Starting from Sunday, August 20, commuters in New York City will face increased train and bus fares. Here’s a breakdown of the changes:
– The base cost of a subway or bus ride in the five boroughs will be $2.90, up from $2.75, an increase of 15 cents.
– Other fares will also go up. A seven-day pass will cost $34, up by $1, while a 30-day unlimited pass will be $132, an increase of $5.
– Express bus fares will rise from $6.75 to $7.
These fare increases, approved by New York’s transit board in July, mark the first time base fares have been raised in eight years. Previous fare increases in 2019 only affected weekly and monthly MetroCards.
In addition to the subway and bus fare hikes, monthly and weekly tickets for Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road will also see an increase of up to 4.5% from August 20.
The fare increases come after recent price hikes for motorists using the bridges and tunnels, with an increase of 6% for E-ZPass users and 10% for those paying through the mail.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) estimated that these fare hikes will generate approximately $300 million annually for the agency.
Furthermore, the MTA plans to crack down on fare evasion on city buses starting in September. Fare evasion on buses accounted for almost half of the estimated $700 million lost by the MTA due to non-payment last year.
Sources:
– [Getty Images](source not provided)
– [James Messerschmidt](source not provided)
– [Christopher Sadowski](source not provided)