Good news for straphangers (at least for now). The MTA’s proposed bus and subway fare hike that was slated for August is postponed.
Per the MTA’s budget, a 4% fare hike has been implemented every two years since 2010, and commuters were expecting single rides to raise to $3 this summer. Though there is a change of plans, we’re not totally out of the clear for increases in 2025.
“Because of the nature of the public process, and we’re going to have the public process that we always do, it cannot and won’t be in August,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said on Wednesday, June 25th during a board meeting. ““But we’re going to initiate the public process, and it will happen, in all probability, sometime later in the year.”
Bus and subway fare hike postponed: what to know
Before the fare change does go into effect, the MTA is planning to have public hearings, but at this time, information about them, as well as a timeline, are unavailable. There is a possibility that the increase will be over the typical 4% to make up for lost revenue, however, that is not entirely clear as of yet.
This comes on the heels of the news that the MTA might have to adjust its improvement plans because of federal withholdings.
“State funds and congestion pricing have helped the MTA shore up its capital programs and plans to bring the system into a state of good repair, but it could be forced to add debt or postpone projects if federal choices undermine recent progress,” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement.
Will this affect the phase out of MetroCards later this year to make way for OMNY? Looks like time will tell.
“Contactless fare payment is not only faster and more convenient, it’s going to allow us to do more, much more with discounts and promotions. It’s a much more dynamic system,” Lieber said in a statement last year.
Let’s hope that the payment issues are solved before the switch — recently, OMNY users were charged multiple times for one ride.
This is a developing story, please watch this space for additional details.