With lawmakers in Albany still unable to come to an agreement on a rescue plan for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority, details of a massive fare hike are slowly coming into focus.
Sources tell NY1 that riders can expect a $2.50 subway fare and a $103 monthly MetroCard.
The MTA appears to be leaning toward the increase in hopes of closing its $1.2 billion budget gap.
MTA board members had been considering two different fare hike options, but the agency is reportedly leaning toward a plan that raises the base fare 50 cents, though riders will still get a 15 percent bonus when they spend $7 or more, bringing the actual cost per ride down to $2.17. On unlimited-ride cards, the weekly would go up to $31, the 14-day card to $59, and the monthly to $103.
A second plan would have kept the base fare at $2.25, but would have eliminated the bonus and charged $3 to riders buying a single-ride ticket. That plan has less support among board members and will likely be dropped.
The MTA Board’s finance committee will discuss the increases Monday and will put it up for a full vote on Wednesday.
The fare hikes would take effect in June.
(Source: NY1)
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4 Responses
mta should lower rates not raise them for the service that they offer!!!!
im sick and tired of people complaining about mta prices. Nowhere else in the world is transportation so cheap as in NYC. for 2 you can get from the north bronx to far rockaway.
albeit there is waste in the mta but still if you dont like the price try finding a cheaper alternative.
#2 – eco major? Really? As in economics? There is a term for that type of pricing, and what you said is exactly why monopolies are considered bad.
Can you tell me why the private subway systems were taken over by the city? Ironic, no?
I understand that they need to raise the prices but I think they’re doing it in the wrong places. Monthly unlimited cards are typically used by commuters, who are loyal customers and will be hit hard by fare hikes; they should stay low and local commuters should not be taken advantage of like this.
One-day and weekly cards and single rides are more likely used by tourists and the like who are blowing plenty of money on their trip anyway; they will ride the subways for the experience and even with a significant rise it will still be cheaper than taxis which are the other main option for these people. It’s a one-time expense for these people. So no problem to raise those.
Another benefit that would arise from that would be that many people who might have just bought the amount of rides they need might decide that the unlimited cards are a better deal and end up spending more overall (because they did not accurately predict how many rides they were taking, or simply didn’t do the math at all)
They could also generate more revenue by raising the advertising rates and increasing advertising opportunities. There is plenty of empty wall space and subway advertising gets tons of exposure.