MTA Locks In New $3 Fare & Toll Hikes

The MTA approved proposed fare and toll hikes on Sept. 30, which will go into effect in January. The base cost of a ticket for a subway or bus will go up by 10 cents, from $2.90 to $3, while an unlimited weekly-ride pass will cost a maximum of $35 instead of $34.

MTA officials had originally proposed a hike in the weekly fare to $36 but said that post-pandemic funding from Albany had given them wiggle room to reduce a $2 hike to $1. The unlimited OMNY pass automatically kicks in after a commuter’s 12th weekly ride. For reduced-fare customers, these changes translate to: $1.50 for one ride, up from $1.40, and a maximum of $17.50 for the unlimited pass.

“Because the transit fare is a fraction of the cost of owning a car, New Yorkers spend less on transportation than people in the rest of the country, and we’re determined to keep it that way,” MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said in a statement. “The modest fare increases approved today—which are below the rate of inflation—prioritize value for frequent riders and families while maintaining the MTA’s bottom line.”

The MTA also said that an inflation-beating fare hike would have brought the base fare to $3.14, but that they had “heard the concerns about citywide affordability during the public comment period.” The transit agency said that they received a total of 1,378 comments, which was four times the previous record, set in 2023.

Since the MTA is retiring their famed yellow MetroCards by the end of the year, commuters are advised to purchase an OMNY card (at an OMNY machine in select stations) as soon as possible. They will cost $2 when they become mandated, up from $1 currently, and the MTA claims that they last up to five years a pop.

E-ZPass tolls and Tolls by Mail will increase by 7.5 percent. Discounts for Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island residents will remain in effect.

LIRR and Metro-North ticket prices, both weekly and monthly, will increase by around 4.5 percent a pop. “All other” LIRR and Metro-North tickets will increase by 8 percent, with a surcharge for tickets purchased “onboard by a conductor,” increasing by $2. Monthly ticket prices will not exceed $500, according to the MTA, which it says is lower than pre-COVID costs.

According to the agency, other key changes include:

* An unlimited reduced-fare ticket for “seniors, people with disabilities, and people on Medicare that will be valid 24/7.”

* A hike of 25 cents, from $7 to $7.25, for express-bus tickets. In reduced-fare terms, the express bus will now cost $3.60 for single rides, up from $3.50. The unlimited weekly ride cost for the express network will come in at $67.

* No more 7-Day, 30-Day, and Express Bus Plus Unlimited Ride MetroCards will be sold. Commuters seeking the unlimited weekly ride can pre-load the maximum $35 onto their OMNY cards.

* A “Single Ride” Ticket, which allows for bus-to-bus transfer without extra charge, will now cost $3.50 instead of $3.25.