainard of the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, a group representing officials that run pension plans. "One of the most compelling factors in keeping people on the job is their pension benefit."

There is no simple solution.

If they continue rising, pension and retiree healthcare costs could cut into the credit rating of some governments, raising the cost of borrowing money, said Parry Young, a credit analyst with Standard & Poor's.

Governments could contain those costs by moving away from traditional pension plans, putting workers in charge of managing their own retirement funds. But that could increase costs to governments in the long term, as they are forced to pay benefits to those impoverished when investments fail, he said.

In addition, while switching to so-called defined contribution plans like 401(k)s would cut costs over time, that would not substantially reduce the pressure in the short term.

"The problem now is that contribution rates are going up and that's what's putting these (government) budgets in a bind around the country," Young said.

It wasn't always this way. As recently as 2001, public pension plans held an average of 100 percent of the money needed to meet obligations to workers. But many lost money when the stock market tanked soon after, and by 2004, the average funding level had dropped to 87.8 percent, according to figures compiled by Brainard's association this past fall.