Since the pandemic, New Yorkers have felt in their guts that an MTA fare raise was on the way.
But between only recently celebrating the first 4 million rider day since 2020 and showing off the new futuristic turnstiles and MetroCard – I mean, OMNY machine, this update doesn’t come as much of a shock.
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which we all know and love, approved the new fare raise for the first time in eight years. The board announced a fare raise of 5% — bringing the subway and bus base fare from $2.75 to $2.90. The base fare increase is the MTA’s first since 2015.
The fare hike raises the cost of a weekly MetroCard by 3%, from $33 to $34, and the price of a 30-day MetroCard up 4%, from $127 to $132, their first increase since 2019.
Fares for the express buses, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad are also set to rise, as are tolls at bridges and tunnels.
These changes have taken effect on August 20, 2023:
- Base Fare: Increase the local bus and subway fare to $2.90
- Single Ride Ticket: Increase the Single Ride Ticket to $3.25.
- Express Bus Fare: Increase the Express Bus fare to $7.00.
- Unlimited Ride Passes: Increase the price of unlimited ride passes as follows:
- 7-Day Unlimited Ride increases from $33.00 to $34.00;
- 30-Day and Calendar Monthly Unlimited Ride increases from $127.00 to $132.00
- 7-Day Express Bus Plus Unlimited Ride increases from $62.00 to $64.00.
According to NBC, commuters had been bracing for an even more severe increase for months thanks to ridership that has never fully recovered from the pandemic. But a state-funded bailout provided enough money that the fare and toll hike only needs to produce $300 million to balance the transit authority’s budget.
The price increase is a step toward $3 fares, which New Yorkers could see by 2025.