Subway and Bus Fares Jump to $2.90 on Aug. 20; LIRR, Metro North, Bridge and Tunnel Tolls Rising as Well
In a unanimous vote, the MTA has decided to increase fares from $2.75 to $2.90 beginning August 20th. The board voted to implement the fare hike on July 18th
| 20 Jul 2023 | 04:31
Subway and bus fares are going up on Aug. 2O. (
)
Beginning Aug 20th, the base transit fare will increase from $2.75 to $2.90, following a unanimous decision by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board on July 18 to implement the fare hike.
All discounts for seniors, reduced fares, will remain in place, the MTA said. Seven day MetroCard users will see their cost rise by $1 to $34 and monthly passes will increase by $5 to $132.
If you’re using a car to get out of town, E-Z Pass price hikes, while not as steep, are also going up, although the toll increase adopted by the MTA Board increases the discount offered to E-ZPass users.
For automobiles using the MTA’s major crossings, the Bronx-Whitestone, Robert F. Kennedy, Throgs Neck, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridges and Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown Tunnels, the new toll rates are for basic E-Z Pass trips will rise to $6.94 per trip from its current $6.55. Tolls-by-Mail will jump to $11.19 from $10.17.
Customers who use an E-ZPass administered by E-ZPassNY will be saving 2 percent more than before as compared to Tolls by Mail.
Single rides on subways and buses will increase to $3.25 from the current $3.00; 7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCards will rise to $64.00 from the current $62.00.
Express bus tickets will rise about 4 percent or 25 cents to $7 and seven day express bus tickets will rise by $5 to $132.
The MTA typically raises fares every other year, but paused amid a drop in ridership following the pandemic. In February of this year, subway trips were still just at 67 percent of their pre-pandemic levels. The new fare comes after Governor Kathy Hochul averted the MTA from a financial crisis this April through a $300 million bailout and an additional $65 million to allow for what she called a “tolerable fare increase.”
The MTA’s deputy Chief Financial Officer Neal Zuckerman said the fare increase was imperative to “keep up with inflation, avert radical fare and toll fluctuations and mitigate impacts on customers by offering a predictable increase schedule. ”Unlimited weekly and monthly MetroCards, express bus fares, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad fares, and tolls at bridges and tunnels will also see their costs rise.