Janno Lieber, Chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (D) on the left, speaking about expansion of the Second Avenue Subway at a Board Meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) at Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building in New York City. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA)
(New York, NY) – Plenty of New Yorkers came to put their two-cents on a proposed fare increase that is set to take effect January 2026. The MTA held its final two public hearings this Wednesday letting people share their thoughts directly with the people in charge of making the decision. Not so shocking, people were a bit angry as prices have been rising and riders say there is not much to show for the previous fare hikes.
New $3 Subway Fare
Right now, the bus and subway fare stands at $2.90 for a single one-way trip. The transit agency is proposing an increase of 10 cents to round out the fare to a flat, three dollar ride. If the MTA moves forward with their plan, it would be the second fare hike in the past 5 years. The price will also go up for the free ride cap, which lets straphangers take free trips after 12 rides in a week.
Commuters Lines Also Going Up
People commuting to and from the suburbs are also impacted by the fare hikes as well. The Long Island Railroad and Metro-North are seeing spikes ranging from 4.4% to 8% increases. Riders in Hicksville have to cough up nearly $300 for a monthly ticket and $15 for a single one-way trip.
Tolls…You Know the Deal
Drivers, don’t think you are safe from the price hikes as the Verrazano and East River crossing tolls will go up as well. Those who have an E-ZPass have to fork over $7.50, but if you don’t have the Port Authority-approved piece of plastic adorning your dashboard (and make sure it is properly placed) it will cost you $12 to pass through the toll booths. Congestion pricing will remain the same at a $9 additional toll during peak hours.
Pushback Against Aging Train System
Riders who showed up to the public comment session were clearly motivated by pure anger and frustration. Several people who spoke said the fare hike was a greedy cash grab as more New Yorkers struggle financially. Several politicians reacted, including mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa who attended the hearing on Tuesday night. Sliwa says the service is lacking and needs to improve in order to justify price hikes. Mayor Eric Adams also said he does not believe now is the time to raise rates.
Paul Zuber, Executive Vice President of New York State Business Council, was on WABC’s Cats Roundtable. He said the MTA should be worrying about making cuts to their budget rather than raising rates
MTA Makes Their Case
Officials with the MTA maintain that in order to address some of the major issues in infrastructure, including accessibility improvements. MTA Chair Janno Lieber maintains that the slight increases in price help fund the massive budget. Lieber also points to rider satisfaction being up as a rebuttal to arguments of poor service.
If you missed the meetings, you can still share your thoughts with the MTA by filling out a form online.
