The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in May, proposed raising the base fare for a single New York City subway, bus or paratransit ride 5%, to $2.90 from $2.75 – the first such increase since 2015. The proposal would also raise the cost of a seven-day MetroCard 3%, to $34 from $33, and the cost of a 30-day MetroCard would go up 4%, to $132 from $127 – their first increase since 2019. Fares for express bus service, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are also expected to rise, along with tolls at the authority’s bridges and tunnels.
If the MTA board approves the increases, they are expected to generate $305 million a year in revenue and would take effect no later than Labor Day. The MTA says it sought to mitigate the effect of the proposed increases on working New Yorkers by raising them more modestly on weekly and monthly MetroCards.
Danny Pearlstein, a spokesman for advocacy group, the Riders Alliance, said a fare increase was inevitable, but urged Mayor Eric Adams to expand eligibility for the city’s Fair Fares program, which offers half-price fares for qualifying New Yorkers.
Before Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers enacted this year’s state budget, the MTA faced a huge deficit due, in part, to the pandemic’s impact on ridership. The final budget included a payroll tax on large NYC businesses (geared toward mass transit), made a one-time payment of $300 million to the MTA and earmarked an additional $65 million to reduce any potential for a larger increase.
The authority board held public hearings in June on the proposal and expects to vote on it in July.
Source: The New York Times
