MTA Seeks to Hike Subway/Bus Fares to $3
The MTA is seeking to hike subway and bus fares to $3 from its current $2.90 by August, after unanimously voting to do so at its final board meeting of the year on Dec. 18. The four percent fare hike, if the proposal is finalized after additional public hearings, would also apply to MetroNorth and LIRR trains, as well as tolls on bridges and tunnels.
The hikes will come under scrutiny in a public comment period during the first quarter followed by final vote by the MTA on the specifics in March. It will then go to Albany, where Gov. Kathy Hochul can theoretically nix it and provide an alternate source of funding, although the idea of nixing a revenue-generating proposal for the financially-strapped agency does not seem to be in the cards.
The fare hike continues a trend dating back to 2009 of the MTA hiking fares by 4 percent every two years, with the exception of the COVID year of 2021. Earlier in December, MTA Chief Janno Lieber hailed a massive increase in transit ridership from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for a single-day record of roughly 4.5 million daily riders; the last time the transit system saw that many riders was March 11, 2020. He cited those figures at the Dec. 18 meeting where the fare hike was decided.
”Actions are needed from multiple levels of government for any fare increase to be effectuated. It is in our financial plan, but so are many standard hypotheticals,” Lieber added at a press conference.
MetroCard machines are still being phased out for the OMNY system, and existing ones will still be dispensing MetroCards in 2025. Fare discounts of 50 percent apply to seniors over the age of 65, or people with certain qualifying disabilities, via the MTA’s Reduced-Fare Program. Manhattan residents who want these discounts can apply by mail, as the current online option has yet to be available. The instructions for doing so can be found at https://new.mta.info/fares/reduced-fare.
The extra revenue is needed despite the implementation of the congestion pricing tolls below 60th St. in Manhattan, which are projected to generate $600 million in revenue per year for MTA capital improvements. The tolls are set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 5, after surviving a last-minute legal challenge on environmental grounds from New Jersey late on Jan. 3. The base toll price during peak hours from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. is $9 for car drivers with E-Z Pass. For the 2 percent of riders without EZ-Pass, the tolls will cost $13.50. The off hours toll will cost only $2.25 with E-Z Pass. There are also tax credits available for residents living within the zone who earn under $60,000.
The MTA is also facing stress, after the heads of the NYS Legislature–Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Leader Carl Heastie–shot down the financially strapped agency’s $65 billion 2025-2029 capital plan on Christmas Eve, citing a $33 billion hole in secured funding. The prosper was first rolled out plan by the MTA last September, and approved at its final board meeting of the year one Dec. 18. Now it will be subject to a new round of negotiations between the state legislature and the transit agency as part of the state budget that lawmakers must send to Gov. Hochul for approval by March 31.