What NYC needs to know about proposed MTA bus, subway, paratransit fare hikes

What you pay to ride New York City’s subways, buses and paratransit services is expected to rise this summer for the first time in seven years.

Commuter train fares and bridge and tunnel tolls are also expected to increase.

But before the MTA gives the hikes final approval, it’s gathering public opinions about its plans at public hearings you can attend in-person or online. You can also submit opinions in writing.

Here’s what you need to know about the MTA’s plans — and how you can make your voice heard.

What will it cost to get around if the price increase goes forward?

The MTA’s proposal would raise the cost of an individual bus, subway or paratransit ride to $2.90, up from the current $2.75 — a boost of about 5.5%.

Price hikes for unlimited MetroCards will also rise. Seven-day MetroCards would go up by a dollar, to $34, a boost of about 3%. Monthly passes would go up by $5, to $132, a boost of about 4%.

MTA officials have said that the lower percentage increase in multitrip MetroCards is meant to ease the burden on working-class riders, who according to agency data make up more than 70% of seven-day unlimited purchasers.

Express bus tickets would go up 25 cents, or about 4%, to $7. Seven-day express bus passes would climb $2, or about 3%, to $64.

Tolls at the MTA’s bridges and tunnels are also expected to climb.

The MTA is weighing two possible bridge-and-tunnel toll plans — one for a 7% increase in tolls across the board, and another that would raise tolls by 6% for cars and trucks with E-ZPass, and 10% for those without.

Fares on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are expected to rise about 4%. Fares on the railroads vary widely depending on the distance traveled. The MTA says monthly tickets will cost no more than $500, and off-peak discounts — which now vary between the two railroads — will be standardized at 26%.

The increases are expected to take effect no later than Labor Day.

If the MTA got what it wanted from the state budget, why are fares and tolls going up?

MTA officials praised this year’s state budget, which provided funding to fill the agency’s projected deficits, as well as $65 million to offset a small portion of the already-planned fare increase.

But the funding wasn’t enough to do away with the fare hike entirely. The MTA’s budget calls for a 4% increase in fare revenue and a 5.5% increase in toll revenue over the current levels.

In unveiling the proposal last month, MTA Finance Committee Chairman Neal Zuckerman called the hike “a reasonable increase given inflation.”

“It is in keeping with what we did for at least a decade, having predictable 4% every-two-year increases,” he said.

But it’s been a while since New Yorkers have had to pay more before standing clear of the closing doors.

The current base fare of $2.75 for a single bus or subway ride was set in 2015.

A 2019 fare hike kept the single-swipe price of $2.75 by getting rid of a 5% bonus for putting multiple rides on a MetroCard. That hike also increased Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North fares as well as bridge and tunnel tolls.

Tolls went up again in 2021, but fares on subways, buses and commuter rails did not.

What does the money go toward?

Tolls and fares are meant to help fund the MTA’s operating budget — the day-to-day expenses of running the trains and buses and paying the people who make the system work.

About 40% of the agency’s 2023 operating budget is funded by fares and tolls.

The MTA’s planned toll hike is separate from its congestion pricing plan, which would toll motor vehicles below 60th St. in Manhattan. Money from those tolls will be earmarked to the MTA’s capital budget, which funds the construction and repair of bridges, tunnels, stations and tracks, as well as the purchase of new equipment.

How can I give my opinion on the fare and toll increases?

There are two ways to voice your opinions on the fare increases to the MTA.

The agency has opened an online comment portal, where straphangers can weigh in on the proposal to raise the fare.

The MTA is also holding four public hearings at its lower Manhattan headquarters at 2 Broadway.

The first hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a second hearing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

A third hearing will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, and a final hearing is planned for next Monday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Members of the public can also attend the hearings virtually through the MTA’s website.

What about fare discounts?

MTA and city officials have said they will work to increase enrollment in the Fair Fares program, which currently provides half-price bus and subway rides to New Yorkers with incomes below the federal poverty line — currently $14,580 annually for an individual or $30,000 for a family of four.

Eligible New Yorkers can apply for a Fair Fares MetroCard online or get assistance at one of the MTA’s customer service centers.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens) and a multitude of transit advocate organizations have called for an expansion of the program’s eligibility to include New Yorkers making twice the federal poverty line — a move experts say would make 1.7 million working-age Gothamites eligible for the discount.

The MTA has also expressed support for the plan, which remains the subject of negotiations between city lawmakers and Mayor Adams.